IIT Bombay researchers have fabricated a carbon-based nanostructure that is capable of simultaneously adsorbing with very high efficiency four heavy metals — arsenic, chromium, cadmium and mercury — from wastewater. The nanostructure can be recycled and reused multiple times. Simultaneously removing heavy metals such as arsenic, chromium, cadmium and mercury from waste water with very … Continue reading IIT Bombay team removes heavy metals from water with greater efficiency
Water pollution
IIT Jodhpur fabricates a highly sensitive device for lead detection
Researchers at IIT Jodhpur have fabricated a portable sensor for detecting lead in water. It can detect lead even when present at extremely low concentration of 0.018 ppb, much lower than the WHO limit of 5 ppb for drinking water. A highly sensitive, portable device that can detect the presence of lead in water even … Continue reading IIT Jodhpur fabricates a highly sensitive device for lead detection
IISER Pune synthesises a photocatalyst to degrade organic pollutants
IISER Pune researchers have converted the highly unstable perovskite into a ultra-stable photocatalyst that can decompose toxic organic pollutants commonly present in water. The photocatalyst was synthesised by encapsulating nanocrystals of organic-inorganic perovskite inside a metal-organic framework (MOF). Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune have successfully converted the highly … Continue reading IISER Pune synthesises a photocatalyst to degrade organic pollutants
CLRI’s biocatalyst cuts effluent discharge during leather processing
A novel biocatalyst developed by researchers at CLRI, Chennai speeds up the leather processing time at the pre-tanning stage, cuts chromium usage, and achieves three-fold reduction in water usage thus reducing waste discharge. A novel amylase-based biocatalyst developed by researchers at the Central Leather Research Institute (CSIR-CLRI), Chennai helps in the processing leather in an … Continue reading CLRI’s biocatalyst cuts effluent discharge during leather processing
Toxic mercury in fish increases with ocean warming, overfishing
Based on data and modelling, researchers from Harvard University have found that the amount of toxic mercury (methylmercury) in fish higher in the food chain can change due to two reasons — ocean warming and dietary shifts due to overfishing by humans. Despite a decrease in seawater concentration of methylmercury since the late 1990s, the … Continue reading Toxic mercury in fish increases with ocean warming, overfishing
IISER Mohali finds zebrafish use landmarks for navigation
IISER Mohali researchers have found that zebrafish did overcome the challenges posed by reduced visibility in turbid waters after a month of acclimatisation. They show zebrafish use visual cues to navigate to foraging sites especially when turbidity is high and visibility is low. Turbid to extremely turbid water conditions are quite common in areas where … Continue reading IISER Mohali finds zebrafish use landmarks for navigation
IIT Bombay’s bacteria preferentially degrade aromatic compounds
IIT Bombay researchers have used a unique strain of bacterium isolated from soil contaminated with petroleum products to selectively remove toxic aromatic pollutants from the environment. The bacteria devour aromatic compounds and organic acid even when glucose is available. The peculiar order of food preference comes from the suppression of glucose utilisation at a molecular … Continue reading IIT Bombay’s bacteria preferentially degrade aromatic compounds
Podcast: Detecting organophosphoporus pesticides in apples and tomatoes
Partha Mahata from Jadavpur University explains how the cadmium-based MOF synthesised by his team is capable of detecting organophosphoporus pesticides both in water solution and in apples and tomatoes. The MOF is highly sensitive and is capable of detecting the pesticides even if present in ppb concentration.
A simple way to detect organophosphoporus pesticides in tomatoes, apples
Researchers from Jadavpur University and Visva-Bharati University have synthesised a MOF that is capable of detecting organophosphoporus pesticides both in water solution and in apples and tomatoes. The MOF is highly sensitive and is capable of detecting the pesticides even if present in ppb concentration. Using metal-organic framework (MOF) made of cadmium chloride and synthesised … Continue reading A simple way to detect organophosphoporus pesticides in tomatoes, apples
Podcast – Eco-friendly process developed for textile industry
By using liquid and supercritical carbon dioxide, researchers at the University of Calicut have done away water for sizing and desizing cotton and polyester yarn. Sizing and desizing processes require huge quantity of water and also leads to enormous water pollution. The eco-friendly process allows both carbon dioxide and sucrose octaacetate, used as a sizing agent, to … Continue reading Podcast – Eco-friendly process developed for textile industry
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