Indian plant seed Moringa could bring clean water to millions
Indian Plant Moringa oleifera can help effectively purify water at a low cost, say scientists.
Moringa oleifera is a drought-resistant tree, native to the southern foothills of the Himalayas in northwestern India, and widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical areas. Leaves are used as vegetables, and many parts of Moringa are used in traditional herbal medicine. It can also be used for water purification and hand washing.
The plant is also known as the drumstick tree is cultivated for food and natural oils.
However, this traditional purification method leaves behind high amounts of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from the seeds, allowing bacteria to regrow after just 24 hours. This leaves has only a small window in which the water is drinkable.
Carnegie Mellon University in the US used sand and plant materials to create a cheap and effective water filtration medium, termed "f-sand."
F-sand was created by extracting the seed proteins from the Moringa oleifera plant, and adhering them to the surface of silica particles, the principal component of sand.
f-sand kills microorganisms and reduces turbidity, adhering to particulate and organic matter. These undesirable contaminants and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) can then be washed out, leaving the water clean for longer, and the f-sand ready for reuse.
Source : Times Of India
By Twinkle Mishra
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