The Laboratory of Alternative Energy Sources Technology and measuring instruments of the International Scientific and Technological Park of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan is conducting research and experimental work to study the possibilities of using a biological organic filter for wastewater treatment contaminated with organic waste. Special attention is paid to the drains of livestock complexes.

One of the main cleaning strategies is to use porous sponge-like materials. The head of the laboratory Meretmukhammet Khudaiberdiev, notes that the most filters are made of synthetic organic molecules. At the same time, Turkmen specialists have developed biofilters based on naturally occurring molecules found in plants.

"We have created a new highly porous filter form by combining pomegranate peel containing ellagic acid, processed sheep wool and other plant components," says Meretmukhammet Khudaiberdiev.

With the growing challenge of removing new organic pollutants such as active pharmaceutical ingredients, wastewater treatment plants are faced with the need to develop new technologies and materials. Biofilters developed by Turkmen scientists are an ecologically clean alternative to synthetic filters that can harm the environment.

The filter, created on the basis of natural components, includes a filter housing made of plant-based organic materials such as pomegranate peel and sheep's wool. These elements, combined with other plant compounds, form a highly porous structure capable of effectively removing pollutants of various origins from aquatic environments.

Wool fibers have a complex structure, including a three-layered structure: a scaly layer (cuticle), an epicuticle and a cortical layer. The cuticle is a flattened cell, the epicuticle is a membrane structure with high chemical resistance, and the cortical layer forms the bulk of the fiber, determining its physico-mechanical and chemical properties. Due to the presence of amino acids such as alanine, arginine, aspartic acid and others, wool has high sorption characteristics with against metal ions.

The conducted studies have confirmed that the biofilter effectively removes various pharmaceutical pollutants, metal ions, also both inorganic (soil, slag, inorganic salts, acids and alkalis) and organic substances (petroleum products, organic acids), including biological objects such as fungi and bacteria.