19 December 2023
You’ve in all probability seen that in humid climate desk salt clumps within the salt shaker and sticks to the highest. That’s as a result of on the molecular stage salt’s ions have a web constructive cost that pulls atmospheric water which has a web damaging cost. Salt actually pulls water out of the air and builds crystals. This course of could make the highest of the salt shaker moist or dampen a salted highway on a moist day.
Can salt’s pure technique of pulling water from the air be used to collect water in a bigger approach? Researchers led by Marieh B. Al- Handawi investigated Athel tamarisk (Tamarix aphylla), a desert plant native to Africa and Asia that takes up saline water with its roots and secretes extra salt by way of its leaves.
The tiny leaves are organized alternately, virtually wrapping the branches. The salt crystalizes on the leaves. Look intently and you’ll see tiny crystals.
The smaller crystals keep on the plant and appeal to extra water, particularly in a single day as proven on this department within the early morning (8 a.m.) with condensed water droplets.
Because the solar will get larger it evaporates the water, forsaking bigger salt crystals which fall to the bottom.
Each day the water cycle repeats: (A) branches appeal to water in a single day, (B) water evaporates through the sizzling day whereas salt crystals develop, (C) water is gone and crystals are massive, (D) throughout in a single day excessive humidity the crystals appeal to water from the air and the plant absorbs the water. — paraphrased from PNAS: Harvesting of aerial humidity with pure hygroscopic salt excretions.
The tree is “ingesting” from its leaves.
Researchers noticed that a minimum of one kind of salt, lithium sulfate, types small crystals that stay on the leaves and take up water from the air. When the crew added coloured water to salty leaves, they watched the liquid persist with the crystal crust, then take up into the plant’s leaves—proof that the salty coating acts as a bona fide water assortment mechanism.
— Science Journal: Desert bushes might pull water from skinny, dry air utilizing salt-encrusted leaves
The tree could be very salt tolerant so this water assortment course of gained’t translate immediately for people. However maybe we’ll discover a approach.
For extra info see Science Journal: Desert bushes might pull water from skinny, dry air utilizing salt-encrusted leaves or the PNAS publication Harvesting of aerial humidity with pure hygroscopic salt excretions.
(pictures are from the Open Entry PNAS article: Harvesting of aerial humidity with pure hygroscopic salt excretions)
