Environ. Sci. Technol. doi:10.1021/es902407g (2009)

DNA fragments offer an effective way to extract arsenic from contaminated groundwater, a team in South Korea reports.

Jiho Min at Chonbuk National University, Yang-Hoon Kim at Chungbuk University and their colleagues designed an aptamer — a short, single strand of DNA that can bind to a specific molecule — for the purpose. The aptamer was able to efficiently remove arsenic from samples of groundwater collected in different areas of Vietnam, where arsenic levels are often higher than the US Environmental Protection Agency's recommended maximum.

Aptamer devices could be made with cheap materials such as silicon, the authors say.