Sponge soaks up pollutants but saves valuable minerals
February 5, 2025 – Water contaminated with phosphates and metals poses significant health and environmental risks. However, these elements are also valuable non-renewable resources, essential for agriculture and the sustainable energy sector.
Researchers from Northwestern University (NWU) have developed a specialized sponge material that absorbs pollutants while allowing their recovery as useful minerals. According to NWU, this innovation offers a reusable and cost-effective solution for water purification.
The sponge’s surface is coated with nanoparticles that attract pollutants such as zinc, copper, phosphate, microplastics, and even oil. These absorbed substances can then be selectively released by adjusting the pH.
The research was published on February 5 in ACS ES&T Water under the title ‘Rinse, Recover, Repeat: pH-Assisted Selective Extraction of Phosphate and Metals with a Sponge.’ (doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.4c01234)
