Filter gets metals out of water, bacteria too

[Guest guest]

Monday, March 13, 2006

Filter gets metals out of water

By Jan TenBruggencate

Advertiser Columnist

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060313/COLUMNISTS\

03/603130339/1121/NEWS

University of Hawai'i researchers led by Liangjie Dong, a doctoral

candidate in molecular biosciences and bioengineering, have developed a

new, inexpensive filtration system that removes not only bacteria but

also heavy metals from water.

The system would be only slightly more expensive than activated carbon

filtration, and " carbon can't remove heavy metals, " Dong said.

The new technology is being called MicroNose, since it functions

somewhat like the mucous membrane of the human nose, he said.

Dong's development team includes Walt Atkins, of Pacific HiTech

Development, and University of Hawai'i-Manoa researchers Cowen, an

oceanographer; geophysicist Li-Chung Ming; economist P.S. Leung;

materials scientist Pavel Zinin; water quality engineer Chittaranjan

Ray; and social scientist Kate Zhou.

" We also have some international collaborators, " Dong said.

They anticipate the technology will have special application in Third

World countries where drinking water may be compromised. The filtration

system will remove arsenic, lead, cadmium and other heavy metals.

In testing, it reduced arsenic levels by 99.9 percent, Dong said.

And while foreign applications may be the most critical, the system

could also help U.S. communities meet strict EPA water quality

requirements, he said.

A test with groundwater contaminated with arsenic at a rate of 300 parts

per billion showed that the MicroNose system cut that to 1 part per

billion after a 15-minute filtration process.

In a press release, Dong said he experimented with dozens of compounds

before developing the final product, granules made of clay, iron and

other materials. The granules function mechanically — they contain

microscopic holes that allow small water molecules to pass, but block

the big molecules of bacteria and heavy metals.

" The MicroNose formula is very precise, but can be easily mass

produced, " he said. He said it could be used in any application in which

activated carbon filters are used, including large-scale industrial

applications, home faucet filters and even hand-held filters that

campers could carry.

The University of Hawai'i Office of Technology Transfer and Economic

Development has applied for a patent on MicroNose.

Dong said the research group has a working model of its system, and is

now looking for financing to develop commercial applications for MicroNose.

If you have a question or concern about the Hawaiian environment, drop a

note to Jan TenBruggencate at P.O. Box 524, Lihu'e, HI 96766 or

jant@.... Or call him at (808) 245-3074.

*

The material in this post is distributed without

profit to those who have expressed a prior interest

in receiving the included information for research

and educational purposes. For more information go to:

http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html

http://oregon.uoregon.edu/~csundt/documents.htm

If you wish to use copyrighted material from this email

for purposes that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain

permission from the copyright owner.