Rusting iron to clean up toxic spills
Thursday 28 April 2005
Rusting iron could offer an
environmentally friendly way to stop toxic chemical spills in their tracks and
make subsequent cleanup safer, says Fresh Innovator Dr Andrew Feitz.
He and fellow researchers from the
University of New South Wales and the University of California, Berkeley have
found that molecular-sized nanoparticles of iron rust extremely fast. In the
process they produce powerful compounds, called oxidants, capable of breaking
down almost all pesticides, industrial waste chemicals and other toxic organic
compounds normally resistant to cleanup.
“Normally, these incredibly powerful
oxidants can only be produced using hazardous chemicals or high energy UV light.
But we’ve discovered how to make nanoparticles of iron that are so small they
rust almost instantly in air,” Dr Feitz says.
Iron naturally rusts in the presence
of air and water. But using particles 1000 times smaller than the width of a
human hair greatly accelerates the process. In addition, the researchers have
discovered a much cheaper way to make iron nanoparticles than was previously
possible.
The nanoparticles can neutralise toxic
chemical spills from leaky containers, dropping and breaking bottles or during
freight accidents.
The present method of dealing with
such spills involves either hosing it away or using an absorbent similar to cat
litter to mob it up. Neither of these methods actually destroys the chemicals or
reduces their toxicity.
Dr Feitz is developing an iron
nanoparticle spray that can be used on spills in the workplace, on farms or at
emergency scenes.
His innovation has won him a place at
Fresh Innovators—a national initiative to bring the work of 16 early-career
inventers to public attention. After training in Sydney, the Innovators are
talking to the media, schools and business about their ideas. One of the 16 will
win a study tour to the UK courtesy of the British Council Australia.
For more information
contact Andrew Feitz t: 02 9313 8624 e:
andrew.feitz@unsw.edu.au
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