Functional Hydrogel Microparticles for Sustainable Water Treatment

Micropollutants (emerging contaminants and heavy metals) are ubiquitous in the environment. Each specific micropollutant contributes little to water pollution in terms of mass, but continuous exposure and bioaccumulation make micropollutants a cause for concern. At the same time, low concentrations and chemical diversity make it almost impossible to remove micropollutants from water inexpensively. Research focuses on using sustainable hydrogel microparticles made using microfluidics and optimized using machine learning to remove micropollutants from water. The microparticles are long-lasting, reusable, show faster uptake, and are more sustainable than commercial materials. Outside of municipal and industrial water treatment equipment, and household water purification systems, we anticipate several niche industrial markets in water treatment for use in semiconductors, food and beverages, and other kinds of manufacturing. We are currently designing prototype pilot-scale water treatment systems to clean simulated and real wastewater using our technology.

This technology can replace activated carbon-based water purification in a reusable and sustainable way. This can be applied in food manufacturing companies such as Starbucks, but it can be used in any manufacturing facilities that needs water purification to remove micropollutant, lead, arsenics, etc. It could be used in household water purification as well.