Banana peels could clean polluted water, research shows - FreshFruitPortal.com

Banana peels could clean polluted water, research shows

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Banana peels could clean polluted water, research shows

A Brazilian chemist has found banana peels can clean contaminated industrial water, according to website Ecogaia.

The website reported that Dr. Milena Boniolo from Universidad Federal de SĆ£o Carlos in SĆ£o Paulo has discovered that dried and pulverized banana peels can be mixed with contaminated water to remove heavy metals.

The story claimed a proportion of 5ml of powdered banana peel for every 100ml of liquid is capable of purifying water with molecules of uranium, cadmium or nickel by 65%.

ā€œThis cheap system is possible because heavy metals have a positive charge that makes them attracted by negative molecules from banana powder after spending a week in the sun to dry. If you repeat this process itā€™s possible to purify the water completely,ā€ the website said.

Considering the amount of peels that are wasted each year, the discovery could open up a whole new market for restaurants and growers.

For example, Australian news site www.brisbanetimes.com.au reported that one-third of the country's bananas are thrown away each year due to supermarkets' presentation standards.

Photo: Flickr, Jason Gulledge

Source: www.freshfruitportal.com

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