Bursting bubbles kill water bugs

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Access to safe drinking water is a problem in many areas of the world

UK scientists have developed a water treatment system which they hope

could cut the risk of Legionnaire's disease, and aid people in the

developing world.

The system, developed by Coventry University researchers, kills bugs

using bursting bubbles.

 

Work so far has shown it can make water pure enough to wash in, or

for animals to drink.

 

The team developing the device hope it could one day be used to make

water pure enough for people to drink.

 

More than one billion people lack access to safe water

 

Spokeswoman for Care International

 

The device, being developed in collaboration with environmental

company Stats Ltd, could first be used to clean water in cooling

towers and swimming pools in the UK, its makers say.

 

This could cut the risk of Legionnaire's disease from the Legionella

bacteria which can be present in water.

 

The system is a pipe with a narrow middle section. As water passes

through this section, it hits a pin which helps create bubbles,

 

As the water passes into the second wide section of the pipe and the

pressure falls the bubbles collapse, setting off chemical and

physical effects, killing bacteria.

 

'No chemicals'

 

Adrian Marsh, director of Stats said: " You get extremely high

pressure points, and a very high temperature, at a very local,

molecular, level.

 

" We think the reason the device has these 'biocidal' effects, is that

the cell walls of the bacteria are fractured. "

 

The team eventually hope the device can be used to purify human

drinking water.

 

They say they have not yet been able to eradicate 100% of bugs.

 

But Brian More, intellectual property manager for Coventry

University, said: " This device requires no mechanics and no

chemicals.

 

" My aim is to make it available as soon as possible in the developing

world.

 

" If the system can be set up in these remote African wells, it will

be utterly reliable as long as the pump is working.

 

" Most techniques use chemicals which have to be regularly put into

the water supply. "

 

Adrian Marsh added: " We have been speaking to an organisation in

Kenya about using our technology to purify contaminated water

extracted from wells.

 

" I'm optimistic that it could make a real difference to people's

quality of life. "

 

A spokeswoman for the development and relief agency Care

International said it was not possible to comment on a specific

product.

 

But she added: " The provision of safe water is a key issue for

development.

 

" Around the world, poor communities time and again identify the

provision of safe and reliable water as one of their leading

priorities.

 

" As it stands more than one billion people lack access to safe water

and each year 250 million cases of water-related diseases lead to

over two million deaths. "