Jakub Łagiewka, a second-year doctoral student in chemical sciences at the Doctoral School of the Jan Długosz University of Humanities and Sciences in Częstochowa, is developing new substances that will serve to remove organic pollutants from water.
According to the scientist, the waters in Poland are full of contamination. Chemical substances enter surface waters as a result of industrial activities and from municipal or hospital wastewater. Pollutants affect the condition of organisms living in lakes, ponds or rivers, and food that is not free of toxic substances ends up on our tables.
A PhD student is developing chemical compounds for water purification based on cyclodextrins (a type of saccharides). The non-water-soluble sugars could be used to absorb harmful substances – drugs, dyes or pesticides. Using the developed substances would also offer the possibility of recovering drugs and pesticides, which would be returned to industry.
