Plant-Inspired Polymers Remove Heavy Metal Ions From Water

Harmful heavy-metal ions can now be safely and efficiently removed from water, thanks to the new filtration system inspired by phytochelatin, a highly conserved protein found in plants.

Researchers from Kyoto University and Osaka University in Japan and Heidelberg University in Germany, collectively known as the HeKKSaGOn Alliance, used the protein’s ability to target and bind with heavy-metal ions and move them to its cellular compartment as the basis for their new water purification method.

Their study published in Nature Communications explored the building blocks of phytochelatin and how it reacts with heavy-metal ions. Upon testing it with cadmium, they identified two groups integral to this process: carboxylate and thiolate.

The team synthesized a polymer containing carboxylate and thiolate groups and attached it to silica beads and cellulose membranes confined to an ultra-small volume. They also designed the system with a flow-through system, allowing this method to remove cadmium ions and achieve an approved drinking level in an hour.

Their tests showed that while the system specifically targets cadmium ions, it also registers a comparable high affinity to mercury ions compared to magnesium, calcium, and other metal ions essential to health.

Motomu Tanaka, the study’s senior author and a scientist at both Kyoto University and Heidelberg University, said they are satisfied that their plant-inspired polymer could outperform plant proteins like phytochelatin.

Read the full article here to learn more about the newly developed filtration system with a flow-through approach.

Need reliable, high-purity water systems for your lab? Explore our advanced purification solutions at competitive prices. Visit us at https://www.aquaa.com/ today!