The researchers from Kraków, Warsaw, Katowice and India say the smells can now be disinfected with potassium ferrate - a paramagnetic ferrate iron salt.

Publishing their findings in the journal Environmental Science and Pollution Research (the article 'Effectiveness of potassium ferrate (VI) as a green agent in the treatment and disinfection of carwash wastewater' is available here), the scientists said: “The use of this paramagnetic iron salt not only caused the removal of putrefactive bacteria from water, and consequently the removal of unpleasant odours, but also removed other contaminants and improved other significant quality parameters of contaminated water. 

“Thanks to this, the disinfected water can be used for pre-washing cars and in other processes.”

Maciej Thomas (Cracow University of Technology), Przemysław Drzewicz (Polish Geological Institute - National Institute of Research Institute in Warsaw), Angelika Więckol-Ryk (Central Mining Institute in Katowice) and Balamurugan Panneerselvam ( M. Kumarasamy College of Engineering in India) propose new applications of potassium ferrate.

The team led by Dr. Maciej Thomas from the Krakow University of Technology collected water samples with an unpleasant smell and subjected them to a series of physicochemical and microbiological tests. 

The researchers found that odours are associated with the presence of a significant population of putrefactive bacteria in water. These bacteria probably came from organic debris that covered the tyres of washed vehicles.

Dr. Thomas said: “Potassium ferrate is a strong oxidant, which (in some processes) makes it a candidate for replacing traditional oxidants, such as ozone, hypochlorite, permanganate, etc. 

“Their use often causes problems with the occurrence of harmful oxidation products in water, which can be avoided by using potassium ferrate.”

PAP - Science in Poland

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