Gel promises heavy metal clean-up (BBC) {actually 'aerogel'}

[eppur_se_muova]

A type of porous gel can be used to soak up heavy metals from water, a team has reported in the journal Science.

The gel could be used for environmental clean-ups and other jobs that require so-called "molecular sieves" that can trap heavy metals.

Previously, materials called oxides have been used as molecular sieves, but these prefer to form bonds with small metal ions such as magnesium and zinc.

But the new gel preferentially absorbs heavy metals like mercury.

Toxic heavy metals in air, soil and water are a growing problem, threatening the health of populations around the world.
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more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6917753.stm

[DS1]

1. as soon as manufacturing costs come down

that stuff is incredible expensive

[BearSquirrel2]

2. Isn't it ironic ...

Isn't it ironic that we spend so much money to cleanup heavy metals when we actively mine them. Wouldn't it make more sense to tax the extraction of Lead and Mercury so that it would be economic to recycle these materials instead of letting them free into the environment?

[zalinda]

3. I'm sending the link to our mayor

we've got a lake full of mercury, that needs to be cleaned........and Allied Chemical sure isn't stepping forward.

zalinda