Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have created a brand-new technique that uses cellulose-based materials to quickly clean up contaminated water. This finding may have ramifications for nations with inadequate water treatment systems and help address the pervasive issue of harmful dye discharge from the textile industry.
Although essential for our health and the environment in which we live, access to clean water is not a given for everyone. over two billion people today have little to no access to safe water.
This global dilemma is at the core of a research group at Chalmers University of Technology, which has devised a technology to quickly remove toxins from water. The Wallenberg Wood Science Center’s group, which is headed by Associate Professor of Organic Chemistry Gunnar Westman, focuses on developing novel applications for cellulose and wood-based goods.
The key to water filtration is found in cellulose nanocrystals, which the researchers have amassed a thorough understanding of. The researchers have now discovered a way to make use of the exceptional adsorption ability that these small nanoparticles possess.
“We have investigated the characteristics and possible uses of these cellulose nanocrystals using an original holistic approach. We have now developed a biobased substance, a cellulose powder in a form that is excellent at purifying, which we can alter and change depending on the kinds of contaminants to be eliminated “Gunnar Westman explains.
In a paper recently published in the academic journal Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, the researchers demonstrate how the technique and substance they developed can be used to filter harmful colours from wastewater. The study was carried out in conjunction with the Malaviya National University of Technology in Jaipur, India, where color pollution in wastewater from the textile sector are a common issue.
