• HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
Wednesday, September 24, 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

Study describes new method to remove nickel from contaminated seawater

Bioengineer by Bioengineer
January 11, 2017
in Science News
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on RedditShare on Telegram

The same deposit that builds up in many tea kettles or water pipes in areas where calcium-rich water is the norm might be just the (cheap) ticket to rid contaminated seawater of toxic metals. This is according to a research group led by Charlotte Carré of the University of New Caledonia in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia and published today in Springer's journal Environmental Chemistry Letters. The researchers dipped electrodes made from galvanized steel into contaminated seawater and ran a weak current through it. Within seven days, up to 24 percent of the nickel it initially contained was trapped in a calcareous build-up of limestone.

Nickel mining activities in New Caledonia itself are causing the subsequent pollution of local coastal waters. The remediation of metals brings considerable challenges since these elements, given their chemical properties, can never be degraded but only stabilized. Therefore Carré's research team set out to find an efficient, rapid and inexpensive method by which to remove such toxic metals from the contaminated waters.

The research team dipped cheap and commercially available galvanized steel electrodes into nickel-enriched seawater, and allowed a fairly weak electric current to run through it for seven days.

According to Carré, the method is relatively inexpensive and easy to use and requires no regular monitoring. "Metal contaminants are attracted and trapped inside a calcareous deposit as long as the structure is connected to a power source," she explains.

After seven days, the calcareous deposits that formed on the electrodes were rinsed off with distilled water, and inspected using optical and Raman spectroscopy methods. The deposits were found to consist of the chemical calcium carbonate (CaCO3) made up of equal proportions of aragonite (one of two naturally occurring, crystal forms of calcium carbonate) and brucite (the mineral form of magnesium hydroxide). The method did not significantly deplete the levels of calcium and magnesium in the water. Importantly, though, up to 24 percent of the nickel initially added to the water was trapped within the build-up in this manner.

"These ratios are quite high after only seven days," says Carré.

After seven days, macroscopic pictures were also taken of the deposit that formed at the surface of the galvanized steel wire. These indicated that the presence of nickel in the solution does not inhibit the formation of the deposit as its thickness remains the same.

"Our findings disclose a new and efficient method, called calcareous electrochemical precipitation, which has potential applications to remove toxic metals from contaminated waters," says Carré, who believes it can be used to salvage metals for possible reuse. "It is even conceivable to reuse the galvanized steel electrodes, and to charge the electric circuit using renewable energy."

###

Reference: Carré, C. et al. (2017). Calcareous electrochemical precipitation, a new method to trap nickel in seawater, Environmental Chemistry Letters. DOI 10.1007/s10311-016-0602-2

Media Contact

Joan Robinson
joan.robinson@springer.com
49-622-148-78130
@SpringerNature

http://www.springer.com

############

Story Source: Materials provided by Scienmag

Share12Tweet7Share2ShareShareShare1

Related Posts

Rotational Bistable Mechanisms Transform Morphing Wings

Rotational Bistable Mechanisms Transform Morphing Wings

September 24, 2025

How Donor Human Milk Storage Impacts Gut Health in Preemies

September 24, 2025

Study Reveals Widespread Misinformation Among Cancer Patients; Researchers Test ‘Information Prescription’ Approach

September 24, 2025

CDC6: Pan-Cancer Biomarker Suppressing Melanoma

September 24, 2025
Please login to join discussion

POPULAR NEWS

  • Physicists Develop Visible Time Crystal for the First Time

    Physicists Develop Visible Time Crystal for the First Time

    71 shares
    Share 28 Tweet 18
  • New Study Reveals the Science Behind Exercise and Weight Loss

    65 shares
    Share 26 Tweet 16
  • Tailored Gene-Editing Technology Emerges as a Promising Treatment for Fatal Pediatric Diseases

    51 shares
    Share 20 Tweet 13
  • Scientists Achieve Ambient-Temperature Light-Induced Heterolytic Hydrogen Dissociation

    49 shares
    Share 20 Tweet 12

About

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

Follow us

Recent News

Rotational Bistable Mechanisms Transform Morphing Wings

How Donor Human Milk Storage Impacts Gut Health in Preemies

Study Reveals Widespread Misinformation Among Cancer Patients; Researchers Test ‘Information Prescription’ Approach

  • 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.