via ACS
The lack of clean water in many areas around the world is a persistent, major public health problem. One day, tiny robots could help address this issue by zooming around contaminated water and cleaning up disease-causing bacteria.
Scientists report a new development toward this goal in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.
Drinking water contaminated with pathogenic bacteria can cause serious illnesses that, in areas with spotty medical services, are potentially life-threatening without proper treatment. Water can be disinfected with chlorine or other disinfectants, but there are some hardy bacteria and other microorganisms that are hard to remove. Treating water with a combination of disinfectants or increasing their concentrations can help. But they remain in the water, and their byproducts can be harmful to human health. In recent years, researchers have been exploring the use of self-propelled micromotors to degrade and capture pollutants in water. Building on this work, Diana Vilela, Samuel Sánchez Ordóñez and colleagues wanted to see if they could engineer tiny robots to remove waterborne bacteria.
The team designed “two-faced” spherical particles to perform the task. One face is made with magnesium, which reacts with water to produce hydrogen bubbles to propel the microbots. The other face is made out of alternating iron and gold layers topped by silver nanoparticles. Bacteria stick to the gold and are killed by the silver nanoparticles. Lab testing showed that the particles can motor around in water for 15 to 20 minutes before the magnesium is spent. And they trapped more than 80 percent of E. coli in water spiked with a high concentration of the bacteria. Then, because of the iron’s magnetic properties, the microbots are removed easily with a magnet, without leaving behind any harmful waste in the water.
Learn more: Swimming microbots can remove pathogenic bacteria from water
The Latest on: Swimming microbots
[google_news title=”” keyword=”swimming microbots” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
- Adult Swim to Premiere New Pilots During Event Hosted by M. Night Shyamalanon January 29, 2023 at 4:28 pm
Adult Swim is gearing up for its next wave of new animated projects with a special event premiering new pilots hosted by famed director M. Night Shyamalan in honor of the upcoming feature film ...
- It’s hot, and your local river looks enticing. But is too germy for swimming?on January 29, 2023 at 12:14 pm
Nicky Morrison has received funding from industry, as well as NSW and local governments. Swimming in rivers, creeks and lakes can be a fun way to cool off in summer. But contamination in natural ...
- The 11 Very Best Swim Goggleson January 27, 2023 at 9:00 am
Whether you’re swimming laps in an indoor pool or practicing your strokes on the open water, goggles are essential for seeing underwater and protecting your eyes from irritants like chlorine and ...
- Dermatologist-Verified Ways to Tackle Skin And Hair Damage While Swimmingon January 27, 2023 at 1:29 am
Swimming remains one of the most fun and enjoyable forms of exercise. Not only does it help in weight loss, but it also tones your entire body and keeps your cardiovascular health under check.
- 5 Strength Training Exercises to Improve Swimming Performanceon January 25, 2023 at 9:30 pm
Weight training is often a highly debated topic in the world of swimming. While there is no clear-cut right or wrong answer to whether or not weights are beneficial for developing swimmers ...
- Adult Swim Revives Fan-Favorite Series With New Seasonon January 25, 2023 at 7:08 pm
Oh, it's happening. It seems there is more Aqua Teen Hunger Force on the horizon. Today, Adult Swim announced its order of all-new episodes ahead of its big movie comeback. The series creators ...
- The Cold Swim Homeon January 25, 2023 at 4:00 pm
I persisted. It had to be me. I’m pretty good at knowing my limits and what I can withstand. So, when I decided to swim to shore, in eight-degree-Celsius water with a five-foot shore break, I was ...
- Four reasons swimming should be your next workouton January 24, 2023 at 3:02 am
So if you’re someone who’s looking to keep fit but can’t stand the gym, it might be time for you to try something a little different: swimming. Not only is this exercise a fun change from your normal ...
- Four reasons swimming should be your next workouton January 23, 2023 at 9:40 am
So if you're someone who's looking to keep fit but can't stand the gym, it might be time for you to try something a little different: swimming. Not only is this exercise a fun change from your ...
- Four reasons swimming should be your next workouton January 23, 2023 at 5:39 am
So if you’re someone who’s looking to keep fit but can’t stand the gym, it might be time for you to try something a little different: swimming. Not only is this exercise a fun change from ...
via Google News and Bing News
