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taylorvich [soylentnews.org] writes:

https://newatlas.com/science/smart-rust-estrogen-pollution-water/ [newatlas.com]

Estrogen can harm aquatic plants and animals when passed into waterways via human and agricultural waste streams. Researchers have now developed a new way of removing the hormone from water, however, using what's known as "smart rust."

Developed by scientists at Germany's University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, smart rust takes the form of spherical iron oxide (aka rust) nanoparticles that are covered in phosphonic acid molecules. The molecules protrude from the surface of the spheres like hairs. By binding different compounds to the ends of those hairs, it's possible to make them adsorb different types of waterborne pollutants.

The iron oxide particles themselves are superparamagnetic, meaning they're attracted to magnets but not to one another. This quality keeps them from clumping together – so they can be thoroughly mixed into tainted water – while also making it possible to subsequently remove them from that water simply by swirling a magnet through the liquid.

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