Solar-powered system removes low-level phosphate from water
Researchers have built a solar-powered electrocoagulation system that removes low levels of phosphate from natural water. The work is published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications.
The team says the system concentrates ions at an electrode interface, which overcomes limits on how fast phosphate moves to the electrode. They say it uses little energy and material, which suits small, decentralised water treatment. Phosphate runoff drives algal blooms in South African dams and rivers, so a low-power option could help small communities without grid power. The source gives only a short summary of the work, so the performance claims are unverified, and lab-scale results may not carry over to field conditions.