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IIT Guwahati: Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati have developed a natural and low-cost technology based on cyanobacteria to remove lead from contaminated water.
IIT Guwahati: Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati have developed a natural and low-cost technology based on cyanobacteria to remove lead from contaminated water. Cyanobacteria are microorganisms. It effectively absorbs lead present in water. According to researchers, this technology can become a permanent solution to lead pollution, one of the world’s biggest environmental threats. This toxic metal found in contaminated water is affecting the health of more than 80 crore children globally, including about 27.5 crore children in India alone. This discovery can play an important role in water purification efforts. The findings of this research have been published in the prestigious Journal of Hazardous Materials.
About 27.5 crore children in India affected by contaminated water
According to Professor Debashish Das of the Department of Bioscience and Bioengineering, lead is one of the most toxic pollutants globally, affecting more than 80 crore children. About 27.5 crores in India alone. It commonly enters water through industrial waste, agricultural runoff and old water pipelines. Once a water resource becomes contaminated with lead, it persists for decades, accumulating in organisms and causing serious neurological, cardiovascular, kidney and developmental problems. Traditional methods, such as chemical treatments and synthetic adsorbents, used to remove lead are generally expensive and often produce other pollutants. Das further said that to solve these challenges we used bio-remediation. Said that this is a natural process, in which microorganisms clean the contaminated environment. These microorganisms are naturally present in soil and water and help in restoring ecological balance.
Reduction in cost of water purification by up to 60%
The team researched different parts of the cyanobacterium to test which components were most efficient at absorbing and removing lead contaminants. He said the study found that exopolysaccharides or EPS, a part of the cyanobacterium, displayed the highest lead removal efficiency of 92.5 percent from contaminated water. These cyanobacterial biosorbents require minimal energy input and can be scaled up without sophisticated infrastructure, making them more economical for widespread use. Das said that by using our developed method, the total treatment cost can be reduced by about 40 to 60 percent. According to him, this significant reduction in cost and the environment-friendly nature of the process makes it an attractive option for industries and municipalities. Das stressed that this approach will not only provide cost-effective solutions to pollution control but can also become a sustainable option in the long term.
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