Did you know kombucha cultures have the ability to your filter water?

Researchers from MTU found that the culture used in kombucha, (known as a scoby) has the ability to act as a Living Filtration Membrane (LFM) and is more effective at filtering water than commercial water filters. Kombucha has high concentrations of acetic acid which has been used for thousands of years as an antimicrobial agent. Acetic acid not only restricts the growth of bacteria but it also eradicates foreign biofilms.

Commercial polymer-based water filters are compact and versatile, and they can strain off many dangerous contaminants, including bacteria, parasites, and some viruses. However, these filters become clogged, and decrease the rate of filtration and water flow quickly.

The study published in the American Chemical Society journal ACS ES&T Water found that kombucha scobys had between 19-40 percent better performance than current commercial water filters. Scoby-based LFMs were found to be more sustainable and inexpensive, while developing an increased resistance to biofouling (the unwanted deposition of bacteria and impurities in the water).

This useful research on kombucha lead scientists at MIT and Imperial College of London to begin making lab-grown yeast with a bacteria called Komagataeibacter rhaeticus (which can create a lot of cellulose) similar to the kombucha SCOBY “mother”. From this study we now have the possibility of SCOBY-based water filters, giving a more environmental conscious and sufficient approach to water purifying.

Click the link in our bio to read more about the study and its findings.

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