Banana Peels Remove Heavy Metals from Water

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.Researchers from the Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos have discovered banana peels offer an eco-friendly, inexpensive and effective solution to extract heavy metals, such as mercury, lead and copper, from water which accumulate in fish and plants. The findings may help prevent millions of water-related diseases that occur each year globally.

The Brazilian scientists mixed dried, pulverized banana peels with contaminated water, and measured how well they did at extracting heavy metals compared to other conventional methods. The banana peels were 200% to 300% more effective at absorbing copper than peanut husks, sawdust, bentonite (a clay) or perlite (volcanic glass). For lead absorption, the banana peels were 312% better than perlite, 89% better than sawdust and 42% better than peanut husks. The banana peel was so effective at absorbing these metals that it could be reused 11 times without degradation. Repeating the process allows the water to be purified completely, the researchers claim.