Cagey Scientists Clear the Air of Harmful Gases

August 12, 2014- Each year, more than 21,000 Americans die from radon-linked lung cancer.

As a follow-up to our blog post on the danger of radon exposure, "Homing In On Radon," we spotted an EconomicTimes.com post on a new technique to extract atoms of dangerous radioactive elements such as radon, krypton and xenon from air.

The research was originally published in the journal Nature Materials. Here are some of the highlights from the EconomicTimes.com post, titled "Scientists Develop Method To Extract

Harmful Elements From Air And Water Causing Lung Cancer":


- Radon, krypton and xenon gases occur naturally in the air in minute quantities, generally less than one part per million. Radon gas can accumulate in buildings and is a major hazard to human health.

- As a result, they are expensive to extract for industrial uses such as lighting and medical technology. Current methods of extraction involve cryogenic technology, which is energy intensive.

- Chemists from the University of Liverpool and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have now developed an "organic cage molecule," called CC3, and used it to separate radon, krypton and xenon from air at concentrations of only a few parts per million.

- "If you imagine sorting marbles then you see the problem with sorting these atoms," said lead professor Andy Cooper, quoted in the post. "They are round in shape and of a similar size, not to mention that only one marble in every million is the one you are looking for."

- The CC3 molecule is made up of cavities called cages, into which the right gas molecules, such as xenon and radon, fit very precisely by a process of adsorption. Anything else is released from the cage.

- Tests using CC3-packed columns have shown the crystals have produced results far superior to the current best materials in trapping radon. The scientists see the possibility that CC3 could be used for commercial processes, in the cleanup of nuclear waste, and in the detection and adsorption of radon gas in homes.


- Studies also show that CC3 has potential in the pharmaceutical industry. Again, Professor Cooper: "This material could solve commercial problems associated with the extraction of rare gases or other molecules from very dilute mixtures. The key is to design exactly the right fit between the cavity and the molecule that you want to capture."


Read the full EconomicTimes.com post here.

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