Comments on: Toxic Metals in Your Water? No Problem, Have a Banana

By: Making Sustainable Batteries from Plantain

Making Sustainable Batteries from Plantain — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 13:44:12 +0000

[…] Plantain batteries might sound exotic in some parts of the U.S., but they’re downright normal compared to some other avenues of exploration, including biofuel made from beer broth, bioplastics made of cow bones, and water treatment systems based on banana peels. […]

By: 10 Water-Saving or Water-Cleaning Technologies.. & Your Chance to Do Something! | CleanTechnica

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 11:43:03 +0000

[…] treat water, AND produce electricity… using microbes.Minced banana peals.. seriously. They can clean polluted water, removing such metals as lead and copper. (OK, not technology, per say, but worthy of inclusion […]

By: Paul Hager

Paul Hager — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 23:05:59 +0000

There are already microbes that do the same job. They actually eat the toxins and the result is Co2 or other byproducts. The usefulness of these little guys has already been demonstrated in a variety of contaminated sites. They are also useful for oil spills. The reality is when we have too many options, it waylays us into untnenable technologies or bunny trails that waste time. As you know, time is also a limited resource, and if we want to save our planet from pollution we need to use the most effective technology we have.

By: Tina Casey

Tina Casey — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 11:37:13 +0000

Thank you for the link, chaindropz.

By: chaindropz

chaindropz — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 06:13:17 +0000

On my post earlier CaO was for calcium oxide. The link below will give more on the banana peel Treatment.
http://pubs.acs.org/stoken/presspac/presspac/full/10.1021/ie101499e

By: Karen

Karen — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 03:12:40 +0000

Hemp fibre (cannabis sativa, industrial hemp) is also a great natural filter. I was reading an article where it was used to clean up industrial wastes in landfill as well as waterways – the plant draws the muck out and leaves behind a clean environment, ripe for rehabilitation. If memory serves correctly, they were looking at using it to clean up the Chernobyl site.

By: Paul Scheideberg

Paul Scheideberg — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 02:39:32 +0000

Great headline but totally uninformative as an article. After being minced exactly how are the banana peels used? How are they applied to the water, for how long, do they become hazardous waste after use. If they’re good for 11 application, how long is each duration and what processing, if any, takes place between application? What levels of pollution have been effectively treated and with what success? The people in Sao Paolo must have done some basic research to reach their conclusions. Why didn’t the article give at least some minimal facts about the process, results and applications they acheived? Waste of time if all we get is a catchy headline and little else.

By: chaindropz

chaindropz — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 22:38:14 +0000

Cao and activated carbon treatment will most likely remain one of the best treatments for large volume. I must admit I have gone bananas over their treatment. It is very interesting.

By: Tina Casey

Tina Casey — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 17:21:24 +0000

Martin, let’s give these guys (the researchers) a little credit. They’re checking out new ideas, not recommending that this process is universally applicable.

By: Martin

Martin — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 13:45:01 +0000

This must be a joka. Why dont you think one step longer? How environmentally friendly are the bananas? The problem with this kind of thinking is that you compare a banana with the chemicals. And of course the banana will be more friendly. But if you add the growing and shipping of the banana you have a totally different result.

By: Tina Casey

Tina Casey — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 10:42:04 +0000

Hahahahahahaha I can’t believe I didn’t use that line.

By: John McMillan

John McMillan — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 10:29:20 +0000

This is very intriguing but yes, i have no bananas.

By: chaindropz

chaindropz — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 18:12:12 +0000

Banana peels will rot. Can they be dried and used as a dried minced treatment for hiking or emergency use with unknown water Quality? How are they preserved? Will this be sold or do we have to peel and preserve our own banana peels?