Posted on April 21, 2026 in ASRC News, Nanoscience Initiative
Cellulose, eggshells and magnetic nanoparticles were combined to create an, inexpensive filter that removes arsenic from drinking water.
A team of researchers with the ASRC’s Nanoscience Initiative has developed an unexpectedly simple tool to tackle one of the world’s most persistent public health threats: arsenic in drinking water. Their solution—described in a recent paper in ACS Omega—looks like a standard teabag but functions as a powerful, low-cost filtration system capable of removing more than 90% of arsenic from contaminated water.
Led by ASRC Nanoscience Initiative researcher Adam Braunschweig and one of his lab’s junior researchers Vick Tan, the team engineered cellulose-based teabags embedded with magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles and filled with pulverized eggshells—materials that naturally bind arsenic. When placed in contaminated water, the teabag acts like a sponge, drawing out toxic ions with remarkable efficiency.
“Our goal was to design a solution that is not only effective, but accessible,” said Braunschweig. “By combining inexpensive, widely available materials with smart nanoscience, we’ve created a system that could realistically be deployed in communities where traditional water treatment isn’t feasible.”
Arsenic contamination affects more than 200 million people worldwide, particularly in regions that rely on untreated groundwater. Long-term exposure is linked to cancer, cardiovascular disease, and developmental disorders. While technologies like reverse osmosis can remove arsenic, they are costly and infrastructure-intensive—placing them out of reach for many at-risk communities.
The ASRC team’s approach offers a stark contrast. Each teabag costs roughly 7 cents to treat a liter of water and can even be reused multiple times with only modest reductions in performance. In laboratory tests, a single teabag reduced arsenic levels in samples mimicking contaminated well water in Bangladesh to below the World Health Organization’s safety threshold.
Notably Tan, the study’s co-corresponding author, is a high school student who conducted the research as part of an ASRC mentorship program—an example of the center’s commitment to cultivating scientific talent early.
“Clean drinking water should not depend on access to expensive infrastructure,” Tan said. “Our research shows that simple, low-cost materials can be engineered into scalable solutions for arsenic remediation, one of the world’s most urgent public health challenges.”
In addition to the teabag filtration system, the team also developed a complementary low-cost chemical test that turns water yellow in the presence of arsenic, enabling rapid, on-site detection without expensive instrumentation.
Together, these innovations point to a future when identifying and addressing water contamination could be as simple as making a cup of tea. The project also underscores the ASRC’s commitment to empowering the next generation of researchers to take on global challenges before they even enter college.