Scientists discover apple waste can remove up to 100% of lead from water

Lead contamination in water is being studied through different approaches, including the use of waste materials that can help remove metal ions from water. Apple pomace, the residue left after juice production, was among the waste materials researchers examined for its ability to remove lead ions from water in laboratory experiments.Researchers compared untreated raw apple waste with material that had first undergone a biorefining process to remove valuable water-soluble and lipid-soluble compounds. According to the research published in Heliyon titled ‘Insights into the environmental benefits of using apple pomace for biosorption of lead from contaminated water’, both materials removed lead from water, while the extracted apple waste was able to remove all the lead under the best conditions tested.How did researchers prepare apple waste for removing lead from waterThe study focused on apple pomace produced during juice preparation. Researchers prepared two biosorbents from this waste. The first, called raw apple waste (RA), was dried, ground, and sieved without chemical or physical pretreatment intended to improve adsorption. The second, extracted apple (EA), was produced after a ...