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The Hindu
20-07-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
Team makes powerful water filter with help from light, vibrations
Scientists from the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST) in Mohali, IIT-Dharwad, and IIT-Kharagpur have designed a cheap, reusable water filter. Industrial plants release dyes such as Congo Red and Methylene Blue into rivers and groundwater, from where they can cause stomach, skin, and breathing illnesses. Ozone, Fenton chemistry and other methods work to clean the water, but they burn through chemicals and electricity, expanding cost and the carbon footprint. The new filter has been designed to sidestep these and other problems. Its development was reported in a paper in the July edition of Nano Energy. The researchers first 3D printed thin, sponge-like sheets of polylactic acid (PLA), a biodegradable plastic often used in compostable cups. PLA is naturally water-repelling, so the team soaked each sheet in a mild sodium-hydroxide solution to make it water-loving. Next, they made nanoparticles of bismuth ferrite (BFO) and dipped the prepared PLA sheets into a BFO ink. Treated sheets stayed strong through five reuse cycles, losing only about 3% of their cleaning power. Under visible light, the BFO acted like a solar-powered catalyst that split water molecules and created highly reactive radicals that shred organic dye molecules. And when shaken by ultrasound, BFO's piezoelectric nature generated an internal electric field that drove the same radical-making reactions even in the dark. Combining both light and vibration yielded piezo-photocatalysis, a process that worked day or night. During tests, when light and vibration were used together, the filter removed about 99% of Congo Red and 74% of Methylene Blue in 90 minutes. It also partially cleaned real wastewater collected from a textile plant. To understand its performance, the authors turned to machine-learning regression models. They fed the computer thousands of experimental data points, including dye concentration, catalyst amount, light intensity, and ultrasound frequency. Modern algorithms such as random forests, XGBoost, and an artificial neural network learned how these factors interacted. The best models closely matched the experimental results, which they hadn't seen, well enough to prove artificial intelligence could accurately forecast how fast the dyes vanished in different conditions. 'We are thinking of scaling up production and using the filter near treatment plants, where water bodies are regularly polluted,' Aviru Basu, INST scientist and corresponding author of the paper, said, adding that the team looks forward to its use in Jal Nigam and Namami Gange projects as well. 'Dr. Adreeja Basu, a plant biotechnologist and professor at Chandigarh University, is also helping us a lot in our efforts to make this product more sustainable using plant-derived products,' Dr. Aviru Basu added.
Indian Express
11-07-2025
- Science
- Indian Express
INST Mohali develops AI-powered solar filter to purify 99% toxic wastewater
In a significant breakthrough for Punjab's water pollution crisis, scientists at the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Mohali, have developed an AI-powered, solar-assisted filtration system capable of removing up to 99% of hazardous chemicals from wastewater. As the state continues to grapple with the discharge of 764 million litres of untreated industrial and domestic sewage daily into the Sutlej via Ludhiana's heavily polluted Buddha Nullah, the innovation offers a ray of hope. 'Our technique targets highly toxic industrial dyes like Congo Red (CR) and Methylene Blue (MB), commonly used in textile and pharmaceutical industries,' lead researcher Dr. Aviru Basu told The Indian Express. 'These dyes not only discolor water but also cause skin disorders, respiratory problems, and long-term health issues.' The filtration system uses a hybrid 3D-printed scaffold made from biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA), coated with bismuth ferrite (BiFeO₃) — a solar-activated catalyst. 'Unlike traditional wastewater treatments like electrochemical or ozone processes, which are expensive and energy-intensive, our technology is low-cost, eco-friendly, reusable, and powered by renewable energy,' said Dr. Basu. The innovation, called Piezo-Photocatalysis, activates the catalyst using a combination of solar light and gentle vibrations, allowing it to function effectively even under changing weather conditions. Lab results showed a 98.9% removal of Congo Red and 74.3% of Methylene Blue, surpassing many existing advanced water treatment methods. The system was successfully tested on real wastewater samples collected from a large industrial drainage point in Jaipur, where over 100 factories discharge effluents. 'The results were very satisfactory,' said Dr. Basu. To boost performance further, the team integrated Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) — a machine learning model — to accurately predict how the system would behave under different environmental and pollutant conditions. 'Our AI model has up to 99% prediction accuracy,' Dr. Basu added. INST is now collaborating with plant biotechnologist Dr. Adriza Basu of Chandigarh University to improve the system's long-term sustainability. The project, funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), has been published in Nano Energy, a journal by Elsevier. Dr. Basu believes the scalable technology could be a game-changer for rural and peri-urban areas. 'If the Punjab government adopts this, we could safely discharge treated water into the Sutlej. It would be a giant leap toward cleaning Buddha Nullah and addressing the state's toxic water crisis,' he said.
India Gazette
24-06-2025
- Science
- India Gazette
Researchers at INST Mohali develop filter using sunlight, AI to purify wastewater
New Delhi [India], June 25 (ANI): A new water filter that harnesses sunlight, gentle vibrations, and artificial intelligence (AI) to both capture and eliminate pollutants may soon become a reality, said Ministry of Science and Technology on Tuesday. Many industries, from textiles to pharmaceuticals, dump wastewater laced with harmful dyes like Methylene Blue and Congo Red into the environment. These pollutants do not just discolour water; they pose serious risks to ecosystems and human health, leading to skin problems, respiratory diseases, and more, Ministry said in a release. Current solutions involve physical and chemical oxidation techniques, such as electrochemical, ozone, and related methods, which are energy-intensive and require expensive chemicals, making them hazardous for the environment, they added. As per the statement, a team of researchers at the Institute of Nanoscience and Technology (INST) in Mohali, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), has designed a 3D-printed scaffold made from biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA), which is known for its piezo-photocatalytic properties. Dr Aviru Basu coated this scaffold with a special material called Bismuth Ferrite (BiFeO3), a catalyst known for breaking down pollutants when exposed to light and mechanical energy. Ministry further said that this combination of Scaffold & Catalyst published in the journal Nano Energy (Elsevier) enables a powerful process called piezo-photocatalysis, where both sunlight and tiny vibrations help activate the catalyst. Even on cloudy days, the vibrations ensure that the cleaning does not stop. 'This is a smart solution to the limitations of traditional solar-powered purification.' The scientists have also trained machine learning models -- using tools like Artificial Neural Networks -- to predict how well the system would perform under different conditions. The models achieved accuracy scores of up to 99%, helping the team fine-tune their system for maximum efficiency. The hybrid system removed 98.9 per cent of Congo Red (CR) and 74.3 per cent of Methylene Blue (MB) from wastewater samples, surpassing current high-end treatment methods, release stated. The innovation is biodegradable and eco-friendly, low-cost and reusable, avoids waste and excessive chemical use and is highly efficient and scalable. It is ready for adaptation in various industries and even remote communities, and is powered by renewables, harnessing sunlight and vibrations instead of fossil fuels, it added. For making this possible, the researchers synthesised the BFO nanoparticle catalyst via a sol-gel method, developed 3D printing of PLA scaffolds, carried out coating and testing for dye degradation and developed Machine learning models to predict performance, ministry said in a release. (ANI)
