Scientists from Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) are creating unique nanostructured sorbents that can purify water in the Arctic from toxic metals and microbes even at low temperatures.
The Arctic suffers from pollution: heavy metals, microbes and debris enter the water through Atlantic currents. Due to cold climates, conventional sorbents lose their effectiveness. Russia’s Arctic development strategy until 2035 makes the development of new cleanup technologies especially important.
TPU researchers are working on cryoresistant sorbents that retain their properties at temperatures from 0°C to +10°C. These materials combine several types of adsorption and can be used repeatedly.
The technology will be useful not only in the Arctic, but also in industrial enterprises for wastewater treatment and drinking water preparation. The project is supported by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation and has no analogues in the world.
The development of TPU is an important step in protecting the fragile Arctic ecosystem. The introduction of such sorbents will help reduce the anthropogenic load and improve the ecology of the region.
Source: naked-science.ru
Photo: Obtained nanosorbents / © Alexander Volkov, TPU press service
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