A dust suppressor is a liquid product containing biopolymers and microorganisms from natural resources. After spraying on a dirty surface, the substances included in its composition bind small dust particles, after which a thin film is formed. It prevents weathering and blowing of fine dust particles. The drug is non-toxic and contains bacteria that further absorb the film along with dirt.
"Initially, we developed a product for mines, but after that our team had the idea to use it in an urban environment. Over the past few years, Novosibirsk residents have been particularly acutely aware of the problem of air pollution. Fine dust, which is formed from cars passing on the roads or during the construction of new buildings, can enter the lungs and stay there for a long time. The solution can be added to the canister of the watering machine. After she drives through the city and treats the roadside with a dust suppressor, the dust collects in lumps. The bacteria that are in the preparation will then begin to partially digest small dirt particles. If such a solution gets on the lawn, then the plants will only get better: the effect is like from fertilizers," says Ekaterina Litvinova, the author of the development.
According to Vladimir Larichkin, Professor of the Department of Environmental Engineering at NSTU-NETI, Doctor of Technical Sciences, about 70% of harmful emissions in the city are automotive and only 30% are emissions from boiler houses and other enterprises.
The product of NSTU-NETI scientists can be used at manufacturing plants, in mines, in the agricultural industry, in warehouses of bulk materials, as well as on railway tracks and urban roads. The development has foreign analogues in composition. The substance is developed from local raw materials, due to which, according to scientists, the domestic analogue will be ten times cheaper than a foreign dust suppressor.
The first tests by NSTU-NETI scientists have shown that the use of water to suppress dust allows only a short time to reduce the spread of small particles in the air. The water evaporates — the effect disappears. When using a solution with biopolymers and microorganisms, the drug blocks dust and prevents air pollution.
In the future, Ekaterina Litvinova's team plans to make the product frost-resistant. "We received a request to develop a winter version, which is not yet available in the world. So that the solution can be used at -50°C. Our country covers many northern territories, so a liquid dust collector will be especially relevant for Russian railways, where huge sums are paid for time costs in winter due to cleaning wagons from dirt," says the developer.
"Today, there is a problem of air pollution with coal dust during the transportation of coal by rail. More than 50% of coal dust emissions occur during transportation due to the blowing of coal fines by air flow," the problem is described in the research of ROAT scientists. Experts of the Russian Open Academy of Transport (ROAT) previously conducted studies that showed that the use of a foreign analogue, which has the same composition as the dust suppressor of NSTU-NETI scientists, can significantly reduce the impact of coal dust emissions and ensure environmental safety.
Ekaterina Litvinova's team consists of fifteen scientists. Biologists and chemists of NSTU-NETI have been actively working for three years and creating biodegradable gels for various tasks within the framework of the project "Development of multifunctional transport biodegradable polymer materials for the needs of medicine, veterinary medicine and crop production" of the Priority 2030 program.
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Earlier, NSTU-NETI scientists presented a product for the end user: a series of tests under the brand name "Unigel" based on chitosan biogel. Tests help to check wine and other drinks at home for the content of dyes, and vegetables, fruits and berries — to test for the presence of nitrates.
In addition, NSTU-NETI has launched contract production of another development by university scientists — domestic biogel, which extends the shelf life of vegetables and fruits four times.