Quantcast
ZME Science
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    Menu
    Natural Sciences
    Health
    History & Humanities
    Space & Astronomy
    Technology
    Culture
    Resources
    Natural Sciences

    Physics

    • Matter and Energy
    • Quantum Mechanics
    • Thermodynamics

    Chemistry

    • Periodic Table
    • Applied Chemistry
    • Materials
    • Physical Chemistry

    Biology

    • Anatomy
    • Biochemistry
    • Ecology
    • Genetics
    • Microbiology
    • Plants and Fungi

    Geology and Paleontology

    • Planet Earth
    • Earth Dynamics
    • Rocks and Minerals
    • Volcanoes
    • Dinosaurs
    • Fossils

    Animals

    • Mammals
    • Birds
    • Fish
    • Reptiles
    • Amphibians
    • Invertebrates
    • Pets
    • Conservation
    • Animals Facts

    Climate and Weather

    • Climate Change
    • Weather and Atmosphere

    Geography

    Mathematics

    Health
    • Drugs
    • Diseases and Conditions
    • Human Body
    • Mind and Brain
    • Food and Nutrition
    • Wellness
    History & Humanities
    • Anthropology
    • Archaeology
    • Economics
    • History
    • People
    • Sociology
    Space & Astronomy
    • The Solar System
    • The Sun
    • The Moon
    • Planets
    • Asteroids, Meteors and Comets
    • Astronomy
    • Astrophysics
    • Cosmology
    • Exoplanets and Alien Life
    • Spaceflight and Exploration
    Technology
    • Computer Science & IT
    • Engineering
    • Inventions
    • Sustainability
    • Renewable Energy
    • Green Living
    Culture
    • Culture and Society
    • Bizarre Stories
    • Lifestyle
    • Art and Music
    • Gaming
    • Books
    • Movies and Shows
    Resources
    • How To
    • Science Careers
    • Metascience
    • Fringe Science
    • Science Experiments
    • School and Study
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Science → News

Coffee-infused foam removes 99% of lead and mercury from water

Scientists have developed a sustainable and efficient filter for water from something most houses have in excess: coffee grounds.

Alexandra Gerea by Alexandra Gerea
September 23, 2016
in Environmental Issues, News

Scientists have developed a sustainable and efficient filter for water from something most houses have in excess: coffee grounds.

The coffee filter and a chart showing the filtration of lead ions. Credits: Chavan et al, 2016.

Restaurants, coffee shops and many houses produce millions of tons of used coffee grounds every year. Some of it is used as a fertilizer, some of it is mixed into animal feed and some is used in biodiesels, but much of it still ends up in landfills. Scientists have looked at several options to make something useful and sustainable from it and now, they might finally have a solution for it.

Creating water filters for lead is not unprecedented. In fact, it’s something that’s been done quite a lot – but creating cheap and eco-friendly filters is still a challenge. Scientists now report in the journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering an innovative way to create such filters while also addressing another environmental issue: organic waste. The study writes:

“The fabricated foams can be used for the continuous filtration and removal of metal ions from water, demonstrating their versatility, in contrast to the sole coffee powder utilized so far, opening the way for the reutilization and valorization of this particular waste.”

“The incorporation of the spent coffee powder in a solid porous support, without compromising its functionality, facilitates the handling and allows the accumulation of the pollutants into the foams enabling their safe disposal.”

The filters they designed incorporate spent coffee grounds in a foam filter. The grounds are fixed in a bioelastomeric foam and the device reported an excellent efficiency in still water, removing 99 percent of lead and mercury ions from water.

But there are still some issues with the technology. In a more practical test with flowing water, the filter only removed 67 percent of the lead ions – which is still a decent result, but not truly satisfactory. Furthermore, while the filter also showed some potential for water remediation, some of the (harmless) organic matter still passed through. In other words, the water would taste a bit like coffee. Arguably, that’s not really a problem when your water is contaminated with lead, but it’s still something you’d want to fix before releasing a commercial product. While this shows a lot of promise and might make a big difference someday, we’re still a while away from these filters reaching commercial status, though.

 

Was this helpful?


Thanks for your feedback!

Related posts:
  1. Science shows why coffee spills but beer doesn’t – it’s in the foam
  2. ‘The Spider’ On Mercury: MESSENGER Mercury flyby
  3. Spiders weave graphene-infused silk: the strongest of both worlds
  4. Gold-infused contact lenses that treat red-green color blindness could hit the market soon
  5. Novel graphene filter removes 99% of organic waste in water

ADVERTISEMENT
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • Reviews
  • More
  • About Us

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

Don’t you want to get smarter every day?

YES, sign me up!

Over 35,000 subscribers can’t be wrong. Don’t worry, we never spam. By signing up you agree to our privacy policy.

✕
ZME Science News

FREE
VIEW