Water purification tech - Science of the day Jan 27, 2025

Hey everyone, remember me? Last year, I was bringing you weekly Science news, but it was taking me too long to review, edit, and publish five news items in one day (for a public side project that wasn't even very popular). So, I'm trying something new. Instead, I'll post interesting science news multiple times a week. I can't promise it will happen every day, but I think I can handle more than three posts a week. Here's to more science and knowledge on Imgur! (Pronounced Imgur).

Sauce: https://news.umich.edu/new-water-purification-technology-helps-turn-seawater-into-drinking-water-without-tons-of-chemicals/

Sauce of the Sauce (the actual research article from where the news came from. Paywalled sadly).
https://www.nature.com/articles/s44221-024-00362-y

Transcription for accessibility
Researchers at the University of Michigan and Rice University have developed a new water purification technology that uses carbon cloth electrodes to remove boron from seawater. “Most reverse osmosis membranes don’t remove very much boron, so desalination plants typically have to do some post treatment to get rid of the boron, which can be expensive,” said Jovan Kamcev. This method is more energy-efficient and cost-effective compared to traditional techniques, reducing chemical and energy demands by up to 15%. The technology could save around $6.9 billion annually in global desalination costs and make seawater a more accessible source of drinking water. The electrodes trap boron inside pores with oxygen-containing structures, allowing for efficient removal without the need for additional chemical treatments. This innovative approach addresses the challenge of boron contamination in seawater, which can be toxic in drinking water and harmful to agricultural plants. The research, funded by various organizations including the National Alliance for Water Innovation and the U.S. Department of Energy, represents a significant advancement in water purification technology. The electrodes were studied at the Michigan Center for Materials Characterization.