9 months ago
IIT Guwahati Develops Low-Cost Lead Removal Method
Scientists at IIT Guwahati have found a new way to clean lead from water using tiny organisms called cyanobacteria.
These organisms are like tiny plants that can make their own food using sunlight.
The scientists discovered that a part of these organisms, called exopolysaccharides, can remove 92.5% of lead from water.
This method is much cheaper and better for the environment than the usual ways of cleaning water.
The lead that the organisms absorb can even be turned into useful things like biofuels.
The scientists are now planning to test this method on a larger scale to see if it works well in real-world situations.
This is great news because lead is very harmful to children and can cause serious health problems.
IIT Guwahati researchers developed a natural method to remove lead from water using cyanobacteria.
The method is sustainable, low-cost, and removes 92.5% of lead from contaminated water.
Conventional methods are expensive and often generate secondary pollutants.
The cyanobacteria used can also absorb other harmful substances like pesticides and industrial chemicals.
The research team plans to scale the process to a pilot-scale treatment system for real-world testing.
- Who
- Researchers from IIT Guwahati, including Prof Debasish Das, Abhijeet Mahana, and Prof Tapes K Mandal
- What
- Developed a low-cost, natural method to remove lead from contaminated water using cyanobacteria
- Where
- Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, India
- When
- Research findings published on November 29
- Why
- To provide a sustainable and affordable solution to lead contamination, which affects over 800 million children worldwide
Key facts
- Institution
- Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati
- Method
- Cyanobacteria-based bioremediation
- Lead Removal Efficiency
- 92.5%
- Cost Advantage
- 40-60% lower than conventional methods
- Publication
- Journal of Hazardous Materials
- Lead Contamination Impact
- Affects over 800 million children worldwide, including 275 million in India
- Next Step
- Scaling to pilot-scale treatment system
Quotes
Prof Debasish Das
Professor at the Department of Bioscience and Bioengineering, IIT Guwahati
“These cyanobacterial biosorbents require minimal energy input and can be scaled without sophisticated infrastructure, making them more affordable for widespread application. Preliminary estimates suggest that the overall cost of treatment using cat method is approximately 40-60 per cent lower than that of conventional techniques, while maintaining comparable or even superior efficiency in metal removal. This economic advantage, coupled with its eco-friendly nature, positions our approach as a sustainable alternative for industries and municipalities seeking affordable solutions to contamination”
assamtribune.com
Sources
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