Graphene and water treatment: introduction and market status
What is water treatment?
Water treatment is the collective name for a group of mainly industrial processes that make water more suitable for its application, which may be drinking, medical use, industrial use and more. A water treatment process is designed to remove or reduce existing water contaminants to the point where water reaches a level that is fit for use. Specific processes are tailored according to intended use - for example, treatment of greywater (from bath, dishwasher etc.) will require different measures than black water (from toilets) treatment.
Main types of water treatments
All water treatments involve the removal of solids (usually by filtration and sedimentation), bacteria, algae and inorganic compounds. Used water can be converted into environmentally acceptable water, or even drinking water through various treatments.
Water treatments roughly divide into industrial and domestic/municipal. Industrial water treatments include boiler water treatment (removal or chemical modification of substances that are damaging to boilers), cooling water treatment (minimization of damage to industrial cooling towers) and wastewater treatment (both from industrial use and sewage). Wastewater treatment is the process that removes most of the contaminants from wastewater or sewage, producing a liquid that can be disposed to the natural environment and a sludge (semi-solid waste).
Wastewater treatments usually consist of three levels: a primary (mechanical) level, in which about 50-60% of the solids are removed from raw sewage by screening and sedimentation, a secondary (biological) treatment level in which dissolved organic matter that escaped primary treatment is removed by microbes that consume it as food and convert it into carbon dioxide, water and energy. The tertiary treatment removes any impurities that are left, producing an effluent of almost drinking-water quality. Disinfection, typically with chlorine, can sometimes be an additional step before discharge of the effluent. It is not always done due to the high price of chlorine, as well as concern over health effects of chlorine residuals.
Seawater desalination are processes that extract salt from saline water, to produce fresh water suitable for drinking or irrigation. While this technology is in use and also holds much promise for growing in the future, it is still expensive, with reverse osmosis technology consuming a vast amount of energy (the desalination core process is based on reverse osmosis membrane technology).
What is graphene?
Graphene is a two dimensional mesh of carbon atoms arranged in the form of a honeycomb lattice. It has earned the title “miracle material†thanks to a startlingly large collection of incredible attributes - this thin, one atom thick substance (it is so thin in fact, that you'll need to stack around three million layers of it to make a 1mm thick sheet!) is the lightest, strongest, thinnest, best heat-and-electricity conducting material ever discovered, and the list does not end there. Graphene is the subject of relentless research and is thought to be able to revolutionize whole industries, as researchers work on many different kinds of graphene-based materials, each one with unique qualities and designation.
Graphene and water treatment
Water is an invaluable resource and the intelligent use and maintenance of water supplies is one of the most important and crucial challenges that stand before mankind. New technologies are constantly being sought to lower the cost and footprint of processes that make use of water resources, as potable water (as well as water for agriculture and industry) are always in desperate demand. Much research is focused on graphene for different water treatment uses, and nanotechnology also has great potential for elimination of bacteria and other contaminants.
Among graphene's host of remarkable traits, its hydrophobia is probably one of the traits most useful for water treatment. Graphene naturally repels water, but when narrow pores are made in it, rapid water permeation is allowed. This sparked ideas regarding the use of graphene for water filtration and desalination, especially once the technology for making these micro-pores has been achieved. Graphene sheets (perforated with miniature holes) are studied as a method of water filtration, because they are able to let water molecules pass but block the passage of contaminants and substances. Graphene's small weight and size can contribute to making a lightweight, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly generation of water filters and desalinators.
It has been discovered that thin membranes made from graphene oxide are impermeable to all gases and vapors, besides water, and further research revealed that an accurate mesh can be made to allow ultrafast separation of atomic species that are very similar in size - enabling super-efficient filtering. This opens the door to the possibility of using seawater as a drinking water resource, in a fast and relatively simple way.
Further reading
- Introduction to graphene
- Graphene company database
- How to invest in the graphene revolution
- The Graphene Handbook, our very own guide to the graphene market
Graphene-based bioelectrochemical systems for simultaneous water and soil remediation
Researchers from India and the U.S have examined the application of nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide (NRGO) sponge electrodes within bioelectrochemical systems (BES) for simultaneous water and soil remediation. This approach addresses critical limitations in conventional disinfection and decontamination techniques, which often involve high energy consumption, extensive chemical usage, and the formation of secondary pollutants such as perchlorates and chlorinated byproducts.
The study highlights NRGO electrodes as an efficient and environmentally compatible platform for integrated detoxification. In aqueous systems, NRGO anodes achieved complete inactivation of Escherichia coli (5-log reduction) at a current density of 115 A m⁻², primarily through electrosorption and electroporation mechanisms, without producing chlorine-based residuals. In soil environments, embedded NRGO electrodes facilitated enhanced microbial extracellular electron transfer and pollutant adsorption, resulting in a 75% decrease in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and a 32% immobilization of lead (Pb) within 20 days.
Graphene oxide-based nanocomposite tackles antibiotic pollution in wastewater
Researchers from National Taiwan University recently investigated the use of graphene oxide (GO) within a multifunctional nanocomposite for removing veterinary antibiotics - including sulfamethoxazole, oxytetracycline, and enrofloxacin - from livestock wastewater. The team created a nanocomposite that removes 95% of these antibiotics from water, providing a sustainable tool against drug pollution and antimicrobial resistance.
Image credit: Chemical Engineering Journal
The hybrid nanocomposite merges two clean-up strategies - adsorption and photocatalysis - into a single system. By integrating graphene oxide, biochar, and titanium dioxide (TiO₂), the researchers produced a porous, high-surface-area material that first attracts antibiotics and then breaks them down under ultraviolet light.
Q&A with Mark Ritchie, founding board member at the Graphene Valley Corporation
Graphene-Info is excited to welcome Mark Ritchie for a Q&A session. Mark Ritchie is a founding board member of Graphene Valley Corporation, where he focuses on the water, food, and agriculture sectors, both domestic and international. Minnesota’s elected Secretary of State from 2007 to 2015, he has served as Minnesota’s Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army since 2019. A graduate of Iowa State University and the University of Minnesota, where he served as the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences’ Endowed Chair in Sustainable Agricultural Systems from 2015 to 2017. He has a graduate degree in public affairs from the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota, where he is a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council.
We were delighted to hear his perspectives during this session, drawing on his extensive experience in public leadership, international collaboration, and sustainable innovation.
Novel graphene membrane separates tritium from wastewater
Researchers from Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) and the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute recently developed a graphene-based technology that can separate dangerous tritium from radioactive wastewater in a liquid state.
Tritium is a radioactive hydrogen produced in nuclear power plants and mostly exists in the form of water molecules. When it enters the human body, it can emit radiation internally, making thorough management necessary; however, until now, tritium could only be separated in a gaseous state, and the removal of liquid-phase tritium remained a significant challenge.
Graphene-oxide aerogel helps extract drinking water from air
An international scientific collaboration, led by the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Carbon Science and Innovation (ARC COE-CSI) UNSW Associate Professor Rakesh Joshi and Nobel Laureate Professor Sir Kostya Novoselov at the National University of Singapore (NUS), has developed a lightweight, sponge-like aerogel made from calcium-intercalated graphene oxide.
The nanomaterial can hold more than three times its weight in water and can achieve this far quicker than existing commercial technologies, features that enable its potential in direct applications for producing potable water from the air.
EU-funded AQUASOL project to advance renewable energy-powered solutions for water desalination
The EU-funded AQUASOL project aims to address global water scarcity through renewable energy-powered desalination. Desalination of seawater and brackish water is one of the essential solutions to the increasing global challenge of water scarcity. Yet, widespread deployment of desalination technologies remains limited due to high upfront costs and intensive energy requirements. Moreover, current desalination systems use fossil fuels contributing to greenhouse gas emissions.
To address these challenges, the AQUASOL project brings together a multidisciplinary team of seven partners from six countries to explore and develop innovative solutions to facilitate green transition in desalination processes. To achieve this, the consortium will develop a technological platform that will enable the integration of renewable energy sources into desalination technologies and provide disruptive solutions for seawater and wastewater treatment.
New GO-based water filter removes stubborn ‘forever chemicals’
Researchers from Monash University and The Pennsylvania State University, In collaboration with NematiQ, a wholly owned subsidiary of Clean TeQ Water, have developed a novel water filtration membrane that effectively removes small PFAS molecules (a group of man-made chemicals known for their persistence and resistance to breakdown), overcoming a significant challenge faced by conventional water filters.
PFAS cycle. Image credit: Clean TeQ Water
The team designed a beta-cyclodextrin (βCD) modified graphene oxide (GO-βCD) membrane with nanoscale channels that selectively retain PFAS while allowing water to pass through.
Clean TeQ Water awarded Commonwealth Funding for Graphene Membrane feasibility study
Clean TeQ Water has announced it has received the Commonwealth Simple Grant under the BRII: Renewables and Low Emissions Round – Feasibility program. This grant, facilitated by the Department of Industry, Science, and Resources, provides AU$80,000 (around USD$630,000) to support Clean TeQ Water’s innovative efforts to revolutionize drinking water treatment for remote communities. The grant will fund a feasibility study to assess the potential of NematiQ Graphene Membranes as a solution for drinking water treatment.
The project, “Graphene Membranes: Revolutionizing Drinking Water for Remote Communities”, will explore the efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability of the Graphene Membrane technology. It aims to improve water quality in underserved and remote areas, demonstrate the scalability and environmental benefits of Graphene Membranes, and lay the groundwork for a potential proof-of-concept phase, where up to AU$1M of funding for real-world field trials and pilot implementation is expected to be available for the projects deemed most feasible.
Salgenx expands potential applications of its graphene and hard carbon-coated sand
Salgenx, developer of saltwater flow battery technology, has announced the expansion of its development of graphene and hard carbon-coated sand. Originally designed for use in advanced battery systems, Salgenx is now exploring a wide array of new applications for this innovative material, ranging from smart infrastructure to environmental sustainability.
The Company says that "the unique combination of graphene and hard carbon in a sand aggregate has the potential to transform the construction industry". By enhancing the electrical conductivity, mechanical strength, and durability of concrete, Salgenx’s carbon-coated sand opens up new possibilities in building and infrastructure development.
NematiQ GO membrane receives WaterMark Certification
Australia-based NematiQ has announced that after more than a decade of work, the NematiQ Graphene Oxide membrane has obtained WaterMark certification, solidifying its status as a safe product for water filtration.
The Australian WaterMark Certification Scheme is a mandatory scheme for plumbing and drainage products of a certain type. Certification ensures products are fit for purpose and appropriately authorized for use in plumbing and drainage installations. The Australian Building Codes Board administers and manages the Scheme.
