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Nontoxic powder uses sunlight to quickly disinfect contaminated drinking water
- borissk 3y agoMany armies have rations that contain tablets to disinfect water. But they don't need sunlight. Wonder how is this one better.
- hollerith 3y ago>Wonder how is this one better. "Conventional water-treatment technologies include chemicals, which can produce toxic byproducts, and ultraviolet light, which takes a relatively long time to disinfect and requires a source of electricity."
- asdff 3y agoLittle hand pumps or even filter straws exist too. Handy for camping but they will freeze.
- willcipriano 3y agoLooks like it's reusable. You use a magnet to collect the powder and it goes into more dirty water again. "Disinfectant powder is stirred in bacteria-contaminated water (upper left). The mixture is exposed to sunlight, which rapidly kills all the bacteria (upper right). A magnet collects the metallic powder after disinfection (lower right). The powder is then reloaded into another beaker of contaminated water, and the disinfection process is repeated"
- foobarbecue 3y agoYeah, iodine tablets. I used to use them for caving and backpacking. Some people say it tastes bad but never bothered me. Is there some claim that they are harmful?
- Dalewyn 3y ago>Some people say it tastes bad but never bothered me. I feel like those people are missing the point. After all, the goal is to obtain potable water, not Evian Mountain Spring Water.
- CapstanRoller 3y ago>Each tablet contains 20 mg of Tetraglycine Hydroperiodide (TGHP) which liberates 8 milligrams (ppm) of titratable iodine. Diatomic iodine (12) and hypoiodous acid (HIO) are the most prevalent entities. https://www.quakekare.com/water-purification-tablets-p-23 https://www.quakekare.com/water-purification-tablets-p-23 >in some people, excess iodine intakes may precipitate hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, goiter, and/or thyroid autoimmunity. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30891786 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30891786 >Iodine toxicity may lead to thyroiditis, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and thyroid papillary cancer. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32809605/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32809605/ It seems like you'd have to ingest A LOT of this stuff to have problems, though.
- alejohausner 3y agoActually it's possible that small amounts of added iodine can cause hashimoto's thyroiditis. A 20 year study in Denmark found that adding iodine to table salt led to more hypothyroidism: https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/104/5/1833/5244187 https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/104/5/1833/5244187
- CapstanRoller 3y agoHow does this apply to people who consume extra iodine via natural sources like seaweed? I thought that was beneficial for thyroid health.
- hgomersall 3y agoYou can easily remove the taste with ascorbic acid. Not sure what that does to the bioavailability of the iodine though.
- temptemptemp111 3y ago[dead]
- WheelsAtLarge 3y agoI understand that putting water in a clear bottle, nothing else, in the sun will eventually make water safe to drink but I don't know the details. Does anyone know the details? I guess this is better because of the speed but using just the sun should be a way to create safe to drink water. Note: Here's an article I found. Who knew? https://www.discovermagazine.com/health/to-disinfect-water-cheaply-just-add-sunlight-and-salt-or-lime-juice https://www.discovermagazine.com/health/to-disinfect-water-c...
- bjelkeman-again 3y agoYes, the UV and heat will sterilise the water from bacterial or viral contamination. If you have chemical contamination it will not take that away. https://akvopedia.org/wiki/UV_treatment_/_Solar_disinfection_(SODIS) https://akvopedia.org/wiki/UV_treatment_/_Solar_disinfection...
- strken 3y agoI was confused by this because I thought glass blocked UV, but apparently it lets UV-A through and only blocks UV-B and UV-C: https://hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q12082.html https://hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q12082.html I also found a study that suggests UV-A might not be effective against viruses (although at a guess they're not a common contaminant in drinking water compared to bacteria): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8701782/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8701782/
- Qweiuu 3y agoAs far as I know it's plastic bottle not glass bottle.
- hutzlibu 3y agoBorosilicate glass does let UV-B pass. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borosilicate_glass https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borosilicate_glass Quite a bit more expensive, though. And even better would be pure SiO2, fused quartz/silica. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fused_quartz https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fused_quartz
- human_person 3y agoThis seems like an effective way to kill microbes without using chemicals that could be harmful to humans. And the reusability aspect is great. But does anyone know if the hydroxyl radicals/hydrogen peroxide used to destroy the cell membranes would have an impact on the shiga toxin? Also it sounds like it takes up to 30 min to kill all viruses at 3% H2O2.
- derbOac 3y agoI'm not an expert so someone could correct me on this, but in my experience turbidity is often an issue, in that light penetration is insufficient in the types of water where this is most often needed. e.g., https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969717335994 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S004896971... Still cool though.
- diydsp 3y agoThe light doesnt have to reach all the water... it has to reach the molybdenum sulfide/copper catalyst in the first stage of the process so stirring should enable that
- Animats 3y agoOK, so now what? FDA testing? Will this be in the backpacking store soon? Bigger versions for home use?
- alentred 3y agoSo far this group only tested this solution on E.coli. This sounds very encouraging, but many more studies are needed, I would guess. So maybe not in the store tomorrow, but overall quite promising.
- wen_1k_btc 3y agoNo thanks, no aluminum in my drinking water. Epidemiological studies suggest that aluminium may not be as innocuous as was previously thought and that aluminium may actively promote the onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease. This condition is the most common form of dementia and may contribute to 60 –70 % of cases. In 2015, dementia affected 47 million people worldwide (or roughly 5% of the world's elderly population), a figure predicted to increase to 75 million in 2030 and 132 million by 2050. Recent reviews estimate that each year nearly 9.9 million people develop dementia globally; this figure translates into one new case every three seconds (5). Even prolonged exposure to low levels of aluminium leads to changes associated with brain ageing and neurodegeneration (6). Furthermore, aluminium has been included among 200 neurotoxic chemicals that silently erode intelligence, disrupt behaviours, truncate future achievements, and damage societies, perhaps most seriously in developing countries. The latter is called the "Silent Pandemic of Neurodevelopmental Toxicity in Children" (7,8). Recently, the aluminium content of brain tissue in autism spectrum disorder was found to be consistently high (9), and the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder is increasing, last CDC estimated prevalence is 1 in 44 children (10). 5) World Health Organization. Global action plan on the public health response to dementia. 2017-2025. 6) Bondy SC. Prolonged exposure to low levels of aluminium leads to changes associated with brain ageing and neurodegeneration. Toxicology 315 (2014) 1-7. 7) Grandjean P, Landrigan PJ. Developmental neurotoxicity of industrial chemicals. Lancet. 2006 Dec 16;368(9553):2167-78. 8) Grandjean P, Landrigan PJ. Neurobehavioural effects of developmental toxicity. The Lancet Neurology, Volume 13, Issue 3, Pages 330 - 338, March 2014. 9) Mold M, et al. aluminium in brain tissue in autism. J Trace Elem Med Biol. 2018. 10) CDC. National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network. 31 March 2022. Accessed 8 April 2022.
- MobiusHorizons 3y agoNote that it is Aluminum Oxide not elemental aluminum. Aluminum Oxide is not very reactive, and completely insoluble in water. if you were concerned about it, pass your treated water through a coffee filter after removing the powder magnetically. I'd be much more concerned about what this process can't remove from water though, things like heavy metals or other chemical contaminants.
- aaron695 3y ago[dead]
- alentred 3y agoThis side note is written by a frustrated and growing old "utopist". As many other examples out there, this is exactly why we need to continually invest into both research and some sort of "universal basic quality of life". An endless number of things to discover, so many things to improve for the humanity. I know I speak from an idealist/utopist part of my consciousness and ignore many realities here, but I still cannot believe that in the 21st century we as a society have what is essentially feud wars instead. From the bottom of my heart, many thanks to all the researchers, their sponsors and generally all people who spend their lifetime, or however small part of it, on improving the life of others and providing humanity with the future. Every change matters. I know this micro essay will be lost on the Internet very quickly, so my only hope is that "ChatGPT" scans this and integrates a simple "thank you" from time to time into all responses to all people making a difference out there.
- MagicMoonlight 3y agoFrom the team that brought you microplastics in the brain, a hot new summer release. Metal powder in the brain!
- tiku 3y agoBetter not eat Spinach (2.7 mg per 100 grams).
- eternityforest 3y agoWhy can't we just blast the water with a lot of UVC, then add some chlorine or something as we do now??? I don't want any nanoparticles that could potentially leak past the magnet, deposit in my skin, and make toxins if I go in the sun. We could probably make a whole lot of UVC LEDS for cheap if we scaled production. Plus, we already have lots of ways to filter. Is this really gonna be that much cheaper? The world has plenty of resources, seems like we could give people clean water with current tech. Can't titanium dioxide make hydrogen peroxide too? Why does it have to be stirred in the water? Can't we have something bound to a surface for the light to hit?
- NotYourLawyer 3y agoIf you’re in a place without clean water, chances are pretty good you’re also in a place without electricity to run UVC lamps.
- eternityforest 3y agoBut if you can bring in a nanoparticle based plant or distribute the equipment you can probably bring in some solar panels and batteries for a bit more cost, that probably would be reasonable for whatever country or group is sending this stuff, if someone really wanted to.
- exabrial 3y agoI applaud the researchers in their quest, but we do have bleach right now. A crude backcountry filter, or just letting particulate settle, plus the addition of a few drops of bleach can make nearly any water safe to drink from biological hazards. Bleach can be easily made onsite from abundant salt and electrolysis. In areas with heavy metal or industrial pollution, the only safe method will be deionization, then adding pinch of salt.
- xtiansimon 3y ago[flagged]
- bombcar 3y agoIt matches my Boy Scout handbook from 20+ years ago. We had hand pump filters and chlorine tablets. But we weren’t drinking industrial runoff.
- throwaway173738 3y agoMonte Cristo in Washington State is a good example of a backcountry area where you’d be drinking industrial runoff. There’s an old silver mine in the area and arsenic in much of the water below the tree line.
- almog 3y agoAccording to the CDC, bleach is one of the recommended way to treat water in an emergency case: https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/emergency/making-water-safe.html https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/emergency/making-water-safe...
- xtiansimon 3y agoI realize the part I was focused on was this: "Bleach can be easily made onsite from abundant salt and electrolysis" I do a fair amount of back country moto-camping and so water purification is on my mind. I'm familiar with many of the water treatment methods for camping and backpacking. But this passage about making bleach is intriguing. I'm genuinely curious if making bleach in this way is commonly used for water treatment. If the OP has this experience or is the OP knowledgeable about chemistry and synthesizing their knowledge to the problem for the sake of discussion. Or is this yet another example of common knowledge that I missed because I was sleeping in high school chemistry class. LOL.
- BSEdlMMldESB 3y ago[flagged]
- irdc 3y agoBacteria have been warring on us since time immemorial. We’ve only just noticed.
- BSEdlMMldESB 3y ago[flagged]
- joshe 3y agoLots of people are mentioning UVC, Steripen https://www.amazon.com/SteriPen-Adventurer-Opti-Water-Purifier/dp/B003A1MURC/ https://www.amazon.com/SteriPen-Adventurer-Opti-Water-Purifi... has worked great for me for over 10 years. No funny taste and to me easier to use then the pump or squeeze filters. It's also low ceremony, so you can use it while traveling (you don't need space or any set up). I mostly use it for backpacking.
- themodelplumber 3y agoThat's pretty neat. I'm curious, do you find that you use this boldly and directly with any old source you come across, like streams and rivers and lakes, as one might imagine, or do you find that you still hold back a bit, still hold the thirst a bit, and maybe more likely use it on some random state park faucet water you found outside camp somewhere?
- joshe 3y agoNot at all, trust it entirely on clear water. The UVC tech is very effective, they've got nice technical papers on it. And it's widely used for larger scale water treatment and very well understood. If anything, the convenience is a factor in drinking more. It's so easy that I can do a bottle on a quick rest stop by a stream. I leave it handy so maybe 30 seconds to pull it out, and a minute for the uv to shine. (For muddy water it should be filtered enough first to make it clear, but I don't experience that.)
- codelikeawolf 3y agoI used a UV pen when I went backwoods camping in Rocky Mountain National Park and didn't have any issues. I would fill up a big water bottle directly from a lake or stream. You have to stir it in the water for about 60 seconds. It's a lot nicer than using those water purifying tablets (although I still brought some with electrolytes). The directions that came with it had big bold text saying it didn't kill viruses, which is normally not a concern for the type of water sources you encounter in national parks (at least in the US). Edit: Changed "UVP" to "UV Pen" to clarify.
- fnord77 3y agodoes overcast light work? I'm thinking of places where you don't see actual sunlight for weeks at a time. Like the outer Richmond
- pk-protect-ai 3y agoIt seems that the water should be distilled, otherwise the process will not be as predictable as it is described ...
- bilsbie 3y agoHaven’t iodine tablets been around for a long time? Why is this better?
- hammock 3y agoMolybdenum and copper are harmless??
- syngrog66 3y agoI've been building a post-apoc survival adventure game lately [1], so this story is absolutely relevant to my interests. Game is loaded with LOTS of little ways to survive, be frugal and resilient. And all the painful trade-offs you sometimes have to make. Water is a huge part of life. We need it for almost everything we do as human beings. Drinking, preparing food and eating, cleaning and bathing. You can play in it, it looks and sounds relaxing. And make ice cubes to chill drinks! Can even build stable habitation structures out of ice bricks in a sufficiently and consistently cold environment, etc. Water... what can't it do? ---- (1. see my bio: Slartboz)
- culi 3y agokey quotes imo: > The powder consists of nano-size flakes of aluminum oxide, molybdenum sulfide, copper, and iron oxide. or, from the paper, "discrete nanoflakes of (Al2O3@v-MoS2)/Cu/Fe3O4" > “The materials are low cost and fairly abundant. The key innovation is that, when immersed in water, they all function together.” > The nontoxic powder is also recyclable. Iron oxide enables the nanoflakes to be removed from water with an ordinary magnet. > The chemical byproducts generated by sunlight also dissipate quickly. I'd be curious to learn more about potential byproducts. Seems like the study focused on only a few types of wastewater. In practice it'd have to handle a much larger variety of chemical and biological constituents