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Recycled Tires Could Filter Water

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the mmmmmm-tastes-like-firestone dept.

MattSparkes writes "According to New Scientist, water could be cleansed and filtered more easily and cheaply by using old tires. From the article: 'Rubber tires, the kind that lie at the bottom of rivers and at the back of junkyards the world over, could be ideal water filters says an environmental engineer at Penn State University in the US.'"

8 of 112 comments (clear)

  1. Fort Lauderdale says no by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    http://www.nova.edu/ocean/tire_reef_washpost.html

  2. like tires as reef? by Speare · · Score: 4, Interesting

    There was a case where someone had the bright idea of dumping tires over a huge area of open sea, to offer marine habitat. Years and years later, the barnacles and coral organisms haven't adopted this habitat, because the tide keeps pushing the tires around, unlike heavier debris. It's an eco-disaster, worse than nothing, essentially.

    They're finally getting around to hauling them up, but volunteer effort can only go after a few tires at a time, with tens of thousands or millions of tires to go. Maybe if there was a clear use for all the tires, they could get some funds to lift the old "reef" up and use it for a different, and this time beneficial, marine-related purpose.

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    1. Re:like tires as reef? by inviolet · · Score: 2, Interesting
      There was a case where someone had the bright idea of dumping tires over a huge area of open sea, to offer marine habitat. Years and years later, the barnacles and coral organisms haven't adopted this habitat, because the tide keeps pushing the tires around, unlike heavier debris. It's an eco-disaster, worse than nothing, essentially.

      It is still a good idea. That particular project failed because the metal clips -- the things that hold the tires together as a reef -- rusted away.

      Yes, you read that right: they used metal clips for a long-term saltwater application. Asshats. But I suppose there weren't a lot of other suitable materials available back in the 1960s when the project was conceived.

      Nowadays, kevlar would be the perfect choice, as it is impervious to everything but acid and UV light.

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    2. Re:like tires as reef? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      Actually, I saw a news bit about that a few weeks ago. The problem wasn't so much that they moved around at first, it was that reefs won't grow in them for whatever reason. Once the restraining clips rusted away and no reef had formed, the tires themselves were nearly neutrally boyant and are scattered all over the place. An experimental clearing of several hundred square meters of ocean floor resulted in the ocean bottom being covered with tires again within a few months.

      The big plan now is for the US Navy to use the salvage operation as training manuvers. They say it will be very valuable experience in undersea retrieval, and will just be part of the standard training budget. The only costs then will be the actuall disposal of the tires.

  3. What about rubber allergies? by jimlintott · · Score: 4, Interesting

    My first concern is that I am quite allergic to cyclohexylthiophthalimide (CTP) a chemical used in vulcanizing rubber. Yes, I am allergic to car tires. Makes me very, very ill. While I don't get sick in normal traffic I get sick at the drag races from the burnouts and I can't spend more than 30 minutes in a tire shop.

    Whether water filtered through tires would bother me or not I don't know but it should be checked into first.

    1. Re:What about rubber allergies? by Politburo · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I'd advise you to email the professor with this concern.

  4. Don't hold your breath by geobeck · · Score: 3, Interesting

    From the last part of the article (for those who don't RTFA):

    The suggestion is interesting and plausible, says Sean Moran, an environmental engineer who runs Expertise Limited in the UK. "But I can see there being a lot of difficulties taking it from lab stage to full scale," he adds.

    He points out that there are already filtering columns which maintain their size gradient even after backwashing by exploiting the density differences. These use large, low density particles of anthracite, on top of sand, with small, high density particles of garnet at the bottom.

    Another problem in cleaning filtering systems is that sewage sludge sticks to the filter particles. Moran thinks the sludge is more likely to stick to rubber than to smooth hard grains of sand and coal.

    He is also concerned that the rubber from old tyres might leach out toxic chemicals including heavy metals. Xie's team is now taking feedback from experts, and running tests to make sure the rubber does not leach out heavy metals.

    I, for one, do not welcome our contaminant-leaching, sewage adsorbing overlords.

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  5. Re:Rubberized asphalt is wonderful by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Rubberized asphalt was the first thing that came to mind when I read this article. I saw something on TV several years ago about it, and I liked what I saw. Solves many problems. Unfortunately, a problem that it solves, longer lasting roads, is exactly why it isn't adopted more. DOTs across the country wouldn't touch the stuff with a 10' pole, because it'd cause them to cut their budget.

    Any idea if rubberized asphalt is used elsewhere? Is it unfavorable in more humid areas of the country like the Midwest? Colder areas? Any ideas on how to get people to use it more?