AGRICULTURAL waste can be used to rapidly filter lead from wastewater, new Edith Cowan University (ECU) research has found.
An ECU study found canola stalks and lupin straw, which currently have no commercial use and are generally burnt after harvest, can strip up to 98.5pc of lead from wastewater.
Researchers collected canola stalk and lupin straw from a farm in Western Australia, ground it into a fine powder and added it to water contaminated with lead.
Associate Professor Mehdi Khiadani from ECU’s School of Engineering said the powder bound with the lead.
“So when contaminated water is in contact with the powder, it can remove up to 98.5pc of the lead in just 30 minutes,” he said.
“This work could provide farmers with a way to turn what is currently agricultural waste into a viable and useful product.”
Professor Khiadani said one potential application of the technique would be to treat stormwater runoff from roads.
“Stormwater can be contaminated by lead after running over roads. With this technique, we could potentially use agricultural waste to treat this water, which could then be used for other purposes,” he said.
