TED2012
Damian Palin: Mining minerals from seawater
達曼恩 · 培林 : 從海水中開採礦物質
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這個世界需要乾淨的水，而我們開始更多的從海洋中抽水，脫鹽並飲用它。但我們拿剩下的濃鹽水怎麼辦？在這個短小有趣的演講中，TED 講者 達曼恩 · 培林 提出了一個想法： 和吸收金屬的細胞合作，從中提取其他我們需要的礦物質。
Damian Palin - Biological miner
Damian Palin is developing a way to use bacteria to biologically "mine" minerals from water -- specifically, out of the brine left over from the desalinization process. Full bio
Damian Palin is developing a way to use bacteria to biologically "mine" minerals from water -- specifically, out of the brine left over from the desalinization process. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:16
I collaborate with bacteria.
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我和細菌合作
00:18
And I'm about to show you
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而我將要呈現的
00:19
some stop-motion footage that I made recently
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是一些我最近拍的靜態連續影像
00:21
where you'll see bacteria accumulating minerals
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從這些影像中可以看到細菌
00:23
from their environment
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如何在一個小時內從周遭環境中
00:25
over the period of an hour.
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累積礦物質
00:27
So what you're seeing here
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您現在看到的
00:28
is the bacteria metabolizing,
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是細菌的代謝作用
00:30
and as they do so
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而當它們正在代謝時
00:31
they create an electrical charge.
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會產生一股電流
00:33
And this attracts metals
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這股電流會從周遭環境中
00:35
from their local environment.
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聚吸金屬
00:38
And these metals accumulate as minerals
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然後這些金屬慢慢累積成礦物質
00:40
on the surface of the bacteria.
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貼附於細菌的表面
00:42
One of the most pervasive problems
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在當今世界，一個人們
00:45
in the world today for people
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普遍遇到的問題就是
00:46
is inadequate access
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人群中可使用清潔飲用水
00:48
to clean drinking water.
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的比率不足
00:49
And the desalination process
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而海水淡化的工序
00:51
is one where we take out salts.
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可以讓我們過濾掉海水裡的鹽分。
00:53
We can use it for drinking and agriculture.
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這種水可以用來飲用或者灌溉農田。
00:55
Removing the salts from water --
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通過反向過濾
00:57
particularly seawater --
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從水中 ，特別是海水中
00:59
through reverse osmosis
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移除鹽分
01:00
is a critical technique
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是一個無比重要的技術。
01:02
for countries who do not have access to clean drinking water
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這對那些沒有辦法獲取乾淨的飲用水的國家
01:05
around the globe.
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更是重要。
01:06
So seawater reverse osmosis
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海水反向過濾是一種使用隔膜過濾的技術。
01:07
is a membrane-filtration technology.
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海水反向過濾是一種使用隔膜過濾的技術。
01:10
We take the water from the sea
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我們抽取海水並施以壓力，
01:12
and we apply pressure.
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我們抽取海水並施以壓力，
01:14
And this pressure forces the seawater
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而這個壓力強迫海水通過隔膜。
01:17
through a membrane.
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而這個壓力強迫海水通過隔膜。
01:18
This takes energy,
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這是通過消耗能量來得到乾淨的水。
01:19
producing clean water.
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這是通過消耗能量來得到乾淨的水。
01:22
But we're also left with a concentrated salt solution, or brine.
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但我們同時也有很濃的鹽水剩下。
01:26
But the process is very expensive
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而且整個過程非常的昂貴，
01:27
and it's cost-prohibitive for many countries around the globe.
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它高昂的代價使世界上很多的國家退縮。
01:30
And also, the brine that's produced
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不僅如此，產生的濃鹽水常常被直接送回海洋中。
01:31
is oftentimes just pumped back out into the sea.
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不僅如此，產生的濃鹽水常常被直接送回海洋中。
01:34
And this is detrimental to the local ecology
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對當地的海洋生態有破壞性的影響，
01:37
of the sea area that it's pumped back out into.
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對當地的海洋生態有破壞性的影響，
01:39
So I work in Singapore at the moment,
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爲此，我現在在新加坡工作
01:41
and this is a place that's really a leading place
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這是現在在脫鹽科技獨領全球的地方。
01:44
for desalination technology.
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這是現在在脫鹽科技獨領全球的地方。
01:46
And Singapore proposes by 2060
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新加坡計劃在 2060 年之前
01:49
to produce [900] million liters per day
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達到每天生產9億公升的脫鹽水的目標。
01:52
of desalinated water.
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達到每天生產9億公升的脫鹽水的目標。
01:54
But this will produce an equally massive amount
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但這同時也會生產出同樣大量的濃鹽水。
01:57
of desalination brine.
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但這同時也會生產出同樣大量的濃鹽水。
01:59
And this is where my collaboration with bacteria comes into play.
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而這就是我和細菌合作的開始。
02:02
So what we're doing at the moment
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我們現在正在做的
02:04
is we're accumulating metals
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便是從濃鹽水中累積像鈣、鉀和鎂的一樣的金屬。
02:07
like calcium, potassium and magnesium
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便是從濃鹽水中累積像鈣、鉀和鎂的一樣的金屬。
02:09
from out of desalination brine.
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便是從濃鹽水中累積像鈣、鉀和鎂的一樣的金屬。
02:11
And this, in terms of magnesium
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而這……就拿鎂來說吧。
02:13
and the amount of water that I just mentioned,
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通過處理9億升的濃鹽水，
02:16
equates to a $4.5 billion
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我們能生產價值45億美元的鎂。
02:19
mining industry for Singapore --
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而新加坡本身
02:21
a place that doesn't have any natural resources.
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恰是一個沒有任何自然資源的地方。
02:23
So I'd like you to image a mining industry
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所以我希望你們可以想像一個
02:26
in a way that one hasn't existed before;
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前所未有的礦業；
02:28
imagine a mining industry
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想像一個不需要污損地球土地的礦業；
02:30
that doesn't mean defiling the Earth;
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想像一個不需要污損地球土地的礦業；
02:33
imagine bacteria helping us do this
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想像細菌會幫我們從濃鹽水中
02:35
by accumulating and precipitating
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想像細菌會幫我們從濃鹽水中
02:38
and sedimenting minerals
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累積、凝結以及沉澱礦物質的世界。
02:41
out of desalination brine.
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累積、凝結以及沉澱礦物質的世界。
02:42
And what you can see here
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而你现在可以看到的是
02:44
is the beginning of an industry in a test tube,
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一個從試管中升起的行業，
02:46
a mining industry that is in harmony with nature.
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一個和自然和諧共存的礦業。
02:50
Thank you.
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謝謝。
02:51
(Applause)
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(全場鼓掌)
Reviewed by Jiadong Ma
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Damian Palin - Biological minerDamian Palin is developing a way to use bacteria to biologically "mine" minerals from water -- specifically, out of the brine left over from the desalinization process.
Why you should listen
Research engineer Damian Palin has long been fascinated by the process of biomineralization–with particular attention on the mechanisms involved for mineral precipitation. At the Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (in collaboration with Nanyang Technical University, Singapore), he conducts experiments to assess the ability of microorganisms to mine selected minerals out of seawater desalination brine. This study was based on compelling and burgeoning evidence from the field of geomicrobiology, which shows the ubiquitous role that microorganisms play in the cycling of minerals on the planet.
He says: "It is my aim to continue to research in the field of biomineralization, while exploring the mechanisms responsible for mild energetic mineral (including metal) precipitation for the production of mineral composites."
Read our in-depth Q&A with Damian Palin >>
Damian Palin | Speaker | TED.com