[TechSpot] Breakthrough water filter eliminates forever chemicals using modified graphene oxide

[Space Lynx]

Breakthrough water filter eliminates forever chemicals using modified graphene oxide

Researchers at Monash University have introduced a new water filtration technology that could shift the fight against PFAS – chemicals known for their environmental persistence and health...

www.techspot.com

The Monash team developed a graphene oxide membrane derived from graphite and enhanced it with beta-cyclodextrin, a ring-shaped sugar molecule. The pairing is intentional as beta-cyclodextrin can trap chemical compounds inside its ring-like structure, acting as a molecular cage. The researchers created a highly selective network of nanoscale channels by integrating beta-cyclodextrin into the graphene oxide membrane. These channels act as energy barriers, blocking PFAS molecules – including the elusive short-chain types – while allowing water to flow through efficiently.

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Let's hope one of the major companies like Pur or Brita scale production of something like this up ASAP. I think I speak for everyone when I say the amount of PFAS in all of our blood is a bit alarming.

 

[DirtyDingusMcgee]

Been seeing this around all week. Neat stuff.

 

[Shihab]

The press release makes me think this tech is more about efficiency(?) and cost-effectiveness(?), than it is a solution to a thus far unsolved problem. The text leads one to think that this filter is physically comparable to nanofilters, which may be ineffective for tiny chemicals indeed. But reverse osmosis filters are not. If this tech is indeed uses "nanoscale channels," then the sub-nanonmeter RO is probably more effective here, albeit at higher operational costs.

Someone do read the actual paper and see if there is a comparison. I'm too lazy to do so right now.

 

[Jtuck9]

I saw this on our local news recently:

Somerset entrepreneur wins environmental innovation award

Jane Pearce has designed a product to remove phosphates from water for reuse as fertiliser.

www.bbc.co.uk

Wonder if something like this could help reduce things like problematic amounts of sargassum?

 

[Space Lynx]

The press release makes me think this tech is more about efficiency(?) and cost-effectiveness(?), than it is a solution to a thus far unsolved problem. The text leads one to think that this filter is physically comparable to nanofilters, which may be ineffective for tiny chemicals indeed. But reverse osmosis filters are not. If this tech is indeed uses "nanoscale channels," then the sub-nanonmeter RO is probably more effective here, albeit at higher operational costs.

Someone do read the actual paper and see if there is a comparison. I'm too lazy to do so right now.

I'm too lazy to read the actual paper as well, but the article itself was fascinating is the only reason I wanted to share here.