Haridwar. Scientists at IIT Roorkee have developed nano-enabled technology to remove harmful plastic chemicals, phthalates, from water. This research has been published in ACSES&T Water.
The research team found that specially designed nanophosphates stimulated pollutant-degrading bacteria, allowing phthalates to be removed within a few hours, even in nutrient-poor waters. Phthalates are commonly found in rivers, groundwater, and waste water.
To remove phthalates, researchers at IIT Roorkee designed multi-nutrient nanophosphate particles, which act as micronutrient reservoirs. These particles slowly release essential elements such as phosphorus, magnesium, calcium and trace metals at exactly the place and time when the bacteria need them.
The developed nanophosphates enabled almost complete removal of phthalates within three hours. The researchers say that our research shows that nanophosphates provide sustainable nutrition without burdening the environment.
This use of nano phosphate proved successful in many real water types including tap water, river water and artificial waste water samples. In all cases, the bacteria maintained high activity and efficiently degraded phthalates despite differences in water chemistry.
The research team believes this concept can be expanded to other pollutants and microbial systems, opening new doors to scalable, low-input technologies for sustainable water and soil restoration.
Commenting on the importance of the research, Professor KK Pant, Director, IIT Roorkee, said that this research reflects IIT Roorkee’s commitment to developing science-based solutions to global sustainability challenges.
Comments are closed.