Sensing and Capturing Pollutants

Rohit Bhandari, postdoctoral trainee, and Angela Gutierrez, graduate trainee, work with a research team at the University of Kentucky Superfund Research Center. Their focus is capturing pollutants, specifically PCBs. 

Bhandari is creating magnetic nanoparticles to remove PCBs. “You have these magnetic nanoparticles, and then you add it to a system which is contaminated with PCBs. The particles have a coating, which is going to bind PCBs. And once they bind PCBs, you can just simply put a magnet near the particles, and it will pull out the PCBs with it. And, then you can release them, and that’s how you achieve the removal of PCBs. So it’s a very simple method of doing the remediation.”

Gutierrez explains, “We’re incorporating naturally occurring antioxidants, like polyphenols, things you find in berries and turmeric, as our binding capacity. So, we’re developing a material that’s easy to make, it’s cost effective, it’s fast, and it’s also a greener approach than current technologies.” 

See all of the research under way at the UK Superfund Research Center by visiting their site: http://www.uky.edu/superfund.