Process to purify water using seed extracts now simplified
- Date:
- July 21, 2014
- Source:
- Wiley
- Summary:
- Researchers have streamlined and simplified a process that uses extracts from seeds of Moringa oleifa trees to purify water, reducing levels of harmful bacteria by 90 percent to 99 percent. The hardy trees that are drought resistant are cultivated widely throughout many countries of Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
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Researchers have streamlined and simplified a process that uses extracts from seeds of Moringa oleifa trees to purify water, reducing levels of harmful bacteria by 90% to 99%. The hardy trees that are drought resistant are cultivated widely throughout many countries of Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
The protocol, which is outlined in a Current Protocols in Microbiology review, is low-cost and efficient, making it especially useful for people living in extreme poverty in developing countries who are presently drinking highly turbid and contaminated water. Of these, some 2 million are reckoned to die from waterborne diseases every year, with the majority of deaths occurring in young children.
"The use of these techniques will not be a panacea against waterborne disease; however, increasing the use of the Moringa tree would bring benefits in the shape of nutrition and income, as well as purer water," said author Michael Lea.
Journal Reference:
- Michael Lea. Bioremediation of Turbid Surface Water Using Seed Extract from theMoringa oleiferaLam. (Drumstick) Tree. Current Protocols in Microbiology, July 2014 DOI: 10.1002/9780471729259.mc01g02s33
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