Scientists in Germany have discovered that alkaline wastewater could become a potential solution for removing CO2 from the atmosphere.
Scientists in Germany have recently found out that alkaline wastewater from steel and cement production could capture carbon dioxide and remove tens of millions of tons of the greenhouse gas from the atmosphere annually.
The study, carried out by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, located near Hamburg, found that alkaline industrial wastewater can safely bind and store CO2, making it a promising long-term carbon sequestration solution.The team’s approach is based on a basic chemistry principle called neutralization. It replaces strong acids with carbon dioxide to treat alkaline wastewater before discharge.“Our process is essentially based on a reaction that many people will remember from chemistry class – the neutralization of a base by an acid,” Helmuth Thomas, PhD, a professor and head of the Hereon Institute for Carbon Cycles, stated. Low-cost carbon captureThe Paris Agreement established a target to keep global warming well below two degrees Celsius, preferably 1.5 degrees Celsius, above pre-industrial levels. It was signed in 2016. But, despite these targets and efficiency measures, global CO2 emissions are still on the rise. Although expanding, solar and wind power have not yet been enough to halt, let alone reverse, increasing emissions. To tackle the issue, the German team turned to rock weathering, a natural process that has regulated atmospheric CO2 for billions of years. The method binds CO2 into carbonates , which are then transported from rocks into rivers and oceans, where they trap the gas for extended periods. Wastewater from steel and cement production could be put to sustainable use. Credit: ACS When carbon dioxide dissolves in water, it forms carbonic acid. This weak acid can react with alkaline liquids, including industrial wastewater, to form bicarbonate. It binds CO2 in water for the long term, preventing it from re-entering the atmosphere. “These alkaline wastewaters are produced in large quantities – for example, in cement or steel production,” Thomas explained. Until now, wastewaters were neutralized with sulfuric or hydrochloric acid before discharge. This, however, left their CO2-binding potential completely unused. A simple climate solutionUtilizing CO2 to treat alkaline wastewater could bind large amounts of the gas as bicarbonate on an industrial scale. According to the team’s calculations, if alkaline industrial wastewater worldwide were repurposed in this way, it could capture around 30 million tons of CO2 annually.The process requires relatively little additional energy and can be integrated into existing industrial systems. “What’s great is that the necessary technology is already available,” Thomas revealed in a press release.“The result was clear: neutralizing CO2 in this way is worthwhile – especially because the energy consumption of the facilities is low,” the team added.In addition, unlike some carbon removal strategies that rely on transporting and dispersing large quantities of crushed rock, this method operates entirely on-site. That eliminates major logistical hurdles and enables precise monitoring of how much CO2 is captured and stored.It also avoids uncertainties. For example, spreading mineral powders in the ocean raises concerns about how well they work and their environmental impact. In turn, industrial systems run under controlled conditions. They ensure consistent results and safe pH levels before discharge.The study has been published in the journal Environment, Science & Technology Letters.
Carbon Capture Technology Cement Industry CO₂ Capture Emissions Reduction Germany Innovation Inventions And Machines Physics Steel Sustainability Wastewater CO2
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