P.E.I. researchers turn sawdust into a solution for dirty water

Researchers at UPEI are experimenting with using sawdust to clean wastewater, and they hope in the future they can use it to remove 'forever chemicals' — like PFAS.

The project uses sawdust from local mills on Prince Edward Island and turns it into activated carbon, which is commonly used in household water filtration devices.

Yulin Hu , assistant professor of engineering at UPEI, says it works similarly to a sponge.

“Once the contaminants come in, the contaminants will stay inside of [the] open space,” she said. “So, now you can remove them from the water.”

So far, Hu said they have tested it against synthetic dyes, a water contaminant commonly found in the textile industry. The next step is to test it on real wastewater from some of P.E.I.’s industries.

Hu says activated carbon is