LiveScience.com reports on a new power source from old coal mines – a device that makes electricity from seeping pools of toxic waste:
The researchers tested a lab-scale version of their invention on fluids tainted with iron, similar to polluted water from mines. The device attacked the dissolved iron, removing electrons from it. This generated electricity while at the same time making the iron insoluble, thus efficiently pulling this contaminant from the water.
The iron that the device recovered could find use as a pigment for paints or other products, the researchers said. In principle, such a machine could also pull other metal contaminants from polluted water. “We are also working, in other research projects, on removal of arsenic and other contaminants,” researcher Brian Dempsey said.
Hopefully, 2008 will be a cleaner year, yes?