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Washington:
Lakes and water bodies contaminated with heavy metals could become
a thing of the past -- thanks to a novel device that filters their
traces from water.
Researchers from Brown University in the US showed that their
system reduced metals like cadmium, copper, and nickel
concentrations in contaminated water.
In a series of experiments, Brown researchers reported that the
method, called the cyclic electrowinning/precipitation (CEP)
system, removes up to 99 percent of copper, cadmium and nickel,
making water as clean and safe as statutory requirements.
Ridding water of trace metals "is really hard to do," said Joseph
Calo, professor emeritus of engineering who maintains an active
lab at Brown University. "It's like trying to put the genie back
in the bottle," he added.
The automated CEP system is scalable as well, Calo said, so it has
viable commercial potential, especially in the environmental
remediation and metal recovery fields.
Heavy metals can remain in water for decades, even centuries, in
low but still dangerous concentrations and cause terrible harm to
the human body.
Cadmium, for instance, can cause diarrhoea, stomach pains and
severe vomiting, reproductive failure and possibly infertility,
psychological disorder and damage to immune system, according to a
Brown statement.
Exposure to mercury and its compounds can damage the brain,
kidneys and developing foetuses, besides affecting vision, hearing
and memory. Arsenic poisoning causes liver and nervous system
damage, vascular diseases and skin cancer.
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