Saint John firm develops ‘green’ way to collect heavy metals

By Kaylynn Paynter – Daily Gleaner | link to original article

Even though the particles created by NB BioMatrix are too tiny to be seen through a microscope, they have the potential to make big waves in the waste water treatment market, said the company’s chief scientific officer, Keith Brunt.

Naqua-Pure, a biodegradable nano-technology developed by the Saint John–based company, has the ability to magnetically bind small particles, such as heavy metas like lead, making it easier to remove them from the water.

When it comes to heavy metals, because they are on the atomic scale, they slip through filters, making them costly for water intensive industries such as mining, pulp and paper and oil and gas to remove, said Brunt, an assistant professor for pharmacology at Dalhousie University.

NB BioMatrix is one of five finalists in the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation’s Breakthru competition. Three winners, who will be announced at a live event March 19 at the Fredericton Convention Centre, will split a prize pot worth $750,000.

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