Fighting Chemical Pollution Water: Purification using Algae

 Fighting Chemical Pollution Water: Purification using Algae


    Researchers have identified more than 500 chemicals in Europe's rivers, originating from industrial and agricultural sources, threatening aquatic habitats. The team led by Junior Professor Dr Anzhela Galstyan aims to remove these chemicals using algae. "Diatoms are microscopic single-celled organisms that live in water and possess a cell wall made of silica (silicon dioxide). Thanks to its porous structure, it can absorb a wide variety of pollutants," Galstyan explains.

    In their study, the researchers tested diatom shells on two exemplary pollutants commonly found in rivers and groundwater due to the textile industry: methylene blue and methyl orange. To enhance the adsorption capacity, the diatomaceous earth was chemically modified by adding specific functional groups to its surface. “This could easily be implemented on an industrial scale,” emphasises the junior professor for nanomaterials in aquatic systems.

        The diatomaceous earth was tested in the lab under various conditions, such as different salt concentrations and pH levels. The results are promising: regardless of the conditions, the material consistently removed pollutants effectively. For comparison, the researchers evaluated silica, a material already established in water purification. Diatomaceous earth performed significantly better: within an hour, up to 100 per cent of methylene blue was removed, whereas silica removed only 88 per cent of the dye in the same period. For methyl orange, both silica and diatomaceous earth absorbed about 70 per cent of the pollutant.

    "We see diatomaceous earth as an eco-friendly and cost-effective solution for water treatment," Galstyan concludes. The significant advantage is that algae are a renewable resource and can be cultivated with minimal energy input – unlike the commonly used filter material, activated carbon.

    The researchers are now examining how diatomaceous earth can be used in membranes for water purification. Thanks to the world's largest algae collection, housed at the University of Duisburg-Essen, the conditions for developing this environmentally friendly technology are ideal.


Chemical water pollution
Algae-based water purification
Algal bioremediation
Phytoremediation
Wastewater treatment with algae
Toxic chemical removal
Heavy metal absorption
Algae biofilters
Microalgae for water treatment
Sustainable water purification
Nutrient recovery
Pollutant degradation
Biological water treatment
Effluent treatment with algae
Industrial wastewater cleanup
Algal growth in wastewater
Ecological water purification

#WaterPurification
#ChemicalPollution
#AlgaeTechnology
#EcoFriendlySolutions
#SustainableWaterTreatment
#CleanWaterForAll
#EnvironmentalProtection
#GreenInnovation
#AlgaeForWater
#PollutionFreeFuture
#WastewaterTreatment
#NatureBasedSolutions
#AlgaeResearch
#WaterSecurity
#ClimateAction

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