For decades, water utilities have relied on giant tanks filled with ion-exchange resin beads to remove perchlorate, a harmful industrial pollutant, from drinking water. … But the process leaves behind a difficult problem: resin beads loaded with perchlorate that must be regenerated or disposed of as hazardous waste. Now, researchers at UC Riverside have developed a catalyst made from tiny ruthenium nanoparticles that effectively breaks down perchlorate at high concentrations.  The breakthrough study, published in the journal “ACS Central Science,” could make it possible to destroy perchlorate after it has been captured on ion-exchange resin. … The advance comes as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency moves toward establishing the first national drinking water standard for perchlorate as California did nearly two decades ago.

Other water treatment news:

• Santa Maria Times (Calif.): House committee advances $38.3M for Lompoc, Santa Ynez Valley water projects