A magnet was created from graphene to purify drinking water from radioactive uranium

Uranium can enter water sources from natural deposits in rocks or through nuclear waste.

power plants or mining enterprises. There the pollutant is invisible to the naked eye and even in small doses harms human health. 

To solve the problem, scientists from MassachusettsInstitute of Technology made a reusable graphene oxide foam filter. It acts like a magnet for uranium, effectively pulling the radioactive element out of drinking water.

Before starting work, pass through the foamelectric charge. This splits the water around her. The process produces hydrogen, which increases the pH of the water. This, in turn, causes a chemical change that attracts uranium ions to the surface of the foam. In this case, the element crystallizes into a previously unknown form of uranium hydroxide.

Research found that graphene oxide foamis so good at washing uranium out of water that it was drinkable by EPA standards in a matter of hours. What's more, the foam can be cleaned and reused multiple times without losing its effectiveness.

The study was published in the journalAdvanced Materials.

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