Environmental Uses Of Gold
Gold is not just for collecting, investing and beautiful adornment. There are actually many different uses for gold including medical and environmental. Environmentally speaking, gold is used in everything from water purification to emission controls and sustainable chemistry. Most of these uses are future technologies, and are still being developed in most places. The unique chemical properties of gold are allowing it to become a great resource for various environmental needs. It is mostly aimed at pollution and energy reduction, which will help to make the world a greener, more environmentally friendly place.
In water purification, gold-palladium nanoparticles are being studied as an active way to break down trichlorethene, or TCE, a groundwater pollutant that is all too common and very poisonous. Cancer, liver disease, and pregnancy complications are linked to this chemical It’s also been studied as a way to remove pesticides when implemented into a water purification system. These studies are still underway, and are being funded by the World Gold Council to help develop new and better technologies through the use of gold. Gold is also used for mercury control, which has been known to cause Alzheimer’s disease and autism. In factories where coal is used to produce energy, mercury is omitted. This also occurs in some PVC factories in China. To combat this, studies are underway to use gold catalyst that can eliminate the mercury from these processes.
The environmental uses of gold will always help keep the price up making gold a stable investment.
Other Ways Gold Can Be Used In The Environment
Another way the gold can be used in the environment is in diesel emissions that can also be controlled through the use of gold, platinum, and palladium. The product used, known as NS Gold, has been shown to increase the hydrocarbon oxidation process by 15-20%, creating fewer emissions and making the air less polluted.
Gold also plays a large roll in ‘green’ chemistry, or sustainable chemistry. It is being studied as a way to cause the oxidation of hydrocarbons from fewer chemicals and organic products, making organic materials more affordable to purchase. It is also being looked into to use gold to replace platinum in fuel cells, because it is more affordable and more readily available.
There are so many different ways that gold is, and can be, used in the environment. For the most part, its metallurgic and chemical properties simply allow it to provide green concepts and eliminate pollutants, both in the air, water, and in fuel emissions. Gold is a very versatile metal, and while it may be most valuable for its financial standing, it probably provides more safety than most people imagine by being used in these various environmental concepts.
The more ways are found to use this unique precious metal, the more valuable it becomes to a society making it a valuable investment vehicle.
Medical Uses Of Gold
Gold is biocompatible, which just means that it isn’t toxic to the body. For that reason, it can be used for a variety of medical treatments, including drugs and implants of all kinds. In the early to mid 1900s, it was discovered that gold was an effective treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, because it is a great aid to the reduction of inflammation in the joints.
Medical implants also use gold in many occasions, since it doesn’t include a risk for toxicity and has a lower risk of infections. There are many different medical uses of gold, proving that it isn’t just for collecting and investing in things such as gold coins.
When it comes to medical implants, the gold is generally used in places that are at a higher risk of infection, such as the ear. It has also been used in other areas that are prone to infection, as well as serving a variety of uses in the medical world beyond implants. For example, gold is often used to treat prostate cancer, by helping to identify the size and position of the patient’s prostate during treatment. Small pieces of gold, about the size of rice grains, are used to find the prostate so that a more targeted dose of radiation can be given to the patient. Pace makers and insulin pumps also contain gold, because it has such a record of being highly reliable for electronic devices.
There are many different uses for gold, but the most cutting edge uses and research belongs to the cancer treatment area. Gold can be injected into the body and immediately travel to a cancerous area, which will allow doctors to treat these areas with anti-cancer compounds without having to treat the entire body. The newest research involving gold includes a study of how gold can bind anti-cancer compounds on their surfaces, carrying them through the blood stream and delivering them to the tumors. Once again, this allows for targeted treatments rather than full-body exposure.
Gold is such a biocompatible metal that it can be used for just about any medical need. Implants, cancer research and treatment, and even heart problems and diabetes all rely on gold for use in the various treatment products that are used. By taking the time to learn about gold and how beneficial it can be to the modern medical world, you might realize that it is much more essential to society than you originally thought. There are many uses for gold, and the medical world is not the only one taking advantage of this great metal. This is why gold will always be a great alternative investment to the stock market.