One electrode, one pass: Researchers clean salt and recover metals from toxic wastewater

Rice University and Vanderbilt University researchers developed an electrochemical ion-pumping platform that can desalinate industrial wastewater and recover metals at the same time.

By adjusting electrode voltage, the system can let ions pass, trap specific metals on the electrode, or split different metals into separate streams.

In tests, it removed most of the salt and recovered copper and nickel with high purity and yield.

The approach could lower treatment costs, simplify equipment, and improve recovery of valuable metals from wastewater.