Past research had shown that coconut fibers, peanut shells and other plant materials could remove potentially toxic heavy metals such as lead and copper from water. Mines, factories and farms can all generate such waste, with the potential to harm one’s health and the environment. And current methods for purifying water of heavy metals are expensive, with some materials used in the process being poisonous themselves.
Scientists at São Paulo State University in Brazil and their colleagues wanted to see if banana peels could also act as water purifiers. This material already has a surprising number of potential uses, including polishing items like silver and leather shoes.
The researchers found that minced banana peel performed as well or better at removing copper and lead than many other filtering materials, quickly removing both from water in the Paraná River in Brazil.
They noted that a purifier made of layers of minced banana peel could be used up to 11 times without losing its metal-snagging properties. Synthetic materials can be reused more times, but natural materials are dramatically cheaper and do not require chemical processing to work.
The scientists detailed their findings online Feb. 16 in the journal Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research.
This story originally published in: LiveScience.com
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