NANOTECH INNOVATIONS

Nanotechnology is being used to develop solutions to three very different problems in water quality.One challenge is the removal of industrial water pollution, such as a cleaning solvent called TCE, from ground water. Nanoparticles can be used to convert the contaminating chemical through a chemical reaction to make it harmless. Studies have shown that this method can be used successfully to reach contaminates dispersed in underground ponds and at much lower cost than methods which require pumping the water out of the ground for treatment.The challenge is the removal of salt or metals from water. A deionization method using electrodes composed of nano-sized fibers shows promise for reducing the cost and energy requirements of turning salt water into drinking water.The third problem concerns the fact that standard filters do not work on virus cells. A filter only a few nanometers in diameter is currently being developed that should be capable of removing virus cells from water.