When wood turns spongy

Phenols are a group of toxic compounds that impart bad odour and taste to water. According to a recent report, sawdust waste can help remove phenol and other related toxic compounds from water. V Sivandan Achari and T S Anirudhan, scientists from the University of Kerala at Trivandrum, studied the absorption of phenol by using the sawdust from jackwood timber and found that the maximum adsorption took place at a pH of 5.5. The process removed almost 80 per cent of the initial concentration of 25 milligrams of phenol per litre. The spent adsorbent can be regenerated and reused by acid treatment ( Vatis Update , Vol 5, No 9).