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Water purification: Researchers pioneering new method

Date:
May 19, 2014
Source:
Clarkson University
Summary:
A new purification process that, if successful, could help millions of people without access to clean water quickly and efficiently purify water to make it safe for drinking and cooking is being pioneered by researchers.
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FULL STORY

"We're using water to clean water." This is how Selma Mededovic Thagard describes her current work on purifying drinking water.

The chemical & biomolecular engineering professor at Clarkson University is pioneering a new purification process that, if successful, could help millions of people without access to clean water quickly and efficiently purify water to make it safe for drinking and cooking.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is funding this first-of-its-kind water purification research project.

Thagard's method begins by changing water from liquid to vapor. "Then, we go beyond that," she says, "heating the vapor until it becomes plasma. In this state, the molecules become highly reactive. It's like creating lightning in liquids."

This conversion happens in a plasma reactor that generates an electrical field so powerful that within minutes it can purify several gallons of drinking water.

"We're not heating the water that's being purified," Thagard says, "so the plasma reactor requires much less energy than some traditional purification methods. People all over the world -- especially in places with few resources -- could use this process to remove toxins and water-borne parasites from their drinking supply."

See a video about Thagard's work at http://youtu.be/hSMunkigMSo .


Story Source:

Materials provided by Clarkson University. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Cite This Page:

Clarkson University. "Water purification: Researchers pioneering new method." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 19 May 2014. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140519104846.htm>.
Clarkson University. (2014, May 19). Water purification: Researchers pioneering new method. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 18, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140519104846.htm
Clarkson University. "Water purification: Researchers pioneering new method." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140519104846.htm (accessed March 18, 2024).

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