New Bio-Based Material Removes Toxic Dyes From Wastewater

Researchers from the Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have developed a new water purification method that uses cellulose-based materials to purify contaminated water.

With Organic Chemistry Associate Professor Gunnar Westman at the helm, the team highlights in a study published in the Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research journal the role of cellulose nanocrystals in the purification method and the biobased material they have developed.

“We have taken a unique holistic approach to these cellulose nanocrystals, examining their properties and potential applications. We have now created a biobased material, a form of cellulose powder with excellent purification properties that we can adapt and modify depending on the types of pollutants to be removed,” Westman said.

The new method, which requires sunlight–not heat or pressure–to catalyze the purification process, will be tested in India, where toxic dyes are prevalent in the wastewater from the textile industry.

Westman added, however, that his team’s purification method is also effective against other pollutants, such as hexavalent chromium, and that they will further examine its capability to remove antibiotic residues from water.

Read the full article here to learn more about the importance of cellulose nanocrystals in water purification.

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