New carbon capture technology can turn carbon into baking soda

Ocean and sky.
(Image credit: lingqi xie/Getty Images)

Scientists have discovered a more efficient way to capture carbon from the atmosphere and store it in the ocean. A new study details a method of direct carbon capture that takes the atmospheric CO2 and transforms it into baking soda, which could then safely be stored in seawater.

The challenge of carbon capture is the cost, BBC writes. The gas is diluted in the atmosphere, requiring more energy to capture and release. The new research used a hybrid of previous capture methods, creating a system that is three times more efficient. "This simple ability to capture CO2 at a high quantity, in a small volume of material, is a unique aspect of our work," said the lead author of the study Arup SenGupta. "This material can be produced at very high capacity very rapidly."

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Devika Rao, The Week US

 Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.