Mercury pollution is a global problem in water, air and soil near goldmines, cement and some metal production, and other heavy industries burning fossil fuels, with removal too expensive or difficult in some of the poorer countries in the world.
Itself made from low-cost waste from the petroleum, citrus and agricultural production, the material is capable of absorbing almost all mercury in polluted water in minutes.
In a new journal article published by the Royal Society of Chemistry, a senior author says that the tests showed almost total absorption of mercury within minutes.
It is clear from the study that this mercury-binding material is very fast in removing mercury from water. Professor Chalker says that in some cases, more than 99% of the mercury is captured in a few minutes.
A novel chemical combination already shown to effectively absorb waste mercury was tested on a new material created by coating silica with sulfur and limonene.
He says that this silica covered with an ultra-thin coating of poly(S-r-limonene), using sulfur left over in petroleum production and orange oil from orange peel discarded by the citrus industry, was extensively tested in various pH and salt concentrations.
Not only is this new mercury sorbent able to rapidly bind to mercury in water, but is alsoselective in taking up mercury but not other metal contaminants such as iron, copper, cadmium, lead, zinc and aluminum.
The orange-sulfur sorbent helps with safety after capturing the inorganic mercury, says co-author Dr. Max Mann from the Flinders University Chalker Lab.
The particles contained in just 27g of this free-flowing orange powder have an approximate surface area of a soccer field, and it can be quickly produced in large enough volumes to suit contamination levels.
The material from agricultural waste could be used to make even more sustainable material, according to a candidate in the Chalker Lab.
This mercury remediation technology can be a circular economy solution for a more sustainable world because this value-added material is made entirely from waste.
To shore up the findings, mathematical modeling was used to qualitatively understand the rate of mercury absorption.
This is an exciting new development in producing renewable and accessible solutions to major environmental issues facing the world today, according to Tony Miller, another co-author of the publication.
Professor Chalker says that the project is an excellent example of collaboration across chemical and physical sciences and mathematics.
The article "Modeling mercury sorption of a polysulfide coating made from sulfur and limonene" has been published.
More information: Max J. H. Worthington et al, Modelling mercury sorption of a polysulfide coating made from sulfur and limonene, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics (2022). DOI: 10.1039/D2CP01903E Journal information: Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics Citation: Mercury removal made easy in toxic environments (2022, May 13) retrieved 13 May 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-05-mercury-easy-toxic-environments.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
