Research from the New University of Alberta is getting closer to making chicken feathers a useful filter for water contamination.
The ability of keratin from feathers to adsorb — or stick to — heavy metals typically found in surface, well, or dugout water used by poultry producers for their stock has improved thanks to experiments using two chemical agents.
According to Muhammad Zubair, who conducted the study to earn a Ph.D., the research demonstrates that the bio-based filter can now remove up to 99 % of eight heavy metals simultaneously, which is the highest number yet. D. in bioresource technology from the Environmental Sciences, Life & amp, and Agricultural Sciences Faculty.
According to him, this discovery increases the potential of the throwaway poultry byproduct as a low-cost, environmentally friendly way to address an even bigger global issue.
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