Fish farms are essential to meeting global demand for seafood. Keeping so many fish in compact tanks can have some unpleasant side effects, however, as sediments, bacteria and heavy metals like arsenic can build up in the water — and then end up in someone’s fish dinner. Cleaning these tanks can be difficult and expensive, […]

Fish farms are essential to meeting global demand for seafood. Keeping so many fish in compact tanks can have some unpleasant side effects, however, as sediments, bacteria and heavy metals like arsenic can build up in the water — and then end up in someone’s fish dinner. Cleaning these tanks can be difficult and expensive, but now research in Environmental Science & Technology suggests a novel solution for the problem could come from an unlikely source: cactus mucilage.

In this video, Norma A. Alcantar describes how the process works, discusses the benefits of using cactus to clean the tanks, and explains how her grandmother inspired the research that led to this breakthrough.

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