{"id":118997,"date":"2023-10-23T19:03:43","date_gmt":"2023-10-23T23:03:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/?p=118997"},"modified":"2023-10-30T11:24:11","modified_gmt":"2023-10-30T15:24:11","slug":"using-3d-printed-materials-for-cleaning-contaminated-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/using-3d-printed-materials-for-cleaning-contaminated-water\/","title":{"rendered":"Using 3D-Printed Materials for Cleaning Contaminated Water"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Brigitte Rodriguez, Publishing Associate: Researcher & Writer for Save The Water\u2122 | October 29, 2023<\/span><\/p>\n

At the University of California, San Diego, researchers have made a groundbreaking discovery in the fight against water pollution. It involves an innovative material called a “<\/span>modified living material<\/span><\/a>\u201d. Thanks to this 3D printing material, it\u2019s possible to remove pollutants from the water. This makes the water safe to drink<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

3D-Printed Materials for Water Cleanup<\/span><\/h2>\n

Combining polymeric materials and living systems has led researchers to devise a new water pollution mitigation method: 3D-printed materials. These are also known as modified living material.<\/span><\/p>\n

This material is made from a seaweed <\/span>polymer<\/span><\/a> and a genetically modified bacteria. It\u2019s designed to remove <\/span>select pollutants from its surroundings<\/span><\/a>. As well, the enzymes released from this process help to break down the structure of the contaminating molecules. Thus, this\u00a0 allows the molecules to go from harmful to harmless compounds.<\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally, the seaweed polymer is printed in a <\/span>grid<\/span><\/a> structure. This shape allows bacteria a better chance to survive and effectively do their cleaning job.<\/span><\/p>\n

Advantages and Disadvantages of 3D-Printed Materials<\/span><\/h2>\n

This kind of technology has many <\/span>benefits:<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n