Wastewater as a Source of Green Hydrogen

Wastewater contaminants are not merely pollutants to contend with. These impurities can be harnessed to support hydrogen production while simultaneously eliminating pollutants from the liquid waste.

Researchers in Australia devised electrodes to capture platinum, chromium, nickel, and other metals in the water, which are then employed in the generation of green hydrogen production. The electrodes are composed of an absorbent carbon surface that attracts the metals from wastewater, forming catalysts that are stable and efficient at conducting electricity and help to accelerate the water splitting. Agricultural waste serves as the basis for the carbon surface.

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Tests described in ACS Electrochemistry exposed partially treated wastewater samples in a container to an anode and a cathode, and powered the water-splitting process with solar energy. At the cathode, water molecules gain electrons and form hydrogen gas. At the anode, water molecules lose electrons and form oxygen. The process efficiently separates water into hydrogen and oxygen, which could then both be collected and used.

The system supported continuous water splitting for 18 days during laboratory experiments, with minimal decline in performance. According to researchers from RMIT University, University of New South Wales, and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, this method offers scope to reduce the high cost of wastewater treatment while turning it into valuable green hydrogen.

Wastewater as a Source of Green Hydrogen

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