• HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
Thursday, August 28, 2025
BIOENGINEER.ORG
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
No Result
View All Result
Bioengineer.org
No Result
View All Result
Home NEWS Science News

New $12 million research project aims to provide ‘practical solutions to critical environmental challenges’

by
July 25, 2024
in Science News
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on RedditShare on Telegram

Scientists at Rice University, in collaboration with the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), part of the Army Corp of Engineers, are making headway in addressing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination. These persistent pollutants, which pose a serious threat to the environment and human health, have proven difficult to eliminate using conventional methods.

New $12M research project aims to provide ‘practical solutions to critical environmental challenges’

Credit: Photo by Jeff Fitlow/Rice University

Scientists at Rice University, in collaboration with the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), part of the Army Corp of Engineers, are making headway in addressing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination. These persistent pollutants, which pose a serious threat to the environment and human health, have proven difficult to eliminate using conventional methods.

The research effort, led by Rice chemist James Tour, has been bolstered by a new four-year, $12 million cooperative agreement with the ERDC which will support the development and scaling of innovative techniques for PFAS remediation and resource recovery.

The research team has introduced a rapid electrothermal mineralization (REM) process. This method uses electrical input plus biochar, an environmentally friendly conductive additive, to heat PFAS-contaminated soil to over 1,000°C in seconds through direct current pulse input. The process transforms PFAS into nontoxic calcium fluoride with removal efficiencies over 99.9% and mineralization ratios exceeding 90%, making it an effective solution.

The REM process not only preserves essential soil properties but also demonstrates scalability, capable of treating large volumes of soil once scaled and deployed.

“This is a substantial improvement over previous methods, which often suffer from high energy and water consumption, limited efficiency and often require the soil to be removed,” Tour said.

The research team is exploring urban mining of electronic and industrial waste to recover rare earth and critical elements. Moreover, they are developing a new generation of flash heating technology known as flash-within-flash, which allows for the bulk synthesis of key materials. These efforts are supported by theoretical frameworks and optimized through machine learning.

“The significance of this advancement extends beyond environmental remediation,” Tour said.

The new methods build on the team’s prior success with the cooperative agreement “Flash Joule Heating to Destroy Hazardous Waste and Repurpose it For Energy or Urban Mining of Valuable Metals.”

By offering a scalable, efficient and environmentally friendly solution for PFAS remediation, this work addresses a pressing environmental issue with significant societal impact. Further, the potential for urban mining of e-waste opens new avenues for sustainable resource recovery, reducing reliance on traditional mining practices and mitigating environmental damage.

Looking ahead, the team plans to field test the REM process and further explore the potential of their urban mining technologies.

“This research advances scientific understanding but also provides practical solutions to critical environmental challenges, promising a cleaner, safer world,” said Christopher Griggs, a senior research physical scientist at the ERDC.



Share12Tweet8Share2ShareShareShare2

Related Posts

Mechanical Confinement Shapes Melanoma Plasticity

August 27, 2025

Impact of Low Blood Pressure Dipping on Pediatric CKD

August 27, 2025

Optimal Flow Rate for Thoracoabdominal Aortic Surgery

August 27, 2025

High SERPINE2 Levels Signal Kidney Issues in Diabetes

August 27, 2025

POPULAR NEWS

  • blank

    Breakthrough in Computer Hardware Advances Solves Complex Optimization Challenges

    149 shares
    Share 60 Tweet 37
  • Molecules in Focus: Capturing the Timeless Dance of Particles

    142 shares
    Share 57 Tweet 36
  • New Drug Formulation Transforms Intravenous Treatments into Rapid Injections

    115 shares
    Share 46 Tweet 29
  • Neuropsychiatric Risks Linked to COVID-19 Revealed

    82 shares
    Share 33 Tweet 21

About

We bring you the latest biotechnology news from best research centers and universities around the world. Check our website.

Follow us

Recent News

Mechanical Confinement Shapes Melanoma Plasticity

Impact of Low Blood Pressure Dipping on Pediatric CKD

Optimal Flow Rate for Thoracoabdominal Aortic Surgery

  • Contact Us

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Homepages
    • Home Page 1
    • Home Page 2
  • News
  • National
  • Business
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Science

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.