Past research showed that a protein in Moringa seeds can clean water.
A natural substance obtained from seeds of the "miracle tree" could purify and clarify water inexpensively and sustainably in the developing world, where more than 1 billion people lack access to clean drinking water, scientists report.
Research on the potential of a
sustainable water-treatment process requiring only tree seeds and
sand appears in ACS' journal Langmuir.
For an alternative approach, Velegol looked to Moringa oleifera, also called the "miracle tree," a plant grown in equatorial regions for food, traditional medicine and biofuel. Past research showed that a protein in Moringa seeds can clean water, but using the approach was too expensive and complicated.
So Velegol's team sought to develop a
simpler and less expensive way to utilize the seeds' power.
The resulting "functionalized," or "f-sand," proved effective in killing harmful E. coli bacteria and removing sediment from water samples.
The authors acknowledge funding from the
National Science Foundation, and the U. S. Environmental Protection
Agency.
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