Arsenic causes many diseases such as skin cancer, lung cancer or keratosis. However, more than 50 million people in South Asia are exposed to contaminated water by this material highly carcinogenic. Researchers from Imperial College London then worked with the Diamond Light Source and the UK National Synchrotron to find a new material capable of effectively removing arsenic from water.
They discovered a nanomaterial, TiO2/Fe2O3, able to rid the water of these arsenic particles. This nanomolecule binds to arsenic through the combined action of photocatalytic oxidation and adsorption. As a result, this new material makes it possible to filter arsenic in one step.
This research work should allow real progress in the fight once morest water pollution.
TiO2/Fe2O3 filters arsenic in one step
Arsenic is a notorious toxic element. About 100 to 200 million people worldwide are exposed to this chemical element daily. Even in trace amounts, it can lead to debilitating and life-threatening illnesses. Before it can be filtered, arsenic must first be oxidized. Without this pre-treatment (oxidation), the filtration of arsenic would be inefficient.
However, certain arsenite ions, including As(III), are difficult to oxidize due to their neutral charge (H3AsO3). They oxidize only in the presence of photocatalysts and ultraviolet rays. As a result, current water decontamination processes are extremely complex and are carried out on many stages. To overcome this problem, Professor Weiss and his team created TiO2/Fe2O3. This composite nanomaterial oxidizes and filters arsenic in a single step.
A nanomaterial capable of effectively purifying underground drinking water
The team, led by Professor Dominik Weiss, carried out a spectroscopy X-ray absorption to study the reactions of arsenic with TiO2/Fe2O3. She then compared this spectroscopy data with their predictive models. The results published in the scientific journal Results in Surfaces and Interfaces show that this new material makes it possible to effectively decontaminate arsenic in water. This is why the researchers did not hesitate to file a patent for the exploitation of TiO2/Fe2O3.
They want to democratize the use of this nanomaterial for the decontamination of arsenic. In particular, they hope that it can be incorporated in a filtration column to remove arsenic from underground drinking water supplies. Unlike current methods of water purification, this technology is cheap and much more effective. She might help improve water quality consumed by millions of people around the world.
SOURCE : PHYS
