A Brazilian chemist has found banana peels can clean contaminated industrial water, according to website Ecogaia.

The website reported that Dr. Milena Boniolo from Universidad Federal de São Carlos in São Paulo has discovered that dried and pulverized banana peels can be mixed with contaminated water to remove heavy metals.

The story claimed a proportion of 5ml of powdered banana peel for every 100ml of liquid is capable of purifying water with molecules of uranium, cadmium or nickel by 65%.

“This cheap system is possible because heavy metals have a positive charge that makes them attracted by negative molecules from banana powder after spending a week in the sun to dry. If you repeat this process it’s possible to purify the water completely,” the website said.

Considering the amount of peels that are wasted each year, the discovery could open up a whole new market for restaurants and growers.

For example, Australian news site www.brisbanetimes.com.au reported that one-third of the country's bananas are thrown away each year due to supermarkets' presentation standards.

Photo: Flickr, Jason Gulledge

Source: www.freshfruitportal.com