In addition to their role in plant fertilization and reproduction, pollens and spores have another, hidden talent: With a simple treatment, these cheap, abundant and renewable grains can be converted into tiny sponge-like particles that can grab on to pollutants and remove them from water, scientists report. Even better, these treated particles don’t trigger allergies.
The researchers will present their results today at the American Chemical Society (ACS) Fall 2019 National Meeting & Exposition. ACS, the world’s largest scientific society, is holding the meeting here through Thursday. It features more than 9,500 presentations on a wide range of science topics.
A brand-new video on the research is available at www.acs.org/HLS_Pollen_Sponge.
“Even very low levels of certain compounds, such as hormones, pharmaceuticals or those in household and personal care products, can cause toxic effects. However, they often can escape normal cleanup processes at wastewater treatment plants,” says Andrew Boa, Ph.D., whose lab is working on the pollen project. “We’re trying to find alternative ways to remove these chemicals from water so we can reduce the amount going into the environment.”
Read more at American Chemical Society
Photo Credit: yogendras31 via Pixabay