Catalytic metal foams harness sunlight to clean water

Professor Davide Mattia (Credit: Bath University)

Micropollutants – found in toxic chemicals such as drugs, hormones and pesticides – appear in wastewater in low concentrations, and can eventually work their way into the food chain via the soil, potentially causing long-term harm. The majority of water treatment plants in the UK do not have the ability to remove these chemicals, and impending legislation could necessitate significant investment from the industry.

A team led by Davide Mattia, Professor of Chemical Engineering at Bath University’s Centre for Advanced Separations Engineering (CASE) and Water Innovation & Research Centre, is working on a solution claimed to be both environmentally sound and cost-effective. A highly porous photocatalytic metal foam captures the micropollutants, which are then broken down into harmless organic compounds by sunlight. Unlike other photocatalytic methods, the nature of the foam prevents leaching of nanoparticulate material, keeping toxic compounds out of the food chain.