A new study claims to have found breakthrough in sucking up CO2 from atmosphere

A breakthrough study claims to have found a novel way to store carbon dioxide in the sea, sucked from the air. The new process uses off-the-shelf resins and other chemicals to increase CO2 absorption efficiency while reducing costs.

Prof Arup SenGupta from Lehigh University, the lead author of the study says a new hybrid absorbing material, used in the tests managed to take in three times as much CO2 as the previously used materials.

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Despite being a powerful warming agent, CO2 available in our atmosphere is relatively diluted at around 400 parts per million (ppm). Meaning, it becomes difficult to absorb and discharge the gas. However, the study published in the journal Science Advances claims to have solved the issue.

"To my knowledge, there is no absorbing material which even at 100,000 ppm, shows the capacity we get it in direct air capture of 400 ppm. This simple ability to capture CO2 at a high quantity, in a small volume of material, is a unique aspect of our work," said SenGupta.

Currently, captured CO2 is stored under the ground or sea inside erstwhile oil wells. The study posits that adding some chemicals can convert CO2 into bicarbonate which can be simply stored in seawater.

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The global climate is getting hotter by the minute. Scientists are wary that cutting fossil fuels alone may not be enough to save the planet.

Thus vacuuming Carbon dioxide from air has emerged as one of the bright ideas in recent times. However, the high cost of the method has stopped big companies from taking a bet on the technology.

To take his work to next level, SenGupta wants to establish a company and develop the technology theorised. He believes that the new approach could remove CO2 from the environment for as less as $100 a tonne.

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While the technology looks impressive on paper, environmental activists are not overly impressed. They believe it is a 'get-out-of-the-jail' card for big corporations and countries to cut corners on reducing their fossil fuel use.

(With inputs from agencies)

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