Washington: Scientists have said that it would be possible
to obtain clean water through the process of nanotechnology.
This
process would involve removing toxic chemicals, bacteria, viruses, and
other hazardous materials from water by using tiny particles of pure
silica coated with an active material.
This method would be
much more effective and at a lower cost than conventional water
purification methods, according to researchers.
According to
Peter Majewski and Chiu Ping Chan of the Ian Wark Research Institute,
at the University of South Australia, the availability of drinking
quality water is fast becoming a major socio-economic issue across the
globe, especially in the developing world.
More than 6,000
people die everyday due to water-related diseases, including diarrhoea,
worm infections, and infectious diseases. Organic pollutants from
industrial waste water are a major cause of illness.
However,
water purification technology is often complicated, requires
sophisticated equipment and is expensive to run and maintain.
The Australian team has suggested that nanotechnology could provide a simple
answer to the problem.
The
team investigated how silica particles can be coated easily with a
nanometre-thin layer of active material based on a hydrocarbon with a
silicon-containing anchor. The coating is formed through a chemical
self-assembly process; so, it involves only stirring the ingredients to
make the active particles.
These active particles, known as
Surface Engineered Silica (SES), were tested to demonstrate that they
could remove biological molecules, pathogens such as viruses like the
Polio virus, bacteria like Escherichia coli, and Cryptosporidium
parvum, which is a waterborne parasite.
“The results clearly
show that organic species can efficiently be removed… by stirring the
coated particles in the contaminated water for up to one hour and
filtering the powder,” the researchers said.
The team’s nanotech approach to water purification could help prevent disease
and poisoning for potentially millions of people.
Group Moderator for
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Connect your World with Us join Now -
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dimpill_gang/join
Affiliated group from dimpill_gang for Only Adult Mails -
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fantazies/join
Affiliated group from dimpill_gang for Only Health and Food Mails -
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Health_and_Gourmet/join
Save all your chat conversations. Find them online at
http://in.messenger.yahoo.com/webmessengerpromo.php
