New USask filter may lead to safer drinking water
USask PhD student Zoroufchi Benis has recently been awarded a prestigious 2020 Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship.
By Federica GiannelliA University of Saskatchewan (USask) chemical engineering graduate student is developing a new environmentally friendly bio-filter that can remove arsenic from water and could help make drinking water safer across Canada and worldwide.
“Our filter aims to remove the arsenic from water by combining two natural materials that have separately shown promise for capturing this metal,” said Zoroufchi Benis, a USask PhD student from Iran who has recently been awarded a prestigious 2020 Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship.
One third of Canadians rely on groundwater as a source for drinking water. Newfoundland made headlines in 2018 when traces of arsenic were found in some of its groundwater at levels 40 times higher than recommended guidelines. While arsenic is naturally present in water at various concentrations, these natural levels are not always safe, as exposure to arsenic may cause health problems such as cancer, diabetes and heart diseases.
“Our bio-compatible filter may have an impact around the world in countries such as India and Bangladesh as well where arsenic contamination is a big issue,” said USask chemical engineering professor Jafar Soltan, Zoroufchi Benis’ co-supervisor.
The USask filter uses a “bedding” material made of biochar—activated carbon, a dark powder created from agricultural waste—and microalgae. Naturally found in water, some types of microalgae are highly resistant to arsenic but also can absorb it in their bodies.
Zoroufchi Benis will use the Canadian Light Source synchrotron at USask to study the properties of these materials and create more efficient bio-filters.
The goal is to produce an alternative treatment method for arsenic-contaminated waters that would be cheaper and safer compared to the current expensive processes that rely on chemicals.
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This article first ran as part of the 2020 Young Innovators series, an initiative of the USask Research Profile and Impact office in partnership with the Saskatoon StarPhoenix.