Research suggests agricultural waste could help to clean polluted water
To keep pace with a growing demand for water, there is now a pressing need for water recycling facilities that can remove pollutants from wastewater. Recently, many synthetic materials have emerged which can absorb pollutants very efficiently. However, their high costs place them out of reach for many developing nations. In research published in Applied Surface Science Advances, O P Pandey and colleagues at Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala, India, present an in-depth analysis of how natural biosorbents could provide an affordable alternative for treating wastewater. With the right approach, the team shows that these eco-friendly materials could be produced from agricultural waste, making them far more accessible in developing countries. … Pandey’s team hope their findings … could pave the way for new approaches to treating agricultural waste products for use as biosorbents for wastewater treatment. Through this, they could one day help millions of people in the developing world to gain easier, more affordable access to clean water.