The following is a transcript of the WaterWorld Weekly Newscast for April 15, 2019.
Hi, I'm Angela Godwin for WaterWorld magazine, bringing you water and wastewater news headlines for the week of April 15. Coming up...
Las Vegas researchers bet on algae to remove hormones from wastewater
Food wrap produced from potato wastewater
Low-energy desal process turns bore water to pure water
Design competition targets global water crisis -- Vote for your favorite!
Researchers from the Desert Research Institute in Las Vegas have found that a common species of freshwater green algae, called Nannochloris, is capable of removing certain endocrine disrupting compounds from wastewater.
EDCs are natural hormones that are also found in many plastics and pharmaceuticals and have been detected in trace amounts in wastewater.
During a seven-day laboratory experiment, the scientists grew Nannochloris algal cultures in two types of treated wastewater effluents: one treated with ultrafiltration and the other with ozone.
They then measured changes in the concentration of seven common EDCs.
In the ultrafiltration wastewater samples, the algae grew rapidly and significantly improved the removal rate of three EDCs, with approximately 60 percent of each contaminant removed over the course of the week.
The algae didn't grow as well in the ozone-treated wastewater, however, and had no significant impact on EDC concentrations.
The scientists believe their research demonstrates both the potential and limitations for using Nannochloris to remove EDCs from wastewater.
So this is a cool story! A team of scientists from Abant İzzet Baysal University in Turkey have developed antimicrobial food packaging from wastewater.
The Daily Sabah reports that the packaging, which is made from potato wastewater, is highly flexible and water soluble.
It supports Turkey's Zero Waste Project, which is a key priority of the Turkish economy.
The food wrap can even be made in different colors.
The scientists have submitted a patent application for the packaging.
Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Australia has opened a pilot plant at Banyo to study membrane distillation for removing salts from bore water, industrial wastewater and seawater to produce high-quality drinking water.
The technology uses membranes and heat from solar energy or low-grade industrial waste heat to remove dissolved salts from water samples.
The pilot facility will be able to process 1,000 liters of water a day and the membranes can filter salt water for more than 2,000 hours before needing to be cleaned.
The researchers believe the technology could have application at mining, agricultural and industrial sites, and portable solar-powered units could be used by emergency services in the wake of natural disasters.
A year-long research program spearheaded by A/D/O focuses on how design can help solve the global water crisis.
As part of the Water Futures program, organizers challenged creative teams to propose new solutions for how we access, deliver and think about water.
Out of 2,000 submissions from 35 countries, the nine finalists have been revealed and the public is now invited to weigh in on the winner.
Will you cast your vote for the Filtering Glass Straw, which uses the natural purifying powers of cilantro, activated charcoal, and moringa seed to purify water?
Or perhaps the Indus clay wall tiles that look like leaves and purify water through bioremediation?
You can learn more about all nine finalists -- and vote! -- at: a-d-o.com/waterfutures.
And if you want to see them in person, the designs are on display at the A/D/O design building in Brooklyn through April 25.
For WaterWorld magazine, I'm Angela Godwin. Thanks for watching.
