Trapping sulfate to benefit health, industry and waterways

Scientists have developed a new method to measure and remove sulfate from water, potentially leading to cleaner waterways and more effective nuclear waste treatments. A collaborative team from The University of Queensland and Xiamen University in China has designed a cage-like molecule to trap sulfate, a naturally occurring ion, in water. Professor Jack Clegg from UQ's School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences said controlling the sulfate concentration in water is a significant challenge in health, industry and environmental management. "Sulfate is a very common and important ion," Professor Clegg said. "In low quantities in the human body, sulfate has diverse metabolic roles such as eliminating toxins and helping drugs work effectively. "But in the environment, too much sulfate can pollute drinking water and accelerate the corrosion of pipes. "The presence of sulfate also causes problems when immobilising radioactive wastes.