1 packet treats 11 litres of water
Chemists have developed a powerful household water purification system that puts the cleansing power of an industrial water treatment plant into a container the size of a ketchup packet. The researchers have shown that the tiny packet, which acts as a chemical filter, can be added to highly contaminated water to dramatically reduce pathogen-induced diarrhea — the top killer of children in much of the developing world.
The packets also show promise for boosting water safety during emergencies and natural disasters, such as earthquakes, floods and hurricanes, where water purity is suddenly compromised, the researchers say…
Worldwide, approximately 1.5 million children under age five die each year from simple diarrhea acquired from pathogens found in drinking water, according to public health experts. That translates to about 4,000 children dying each day as a result of contaminated water.
In randomized, controlled trials conducted by the CDC involving a total of 25,000 people in three countries — Guatemala, Pakistan and Kenya — the chemical packets reduced the incidence of diarrhea by about 50 percent, Allgood says. The packets also were tested by researchers from Johns Hopkins University at a refugee camp in Liberia, where they produced more than a 90 percent reduction in diarrhea, the scientist says.
The price of safety comes relatively cheap, Allgood says. Each packet costs a few cents and Procter & Gamble has been providing them free to some countries hit hard by sudden water emergencies, he says. To date, more than 40 million of these packets have been distributed worldwide for both sustained water remediation and emergency relief, Allgood says.
It’s an advancement in ethics to see a global corporation that treats one of its products like shareware.. Make your profits off the governments and economic entities that can afford it.
Also, stock up on these before your next trip to Tijuana. Or just drink the XX beer.
Give Proctor and Gamble credit. This is an unselfish and noble undertaking.
It’s nice to think that there could be an “advancement in ethics for global corporations”, but sadly I don’t think that is absolutely the case in this instance. (I am very pessimistic these days.)
look at the ‘product’. They say it costs pennies to produce, but don’t say how many pennies. This is important because the packaging is commercialized…. 2+ colours, eye-catching graphics, full bleed, and a trademark. Add to that a timely press release by the company, Procter & Gamble, and you have a form of advertising riding on goodwill, practiced by most corporations including Walmart.
For what it actually is, and what it actually does, it’s expensive. But the payback will eventually be greater to Procter & Gamble. I’m not knocking the end result… I’m glad they are doing it, but the reason behind such moves are not without commercial motives.
Here’s the catch. 1/2 to1 tablespoon of normal household bleach and some crushed charcoal (if necessary) will do the same thing as their packet. Using non-branded household bleach method would cost less than .0005 cents, 12000 times less than the Procter & Gamble effort if they are spending 6 cents per package (estimatse includes research & developement, packaging, advertising).
Imagine if Procter & gamble just providrd the bleach, instrictions and some charcoal. 132,000 liters of purified water for every 6 cents instead of 11 litres. The bleach method is simple, dose adjustable for different conditions and very simple to do. The charcoal doesn’t have to be anything special. Pulverized charred wood or commercial charcoal, which in many cases would have to be donated, would do.
“That translates to about 4,000 children dying each day as a result of contaminated water.”
One day in the far, far future when this current “civilization” is just a memory in the ruins that it will become, the far, far civilization will look back and see the advanced killing animals that we are. The majority of us who are human conquered by the minority animals that run the world.
I guess I could have provided a few more links, Paul. It actually is about a 5-step, 5-minute process. Instructions come in dozens of languages for the literate. A training program for local distributors [in emergency situations] provides for verbal instruction.
And, look — no visits from the bible-freaks who think P&G is the anti-Christ!
I’ll say it ….save John the time……*cripes*
Of course the company is promoting it…..thats what companies do….even so-called *good* businesses advertise.
Ther has been 1 joke comment…..1 positive comment….1 iffy comment….1 i can do it better comment…..1 apopolyptic comment……sheesh
If P&G can save half those 1.5 million kids…that fantastic, if they can do it for pennies(even with fancy packaging) thats even better. I applaud them.
I don’t believe it. How can ONE chemical, get rid of ANY pathogen. It’s simply impossible.
During Colonial Times, people prevented such diseases by drinking fermented beverages. This is par for the course in every culture on the planet. Every culture has its fermented beverage. Most pathogens are eaten by the yeast that processes the sugars in whatever the beverage is and turns it into alcohol. However, there are several strains of virus, and bacterium that are not killed in fermentation.
I am talking fermentation, (2 to 25% alcohol) as opposed to distillation (>25% alcohol). Distillation likely kills most everything.
Another marketing ploy from your friends at big business.
Okay,
so I read the article, and the main ingredient in this concoction is simple household bleach. Probably some Iodine in there too. Bleach is a good sanitizer, but as it is chlorine based, it eats up ozone molecules in the atmosphere, and is noted as a greenhouse gas. I know this, because as a homebrewer, I sometimes use bleach to sanitize my brewing equipment. Only when I run out of my oxygen-based sanitizer.
Bleach might do the job, but I wouldn’t want to drink it. Even in small amounts.
Um, Roc… most city drinking water is sanitized with chlorine or a chlorine-ammonia combination.
We could use this in our water system. I have given up on our water system and buy bottled water to drink.
I have been battling a stomach problem for over ten years. Do I have a clue of what the problem is other than drinking about eight glasses of city water for thirty years?
Should I bill the city for not providing safe drinking water; too many lawyers and too much double talk?
The water looks fine but the last three water tests failed. They were only sent to us because the law says they have too. Heaven knows what the water was like before they had to tell me. Thirty years!
Hey Mac,
That’s why I don’t drink most city’s water. NYC water isn’t clorinated. When I lived in Poughkeepsie, NY, I couldn’t even get a decent shower, the water was SO clorinated, that it burned my eyes.
Thomas,
Years ago, when most of these water systems were put in place, they didn’t have the tech to test for what they can today, nor did the make the toxins in such quantities as they do today. There’s a place here that gets their “pure mountain spring water” from the Catskills. What doesn’t get into the Ashokan reservoir for NYC, they take and make money on it. Not treated, because it doesn’t have to be…. I only hope that they don’t take it from the Esopus Creek. A lot of trout poop in that creek, and you wouldn’t want to be drinking that!
If you let chlorinated water sit for a while, the chlorine will evaporate. I put tap water in a jug in the fridge and drink it the next day. It’s the other chemicals (pollutants) and heavy metals I worry about. I should really filter my water as well, like eeveryone else here. (cough, cough)
I was reading this little blurb about bad water from a spring in Tanzania, I think,….anyway….what they have taught the villagers to do is just fill up their plastic jugs with the water, they run it through a cloth filter first, I think, then place the jugs on the roof of their huts. Apparently most of the houses, and huts have metal roofing. They painted the metal black, then let the water jugs sit there for at least 20 mins in the hot equatorial sun and it kills the bad stuff and they can drink the water without having to boil it first.
The woman loved it(they are the ones who draw the water and had to scrounge for firewood in the wild to build the fires and boil the water)..
SMART MARKETING
This has been around for years… check you local walmarts camping department.
In some areas the local water depatment pumps chlorine gas in to the water system.