Arsenic fishing? Strange as it may sound, it is possible to get rid of 99.9% of arsenic, a major environmental toxin, in the river using electromagnets, a technology developed by POSTECH Prof. Kwang S. Kim (Chemistry) and In Cherl Hwang (Center for Superfuntional Materials).

In this study, researchers found that magnetite-RGO can decrease the arsenic level in water to under one ten billionth (1ppb) and can be used in a flow like a river. This result was publicized in the leading journal, ACS Nano on July. 27. Previously, electromagnet technology was able to remove arsenic only in stagnant water because of the fact that the magnetite participles easily oxidize when exposed to air.

“This result is remarkable in that it is much safer and expands the arsenic-absorbing area, using a graphene oxide film onto magnetite,” says Prof. Kim. He added, “Using this technology, we can absorb arsenic 3 and 4, which are known to be highly toxic, thus effectively purifying water.” This research was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea and POSCO.

Reporter Lee Suh-young