싱가포르와 사우디 아라비아의 과학자들이 정삼투식(FO)을 이용해 하수로부터 독극물과 가치 있는 중금속을 추출하는 새로운 방법을 발표했다.

이들은 크로뮴, 비소, 납, 카드뮴, 구리, 수은의 제거를 시연했다. 과정은 최근 발표된 바 있는 구연산과 코발트 복합물로부터 형성된 유도용질(draw solute) 타입을 활용했다. 이는 거대한 착이온(complex ion)이며, 정삼투식 멤브레인의 유동을 최소로 전환한다.

 

 

 

Scientists in Singapore and Saudi Arabia have reported a novel method for extracting toxic and valuable heavy metals from wastewater using forward osmosis (FO).

 

 The researchers demonstrated the removal of chromium, arsenic, lead, cadmium, copper, and mercury. The process exploits a recently established type of draw solute formed from a complex of citric acid and cobalt. This is a large complex ion so reverse flux across the forward osmosis membrane is minimal.

 

At a flux of about 11l/m²/h heavy metals were harvested with rejections of 99.5% according to the researchers' paper in the Journal of Membrane Science.

 

"The impressive heavy metal rejections and satisfactory water flux under various conditions suggest great potential for the newly developed FO system in the treatment of heavy metals wastewater," the researchers said in their report.

 

[출처 = Desalination & Water Reuse / 2014년 10월 15일]