Iranian Researcher Produces Water-Absorbing Polymers to Fight Dust Storms
“One of the biggest problems of Iran and the region today is dust particles which are produced because the plant layers on the soil in a region have dried up and disappeared due to drought and lack of resources,” researcher Hossein Peyman said In an interview with the ANA news agency on the sidelines of Asre Omid Event held by Islamic Azad University in Tehran in late May.
“When wind blows, loose soil particles begin to jump into the air and create sand storms. But, if we can maintain these plant layers on the soil surface, then we can tackle sand particles problem,” Peyman added.
The designer and producer of the super water absorbent, based in the center of technology units of Islamic Azad University, Ilam branch, said, "We need moisture to maintain plant layers, and in these areas, after May, the soil dries up completely and has no moisture."
“In order to maintain moisture in the soil, we add a degradable polymer that has a very high water absorption capacity. This polymer does not pollute the environment; Because it is degradable and it can keep a very high volume of water in itself when it rains and in the dry season it preserves moisture in the upper layers of the soil by slowly releasing the water,” the researcher added.
“As a result, the vegetation of the area is preserved and it can be a solution to tackle the dust particles problem in a natural way,” Peyman added.
The designer and producer of "superabsorbent polymer” said that he carried out the project to produce the polymer in the Islamic Azad University, Ilam branch, and explained, “One of the advantages of these polymers is that they retain a large amount of water in their structure, and in non-rainy conditions, they slowly release this water into the soil. and on the other hand, these polymers are biodegradable and do not cause soil pollution.”
The national Asreh Omid Event was held in late May in Tehran’s Grand Mosalla with the participation of 3,000 knowledge-based companies, laboratories, research teams and startups.
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