What if there was a way to purify contaminated water in developing countries with a cost-effective method that’s both resourceful and effective? What if there was a way to provide clean drinking water to every thirsty mouth on the planet? Well thanks to breakthrough research from Mr. Ramakrishna Mallampati, a PhD candidate at the National University of Singapore (NUS), we’re one step closer to achieving just that.

Mr. Ramakrishna, working under the guidance of Associate Professor Suresh Valiyaveettil in the Faculty of Science, discovered he was able to purify water using simple household scraps: the peels of apples and tomatoes.

This simple yet brilliant water purification method is the first of its kind. The findings are published in the American Chemical Society Journal.

Clean Water Conundrum

A shortage of water – let alone clean drinking water – is only predicted to get worse, with estimates that by 2050 there will simply not be enough fresh water on the planet to sustain the forecasted 9 billion people. This shortage will be the result of continued overusage, diminishing natural water supplies and lack of conservation efforts.

Water supplies can be easily polluted by industry chemicals, the waste disposal system and rain water drainage, among other things. And the lack of a functioning water supply system in many economically disadvantaged countries doesn’t help either.

So what the world needs is a method of treating water which is not resource intensive and doesn’t come with a hefty price tag — a practical method that can be used in developing countries. Perhaps Mr. Ramakrishna has created the building blocks for the solution.

Apples and Tomatoes…via Thanks to Tomatoes, Purifying Water May Have Just Gotten Easier | Care2 Causes.