Hmm… Do I detect notes of… WASTEWATER?!
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
Picture a bustling winery after harvest… grapes crushed, wine flowing… and wastewater piling up! Every liter of wine produces FOUR liters of toxic wastewater. YUCK! And cleaning it up can be costly and complex. Little help?
Enter Elyse Doria and team from University of California, Davis. They turned to almond shells! They ground the shells into fine powder. Under the microscope, the powder showed a porous, layered structure! Perfect for trapping contaminants!
When added to winery wastewater, this powder removed up to EIGHTY-percent of harmful compounds!
So, next time you enjoy a glass of wine, don’t forget to thank your almonds!
Doria, E., Coleman, R., Lerno, L., et al. (2026). From waste to reuse: The valorization of almond shells (Prunus dulcis) as a sustainable biosorbent for the removal and recovery of phenolic compounds in winery wastewater. ACS Food Science & Technology, 6(2), 253–264. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsfoodscitech.5c00652