Chinese scientists develop carbon material to remove arsenic from water
Internet
Published at: 16/09/2026 04:51 PM
The Heavy Metal Ecotoxicology and Contaminated Soil Remediation research group at the Institute of Environmental Protection of the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture developed a functional carbon material with individual iron atoms to capture and remove arsenic from water, reported Science and Technology Daily, a partner of TV BRICS.
The innovation makes it possible to capture and oxidize toxic trivalent arsenic, transforming it into a less dangerous form, which solves several problems with iron-containing adsorbents, such as the low efficiency of active sites, the tendency to agglomerate and iron leaching.
The material, derived from porous nitrogenous biomass, fixes iron atoms that interact with the molecular oxygen present in the water, generating singlet oxygen capable of oxidizing arsenic to its pentavalent form, which is safer and easier to remove.
According to the director of the research, Sun Yuebing, the adsorption capacity reaches 39,833 milligrams per gram of iron, maintaining its effectiveness even under severe hydrochemical conditions and with the possibility of multiple regeneration.
This advance solves common problems with iron adsorbents, such as the low efficiency of active sites, agglomeration and leaching, in addition to offering new perspectives for the use of waste biomass, the prevention of risks in arsenic waters and the development of innovative remediation materials.
Mazo News Team/VTV