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Over the past decade, research on nanobubbles have gained significant momentum, unlocking multiple benefits across agriculture, medicine, and wastewater management. A team of people from the University of Calgary are looking at applications of this impressive technology.
Dr. Peter Kusalik, a professor in the UofC’s chemistry department, explains the nature of nanobubbles: “When I introduce nanbubbles into water, I’ve introduced a whole bunch of extra surface into the system, creating a highly reactive environment that can lead to fascinating chemical interactions.” These bubbles are measured in nanometers (nm) – one billionth of a meter. For comparison, a DNA molecule is about 2.5 nm wide, while a human hair is 60 000 to 100 000 nm wide.
Industrial Applications of Nanobubbles:
- Water treatment – they can introduce ozone to act as a powerful disinfectant into water, as well as speeding up the process of breaking down contaminants.
Traditionally, creating nanobubbles requires a lot of energy through mechanical methods. However, researchers in Calgary have developed a more efficient way using electric fields. By applying voltage to a grid of insulated wires in water, they can generate nanobubbles while using much less energy. This method can produce around 100 billion nanobubbles per litre of water!
Benefits for Plants and Brewing:
- Agriculture – in a recent experiment, plants watered with nanobubble infused water grew 40% more than those watered with regular water.
In brewing, the large surface area of nanobubbles enhances fermentation, resulting in better quality beer.
Overall, the at UofC shows that nanobubbles could greatly improve various industries, from farming to water treatment!
Written by Olivia Walker.
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