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.