An international team of researchers has developed a honeycomb-like filter made from 3D-printed recycled materials that could provide an affordable way to treat greywater, which can be challenging due to the often complex and diverse contaminants present in the water.
As AZoNano reported, the innovative greywater treatment device is created from recycled nylon and contains a titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticle coating to further reduce clogging and trap contaminants more effectively.
Nanotechnology and nanomaterials are being increasingly used to break down hazardous industrial byproducts and pollutants in wastewater; however, because of technical hurdles, they're not yet implemented on a large scale.
The researchers also noted that existing 3D-printed filters have several limitations, including a short lifespan, an expensive manufacturing process, and membrane fouling, which occurs when contaminants and microorganisms accumulate, reducing the filter's efficiency.
In a study published in Micro & Nano Letters, the team provided further explanation for why improvements in greywater treatment filtration are needed.
"Greywater treatment is receiving more attention because we need to save water, but traditional methods like biological treatment, membrane filtration, and adsorption have problems like using a lot of energy [and] being expensive," the authors wrote.
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The team explained that it addressed this by using fused filament fabrication, a form of 3D printing that "allows you to design complicated and exact filters for treating grey water." Being able to customize filters for specific treatment plants and applications provides flexibility and can reduce material waste, especially when using recycled materials such as nylon.
Honeycomb-structured membranes have key advantages for treating greywater due to their large surface area and multi-channeled design, which improves water flow and more efficiently removes contaminants. Researchers found that compared to traditional nylon filters without titanium dioxide nanoparticles, the coated membranes performed much better.
In the first cycle, the filter achieved removal rates of between 75% and 85% for biodegradable and organic matter. However, after five cycles, the rates fell to 50-58%, suggesting that further testing is needed before the filter is approved for commercial use.
Because of the large pore size of the honeycomb structure, the module effectively reduced dissolved organic contaminants found in many personal care products and laundry detergents that show up in greywater, but was not able to capture finer particles of suspended solids, like hair, lint, fats, oils, and grease, at levels that met acceptable standards for drinking water.
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All the time 😎 The team said that in future studies, it will explore incorporating smaller pore sizes and a multilayer module design to improve performance. Once it's refined, it could provide a low-cost, eco-friendly solution for local greywater treatments.
Greywater reuse is a growing strategy to address water scarcity and provide a sustainable source of water for non-potable uses such as irrigation and toilet flushing, especially in arid and water-stressed regions, as research published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health explained. However, it's crucial to treat it properly, as poor management can allow toxic levels of organic matter, nutrients, pathogens, and chemicals into the environment, potentially harming ecosystems and public health.
However, advancements in filtration systems, such as the 3D-printed recycled nylon design recently studied, could revolutionize the future of greywater treatment and reduce the strain on the planet's resources. Some cities in the western United States are turning to water recycling systems amid increasing droughts and population growth, and it's already making a big difference in conserving water and energy.
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