Indian Scientists develop biopolymer for water purification

Indian scientists have developed an eco-friendly biopolymer using nanotechnology for water-softening and water purification applications.
It was developed by the team of scientists from Guwahati (Assam) based Institute of Advance Study in Science & Technology (IASST).
Key highlights of research

• The eco-friendly biopolymer has been created using a naturally occurring substance, called chitosan.
• The chitosan has been obtained naturally from the hard outer skeleton of shellfish including crab, lobster, and shrimp as a backbone for the carbon nanoparticles to sit on.
• In this biopolymer, nanoparticles are the functional parts of the technology as they remove calcium and magnesium components of water through ion exchange. Thus, it shows the same process that is used by common water purifiers.
• Significance: This natural material is the first of its kind with potential to act as a biodegradable and green material for water-softening applications.
• Potential Applications: This eco-friendly biodegradable biopolymer can be used in civic water treatment plants for generating potable water.
• It will reduce dependency on conventional water-softening techniques that uses synthetic resins as they do not have very effective water-softening methods and produced very crude treated water.

Month: Current Affairs - April, 2016