Emily Mah and Jazlyn McGuinty
“A Heavy Metal Extraction Process to Clean Contaminated Water Using Tannin-Embedded Biopolymers”
Widdifield Secondary School, North Bay, Ontario
Throughout developing and developed countries, and especially locally in northern Ontario, the proliferation of mining and smelting operations continues to occur. This industry is crucial to the economic development and states of nations across the globe. This impact includes contamination of surrounding bodies of fresh drinking water with heavy metals. If accumulated in the human body, heavy metals can cause many health defects including irreversible organ damage. Exposure to heavy metals can also impact the rate of growth of plants.
To scientifically address this concern, an eco-friendly biopolymer was embedded with mechanically isolated tannins from oak leaves. The biopolymer was then used to extract sample heavy metals from contaminated water. The results were measured using the change in mass, change in clarity, change in concentration of metal in water, and the effects on radish seedling germination. It was found that using a tannin-embedded biopolymer is an economically and eco-friendly way to remove heavy metals from water.