Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID ND-2025-Bezbaruah-1

Bio-Adsorbent-Embedded Ceramic Filters: A Point-of-Use Solution for Phosphate and Sulfate Removal

Institute: North Dakota
Year Established: 2025 Start Date: 2026-01-01 End Date: 2026-12-31
Total Federal Funds: $12,396 Total Non-Federal Funds: $12,803

Principal Investigators: Achintya Bezbaruah

Project Summary: Phosphate and sulfate contamination in water is a critical environmental and public health issue, with sources ranging from natural mineral weathering to industrial discharges and agricultural runoff. Elevated phosphate and sulfate levels pose risks to drinking water quality, aquatic ecosystems, and infrastructure. This research explores the development of an innovative bio-adsorbent-embedded clay-based ceramic filter system for point-of-use removal of phosphate and sulfate. Soybean hulls, an agricultural waste product, contain functional groups capable of binding pollutants. Their modification using calcium chloride enhances their adsorption efficiency as a bio-adsorbent. The study includes bio-adsorbent synthesis, adsorption and desorption experiments with mechanistic analysis, followed by the fabrication and evaluation of natural clay-based ceramic filters for point-of-use water treatment. Advanced characterization techniques will be used. The expected outcomes include optimized removal efficiencies, efficient bio-adsorbent production, and scalable point-of-use filtration technology. This will help repurpose agricultural waste for water treatment.