The paper ‘Simple filtration and low-temperature sterilization of drinking water’, describes how a straight forward, simple technique can provide clean drinking water that is pathogen free, using a simple sari!
Safe drinking water is a basic human right and its contamination causes transmission of waterborne infectious diseases that claim the lives of approximately 5000 young children throughout the world. Various methods of disinfection use chemicals, direct application of heat and filtration techniques.
Methods like chlorination and ozonation have side effects, and sterilization via solar energy is not possible on cloudy or foggy days. Solar disinfection involves storing contaminated drinking water in transparent plastic or glass bottles that are placed in direct sunlight, but can be problematic both for environment and health.
A simple, sustainable yet effective method of water treatment has been explained along with graphs and data to authenticate the findings. The method consists of filtering water through a four layered cotton-sari cloth (250 μm) before heating it, that reduces both turbidity and pathogen level in the drinking water. The water is heated at 55°C for a minimum of 45 minutes, to completely eliminate the coliform population. The water requires no boiling, saving energy, time as well as fuel.
This method is efficient, effective and easy to follow !
To read the complete paper, click here.