IIT Bhilai Scientists develop eco-friendly material to clean polluted water

 

 

 

Water pollution caused by industrial waste is a growing problem in India, making access to clean and safe water increasingly difficult. To support national programs such as the Jal Jeevan Mission, Swachh Bharat Mission, and National Mission for Clean Ganga, researchers at IIT Bhilai have developed a new, environmentally friendly material that can help remove harmful pollutants from contaminated water. A research team comprising Koushik Mahata, Nishikanta Singh, Durgesh Kumar Sinha, Swarup Maity, and Dr. Sanjib Banerjee has created a bio-derived hydrogel. A key feature of this material is that it forms on its own at room temperature, without using harmful chemicals or catalysts. This makes the process safer, simpler, and more sustainable. The hydrogel has a sponge-like structure that allows it to absorb toxic dyes and pollutants commonly found in industrial wastewater. It was tested not only in laboratory water samples but also in real polluted river water, where it showed strong cleaning ability.

 

The material can be reused several times, easily shaped for different applications, and naturally breaks down after use, preventing further pollution. “Many existing water-cleaning materials are made from toxic chemicals that can harm the environment,” said Dr. Sanjib Banerjee, who led the research. “Our work shows that materials made from natural sources can clean polluted water effectively while remaining safe for the environment and suitable for large-scale use.” Its key benefits are it can cleans polluted water by removing harmful organic pollutants from wastewater, Environment-friendly: Made from natural materials without toxic chemicals, Real-world applicability: Proven performance in contaminated river water and reusability over multiple cycles. Environmentally safe: Biodegradable hydrogels minimize long-term environmental impact after use.

 

By combining eco-friendly design with strong water-cleaning performance, this new material offers a promising solution for future wastewater treatment, especially in areas affected by industrial pollution. It supports India’s goals of clean water, environmental protection, and sustainable development. This research has been published in the world-renowned journal Advanced Functional Materials (Wiley-VCH), highlighting IIT Bhilai’s growing contribution to advanced materials research for environmental sustainability.