We live in times when among the most limited and precious resources on Earth are air and water.
We live in times when among the most limited and precious resources on Earth are air and water. No matter the geographical location, the pollution spreads quickly, negatively affecting even the purest regions like Mount Everest. Thus, anthropogenic activity decreases the quality of the environment, making it harmful for flora and fauna. Current waste treatment methods are not sufficient, so novel and effective methods for maximizing pollutants removal are highly needed. One of the robust and prosperous solutions that make it possible to degrade various highly toxic chemicals from air and water is based on nanotechnology. Nanomaterials offer unique physicochemical properties, establishing them capable to catalytically detoxify harmful substances faster and more efficiently than within classical filtration-based approaches. Facing the global pollution challenges, an international team led by prof. Juan Carlos Colmenares from the Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences (IPC PAS) opens new horizons on harmful chemical treatment. They have synthesized a novel nanomaterial that can be used for multiple toxic compounds degradation.
Periodic table in the air and water
Nowadays, air and water contamination is higher than ever before, pursuing the whole world for remedying their treatment. Industrial wastes are full of organic molecules that are harmful to all types of living organisms. Quite often, they persist and accumulate in the environment for a long time, and once they enter the body, they may cause severe serious problems. Some might have a lethal effect depending on their type, even after a short exposition of a low concentration. Even if some toxic compounds are not breathed in, the air is full of humidity that sooner or later gets to the water and soil. Air pollution becomes a water and soil problem, making it more challenging to treat effectively.
Read more at Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences
Image: Thanks to the technology developed by the team of prof. Juan Carlos Colmenares, it is easy to create materials that, under the sunlight, can effectively capture toxic compounds from the environment and neutralize them. (Credit: Source: IPC PAS, Grzegorz Krzyzewski)
