Researchers at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi have developed a method that uses the soot emitted by diesel engines to clean up oil and other organic pollutants from water, reports India Today.

Diesel engines are generally known to be superior to other internal combustion engines due to better fuel efficiency, however, are associated with significant amounts of particulate emissions.

The particulates mostly comprise soot, which is formed in the fuel rich regions of the burning diesel jets.

The research relied on the fact that carbon species can adsorb various organic pollutants in water by acting as a hygroscopic nucleus. Recently, carbon nanotubes, filter paper, mesh films, and graphene are being employed for removing oil from water.

Generally, the carbon content of soot is between 90 and 98 per cent, and the team explored the possibility of using soot adsorbent of oil as well as organic pollutants in water.

"There has been a rapid increase in oil and chemical leakages from oil tankers or ships and industrial accidents with expansion in oil production and transportation in the last few decades", the authors of the research paper was quoted saying by India Today.

Rahul Vaish, Associate Professor, School of Engineering at IIT Mandi and his research students Vishvendra Pratap Singh and Moolchand Sharma have worked on the probability of using soot for cleaning pollutants.