Norma Alcantar, professor in the department of chemical and biological engineering at the University of South Florida (Tampa), is researching ways that cacti mucilage can clean contaminated water. Photo courtesy of the American Chemical Society.
Mucilage, the inner “guts” of cacti, may help clean water recirculating in aquaculture tanks and ponds, according to research presented at an American Chemical Society (ACS; Washington, D.C.) meeting.
Because aquaculture conditions encourage bacterial growth that develop into odorous compounds, University of South Florida (Tampa) researchers set out to develop cacti as a natural and available source to clean water. The team is developing a prototype of a recirculating aquaculture system that uses cactus extract as a cleansing agent, according to an ACS news release.
Read more about the research in the June issue of WE&T and see more about the research in the video:
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Video courtesy of the American Chemical Society (Washington, D.C.). |
May 26, 2016
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