Scientists develop an electrochemical process that removes toxic mercury from contaminated water

[rangerrebew]

Scientists develop an electrochemical process that removes toxic mercury from contaminated water

12/01/2020 / By Virgilio Marin

Researchers from the Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden developed a method that can remove nearly 100 percent of toxic mercury from contaminated water. In a study published in the journal Nature Communications, the researchers said that the electrochemical process works by encouraging mercury ions to form an alloy with another metal. This effectively draws the heavy metal out of the water.

“Our new method makes it possible to reduce the mercury content in a liquid by more than 99 percent. This can bring the water well within the margins for safe human consumption,” said co-author Bjorn Wickman of Chalmers’ Department of Physics.

How the mercury removal process works

https://www.cleanwater.news/2020-12-01-electrochemical-process-removes-toxic-mercury-from-contaminated-water.html

[Elderberry]

Effective removal of mercury from aqueous streams via electrochemical alloy formation on platinum

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-07300-z

Between 30 and 40 h were needed for the mercury concentration in a solution containing 10 mg L−1 mercury to drop below 50%. After 130 h, less than 10% of the initial mercury was present in solution. Retrieval is faster in the beginning, and it slows down with passing time.