I’ll drink until then!
Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Georgia Institute of Technology have discovered a way to use recycled brewer’s yeast to remove lead and clean water. the school announced.
This breakthrough builds on a 2021 study that found a year’s worth of waste beer from a single brewery could service Boston’s entire water supply.
A process called biosorption, which allows yeast to quickly suck up trace amounts of lead along with other heavy metals from water, was key to the project. The researchers packaged the yeast inside a special hydrogel capsule, creating a de facto lead filter for water.
Scientists say it’s easy to remove it from the water when it’s ready to drink.
Researcher Patricia Stasatow explains, “There’s a hydrogel surrounding the free yeast in the center, which is porous enough to let water in, allowing the yeast to move freely through water.” and then it gets cleaned up.”study now Published in the journal “RSC Sustainability”.
“The fact that the yeast itself is biological, non-toxic, and biodegradable is a major advantage over traditional technologies.”
Next, the team is developing concepts for retrofitting household faucet water or supplying it in bulk at treatment facilities.
“We think there’s an interesting environmental justice aspect to this, especially if you start with something as low-cost and sustainable as yeast, which is essentially ubiquitous,” said researcher Devasish Gokhale. ”.
