Membranes made from spice and tannery waste can filter pollutants
Researchers at Shiv Nadar University have created special membranes from spice waste and tannery sludge that can filter out up to 83% of dyes and up to 80% of certain antibiotics from industrial wastewater.
These biochar membranes are reusable, low-cost, and could offer a greener way to tackle pollution.
How the membranes were made
The team made the membranes by heating industrial waste with little oxygen, then mixing the resulting biochar with polymers for strength.
Membranes from tannery sludge worked well on both dyes (like methylene blue) and antibiotics, while those from spice waste were especially good at removing dyes.
Membranes can be reused up to 5 times
You can wash and reuse these membranes up to five times—making them practical for industries.
With about 80% of global industrial wastewater still released untreated (according to the UN), this tech could help make water cleaner without breaking the bank.
The researchers are now working on scaling up for real-world use.