Nanorust Used To Purify Water

eldavojohn writes "How do you remove arsenic from water? Well, a research team has discovered that adding and removing nanorust works well. From the article, 'The team added nanoscale iron oxide to contaminated water, where it clumped together with the arsenic. They then magnetized the nanoparticles with an electromagnet and pulled them out. "We only needed a surprisingly weak magnetic field," says Colvin. "In fact, we could pull then out with just a hand-held magnet, making this a very practical method.' Big news for developing nations that are plagued with non-potable drinking water."

Comments

Some potential, but there are better options

[Salvance]

This method sounds like it could eventually have some potential, but it's not like you'll be able to take water directly from the Ganges, add some nanorust, and have fresh sparkling drinking water. In developing nations, the key is ensuring factories and agriculture do not dump their waste into the drinking supply (one of the big problems in India), that the sewage and drinking systems are separated, and that modern filtration units are used. Implementing all of these would be far cheaper than having people boil their water, and would ensure that bacteria, lead, and other impurities are removed.

The article itself admits that nanorust is still too expensive to be used widely, while filtration units already exist that cheaply remove arsenic plus many other things cheaply. In the U.S., home filters (and even cheap Britas) remove 99% of all arsenic, along with similar levels of other chemicals and heavy metals ... so why spend tons of money making nanorust if something else already exists that is cheaper and just as effective?

Ounce of prevention?

[Mateo_LeFou]

question one should be How Did the Arsenic Get In There?

Is this a normal geological property or result of pollution?

*sigh*

[Ant P.]

So what's wrong with calling it something like "microscopically fine rust powder", or something else that doesn't reek of marketing buzzwords?

Re:*sigh*

[MBC1977]

Two reasons I can think of off the top of my head: (1) microscopically fine rust powder sounds geeky to the average reader, while nanorust sounds cool, and (2) who wants to actually spout microscopically fine rust powder, when it can be shortened to nanorust?

Granted it does sound like a buzzword, be even as a geek, I'd hate to have to say all of that, when ironically enough, nanorust actually would make sense to me. (disclaimer, I am a both a double major in business admin (marketing concentration) and computer science), so I can see both sides of the arguement here.

One other thing to think of, as it just came to mind... to capture (meaning get them interested) a venture capitalist or even the future generation of scientists (meaning the children), you gotta make it sound simple now days. A lot of smart people are turned off if it sounds too technical, (one of the reasons I believe a lot of children who are good at math -- I'm using my daughter for instance, is great at math, but gets frustrated because of the technical terminology (she always who came up with these stinking terms), whereas if its broken down to sound simple, then they understand it better and can do the work without complaint.

I didn't mean to go on diatribe, but I think that is the problem with a lot of professionals (be it computer geek, business geek, etc.) If its made simple, people will get interested enough to continue. Kinda like hammering a nail with w sledgehammer, its overkill.

Regards,

MBC1977,
(US Marine, College Student, and Proud Parent!)

Is Hawaii a third world?

[Anonymous Coward]

Arsenic occurs naturally in volcanic rocks in Hawaii. However arsenic compound was used by white man as a herbicide on sugar plantations. Now Hawaii has a 10x more arsenic than naturally occurring in rocks. In fact some of the new hosing developments have to remove topsoil to be within (Hawaii relaxed) EPA standards.

Arsenic is insoluble so it just stays in ground or gets washed away. That's why coral-reef fish and algae's are usually contaminated the most.