AFRICA – Taufiq Ihsan, a Lecturer of Environmental Engineering Department, Universitas Andalas, has led a team to develop a more affordable and practical method for water treatment, which they say is advantageous to Africa.
They highlight that traditional methods, such as boiling or chlorination, can be time-consuming, require resources like fuel or chemicals, and may alter the taste of water, discouraging usage.
While effective, filtration systems are often costly and require regular upkeep, making them inaccessible to many rural communities, where the risk of cholera is particularly high.
They have filled the gap with the development of an affordable and sustainable solution using a foil coated with a special material called layered double hydroxide (LDH).
According to the group, this material acts like a magnet, attracting and trapping microbes. In laboratory tests we found the LDH foil remarkably efficient, removing over 99% of E. coli bacteria, a common indicator of water contamination, from water samples within a few hours.
In addition, they found that its efficacy also extends beyond E. coli, targeting a wide range of waterborne pathogens, including bacteria, viruses and parasites. This means that the LDH foil offers comprehensive protection against various diseases.
The invention is not intended to be a standalone solution. However, it can be used along with traditional methods like boiling or filtering, providing an additional layer of protection and ensuring comprehensive water safety.
The science behind the invention lies in LDH’s foil ability to adsorb or capture harmful pathogens from water. The LDH surface is positively charged, while most microbes have a negative charge on their surface.
This creates an electrostatic attraction, drawing the microbes towards the LDH foil like iron filings to a magnet. Other chemical and physical forces contribute to making pathogens bind to the LDH surface, ensuring their effective removal from the water.
Since LDH foil is also reusable, which is important in resource-constrained environments, the method has proven to be simple and affordable.
The environmental engineers explained that after use, the foil can be regenerated multiple times by being re-immersed in simple alkaline solutions like sodium carbonate solution, commonly known as washing soda or soda ash, which is a readily available and inexpensive alkaline salt.
This promotes sustainability and reduces the environmental impact associated with disposable water treatment solution.
