Toxic heavy metal contamination in water supplies can cause health problems in humans and create ecological imbalances by interfering with pH, metal ion homeostasis, and the reproduction of aquatic life. Many of the current methods for removing heavy metal contaminants involve further contamination of the water supply and/or soil through the addition of chemicals or as a consequence of precipitation reactions. We have developed an inexpensive, non-subversive heavy metal ion extracting apparatus based on chelation chemistry. The apparatus contains a metal trapping reservoir that is separated from a bulk water supply by a hydrophobic membrane. The hydrophobic membrane is impregnated with a metal specific ionophore, which attracts the desired metal cation from the bulk solution into the hydrophobic medium. On the other side of the membrane, a metal specific chelator draws the metal out of the hydrophobic membrane and into the metal trapping reservoir. Here we will present results on the successful compartmentalization of heavy metal cations from bulk solutions including flux and concentration data. Furthermore, these data will demonstrate the ability to move these toxins against a concentration gradient to reduce heavy metal concentrations to inconsequential levels. Additionally, we are currently exploring the ability to tailor the ionophore and chelator to selectively compartmentalize a variety heavy metal cations and we will present the preliminary results of these experiments here.

Exploration of a novel non-subversive extraction technique for the removal of heavy metal contaminants from bulk water supplies

247th National Meeting (2014)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.