NOVEL SPONGE- LIKE MATERIAL CAN REMOVE HARMFUL DYES FROM WATER IN A JIFFY

Washington, Aug. 2: Scientists have created a sponge- like material using wood pulp and small bits of metal that can remove harmful dyes in water in a matter of seconds.

Globally, about 700,000 metric tonnes of dye is produced each year to colour our clothing, eye shadow, toys and vending machine candy.

During manufacturing, about a tenth of all dye products are discharged into the waste stream.

Most of these dyes escape conventional wastewater- treatment processes and remain in the environment, often reaching lakes, rivers and holding ponds, and contaminating the water for the aquatic plants and animals that live there.

Even just a little added colour can block sunlight and prevent plant photosynthesis, which disrupts the entire aquatic ecosystem.

“A small amount of dye can pollute a large volume of water, so we needed to find a way to very quickly and efficiently remove the colour,” said Anthony Dichiara, an assistant professor at University of Washington in the US.

“We were pretty impressed with what we were able to achieve,” said Dichiara.

The researchers developed a method that removes colour from water using a spongelike material they created from wood and small bits of metal. This metal serves as a catalyst to help remove colour quickly.