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August 12, 2013

Cactus "flesh" cleans up toxic water


University of South Florida engineering professor Norma Alcantar and her team are using the "flesh" from Prickly Pear cacti, called mucilage, to clean up oil and other toxins from water. With support from NSF, Alcantar has spent the last few years confirming something that her grandmother told her years ago--that cacti can purify water.

Credit: National Science Foundation


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