Using magnetic rust nanoparticles to clean water | Headline Science

The water in our oceans, lakes and rivers can become polluted with a variety of contaminants, creating a need for a simple and cheap cleaning method. One team of researchers is designing magnetic nanoparticles that can target specific pollutants like estrogen hormones, which are carried into waterways by wastewater and may be harmful to aquatic life. The particles are made from iron oxide, which most of us know as rust, and researchers can modify the surface of the particles to grab on to various pollutants. Then, a magnet can pull the particles out of the water, along with any pollutants clinging to them. The work is being presented at ACS Fall 2023, a meeting of the American Chemical Society. “Smart rust to clean water from hormones” Aug. 16, 2023 Presenter: Lukas Müller Principal Investigator: Marcus Halik, Ph.D. To see an interview with the researchers, go to To read an ACS press release about this research, go to Hadley Marcek, Ph.D., contributed research for this video. CREDITS Writer/Producer: Kerri Jansen Editor/Producer: Darren Weaver Narrator: Allison Tau Executive Producer: Matthew Radcliff Research Videos: Targeting diesel video: Sarcletti et al., Adv. Funct. Mater., 2019. DOI: Targeting microplastics video: Sarcletti et al., Mater. Today, 2021. DOI: Nanoparticle simulation video: Dustin Vivod, Ph.D., and Dirk Zahn, Ph.D. Computer Chemistry Center Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg Additional Video: Getty Images, Storyblocks, Shutterstock Music: “Shadowed” by John B. Lund from Epidemic Sound More from Headline Science: ACS Fall 2023 Media Briefings: Produced by the American Chemical Society (ACS), one of the world’s largest scientific societies. ACS is a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals, and scientific conferences. Join the #AmericanChemicalSociety!