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POPSScientists enhance nature's carbon handling mechanism When rock is weathered, CO2, in water percolates through soil and rocks and becomes alkaline. This alkaline water can hold carbon better as bicarbonate, will reduce the acidity, and some of the carbon remains in sediment that settles on the bottom.
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POPSCapturing Carbon with Enzymes The carbon dioxide in the emissions stream is captured by the enzymes on the surface of the packing material and converted into bicarbonate ions. Cleaned-up air then escapes from the top while the bicarbonate solution exits the bottom. The bicarbonate, in a separate process, can be extracted from the solution and made into compounds, such as limestone, for use by industry. The enzyme, called carbonic anhydrase, ordinarily processes carbon dioxide produced in organisms. In E. coli it plays an essential role in metabolism. The surface of this material has been chemically modified so that the enzymes attach securely. To end the process, cleaned up air escapes from the top while the bicarbonate solution is extracted for further processing--either back into pure carbon dioxide for long-term geological storage or into a carbonate compound, such as limestone, that can be used by industry.
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