Eco Factor: Water treatment by bacteria yields methane fuel as by-product.
Research indicates that about 70 to 80% of all diseases are waterborne and are responsible for the death of over 2 million people every year. While people in living in urban areas get high-tech water purifiers to protect them from any life-threatening diseases, a majority of the world population is still surviving on contaminated water. Professor Gatze Lettinga from The Netherlands has developed a feasible solution, which being cost-effective and highly efficient can come to the aid of the global population.
The scientist has developed an environmentally-sustainable process for water treatment that makes use of anaerobic bacteria for water purification. The self-sustaining process yields methane as a by-product that can be used to fuel power plants and offset operating costs. The process has now won Singapore’s prestigious Lee Kaun Yew Water Prize 2009. Being cost-effective and sustainable, the process will not only prove to be a boon for the developed parts of the world, but also for the developing nations that are at always at a higher risk.
The Dark Side:
The process seems efficient and cost-worthy and will be a boon for the world population.
Via: GoodCleanTech
