Water disinfector to aid in disasters

AID agencies were yesterday urged to consider using a simple new method of disinfecting contaminated drinking water which could save thousands of lives in the aftermath of major disasters.

Irish researchers, who have pioneered much of the study in the area, highlighted the benefits of using Solar Water Disinfection (SODIS) to public health workers and aid agencies from eight different countries across the world.

Scientists have been pushing the simple technology which treats contaminated water by placing it in ordinary transparent plastic bottles and exposing it to full sunlight for six hours.

It is particularly suited to emergency situations since all that is necessary is a transparent container and sunlight.

At the SODIS conference at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), the World Health Organisation’s technical officer, Bruce Gordon, said: “Coupled with the one billion people worldwide who are recorded as not having access to safe drinking water, there are many more who drink water, that has been contaminated in the piped distribution system, or as a result of unhygienic handling.

“SODIS is one of a number of technologies, which can provide these people with safe drinking water cheaply and effectively.”

Delegates at the first day of the RCSI conference, which included around 30 researchers and public health workers, were warned that every year there are 1.6 million diarrhoeal deaths due to unsafe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene problems.

SODIS is currently being used in over 20 countries.