Nanobubbles make bigger plants and better beer, Calgary researchers say

Nanobubbles, which are created through mechanical agitation and now electric fields can make water filtration more efficient, plants grow bigger and beer taste a lot better, scientists say. (Pexels)

Scientists say nanobubble research has taken off over the past 10 years and has led to many benefits for agriculture, medicine and wastewater management.

At the forefront of the work is a group from the University of Calgary, who have been experimenting with the technology and producing unique results.

"When I introduce nanobubbles into water, I've introduced a whole bunch of extra surface into the system, which is a highly reactive environment that can lead to a lot of interesting chemistries going on," said Dr. Peter Kusalik, professor with the U of C's department of chemistry in a news release.

Kusalik is working with Dr. Susana Kimura Hara for the study.

"I'm interested in nanobubbles because they can make water treatment processes more efficient and faster, which can help increase water sustainability," Kimura Hara said.

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Nanobubbles are tiny gas bubbles that are measured in nanometres (nm) – one billionth of a metre – and have greater gas transfer properties than their larger equivalents.

To give an example of their size, a DNA molecule is 2.5 nm wide, while a human hair is 60,000 to 100,000 nm wide.

Among the industrial applications of nanobubbles is their role in wastewater and water treatment.

"Nanobubbles can be used to introduce ozone – a strong water disinfectant – into water to disinfect and degrade persistent contaminants, and the nanobubbles' unique properties will make this process faster," the U of C said in a news release.

Testing new methods to make them

One of the challenges in working with nanobubbles is the vast amount of energy required to create them, researchers said.

Currently, nanobubbles can be produced through mechanical methods of rapidly and aggressively churning or flowing water.

Instead, Calgary researchers are using electric fields to produce large amounts of nanobubbles in water while using a lot less energy.

"In this process, a grid of insulated wires is immersed in water and a voltage is applied, and the electric field generated between the wires produces nanobubbles," the U of C said.

"On top of being more energy efficient, the electric field method can generate a solution exclusively containing nanobubbles with a population of around 100 billion per litre of water."

Nanobubble montage by Jon Tallon, Graphic Designer. (Credit: Professor Niall English, UCD School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering)

Better plants, better beer

Nanobubbles have also proven beneficial for agriculture, officials said.

In one experiment, the school says nanobubble-filtered water was used on plants grown for a high school student's science fair project.

The seedlings grew 40 per cent more than those watered with regular water, officials said.

In addition to plant growth, the school says the large surface area produced by the nanobubbles enhances the fermentation process in brewing, resulting in a higher quality product.