Engineered Sand Destroys Stormwater Pollutants

Engineers at the University of California, Berkley, have developed a new way to remove contaminants from stormwater, according to an article published in Science Daily in August of 2018. By using sand coated with manganese oxide that reacts with and destroys pollutants, this innovative technology could be a long-awaited answer for communities that urgently need greater access to fresh water supply. The engineered sand could help purify the stormwater that infiltrates underground aquifers and create safe reservoirs of drinking water for these communities.

Currently, cities already use stormwater reclamation as ways to remove contamination from stormwater runoff, but fully developing this sand could create a safer, more efficient solution. This is especially pertinent in California, the place of its invention, where recent wildfires and other natural disasters make access to fresh water urgent and essential. Experiments are still ongoing, and the team of scientists and engineers hope to move on to performing field tests to work on making the sand sustainable and less labor-intensive to regenerate.

The full article can be found here on the Science Daily website.