Peel potential - Bananas can filter heavy metals from water - Article from Down to Earth

Banana peel contains same elements as those found in traditionally used purifiers.
Photo: Evan Long

Scientists from Brazil have found that the peel of the fruit can act as a filtration medium and pull heavy metals from water.

Metals such as lead and copper get introduced in water from sources like agricultural runoff and industrial wastes. Through water the heavy metals contaminate the soil and pose health risks. Lead is known to cause cancer. Traditionally silica, cellulose, and aluminium oxide are used to extract heavy metals from water. But these remediation strategies are expensive and have side effects.

Bananas, on the other hand, till now considered a fruit waste, are a safer option. Compounds in banana peels contain atoms of nitrogen, sulphur and organic compounds such as carboxylic acids—same as those found in traditionally used material. These acids have negative charge that can bind with metals in the water that usually have a positive charge.

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