Millions of cigarette butts are thrown on the ground every year. These residues are not biodegradable and accumulate toxic elements that pollute the environment. What happens to these filters, where do they end up?
In Chile, Daniel Sandoval, a university professor of Civil Engineering in Biotechnology, discovered that nicotinic acid from cigarette butts had a great potential to accelerate metabolic processes and cell growth.
Based on this research, this young man created in 2010 smokebox, the first company in the world to offer recycling services from cigarette waste. The processed material is used as a nutrient to increase the size of blueberry production, the main national export to the Asian market.
“You go anywhere and you are full of cigarette butts, even though a single one can contaminate up to 20 liters of water. Luckily today the trend is towards recycling”, says Daniel Sandoval.
How does it work?
Each cigarette butt undergoes a physical, chemical and thermal separation process, which allows heavy metals to be separated from nicotinic acid and transforms this material into a non-toxic one. From there, a useful molecule for agricultural purposes is extracted, with which a product is made in the form of a spray liquid that is applied to the plants.
But Sandoval’s work does not end here. With his team, he is also investigating the recycling of batteries, an issue that worries many and that still does not have a clear and massive answer, not to mention that the little that is done on the matter is not entirely effective for the environment. .
This discovery is a clear example of how the work of science can be at the service of the well-being of communities and the environment.
Sources:
Mon
I’m Chilean
The Concordia newspaper
Deia