NCL scientists develop novel hybrid technology to disinfect water
Published on by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network in Technology
A team of scientists from the National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) in Pune, along with support from the Water Technology Initiative of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, has developed a novel hybrid technology called SWASTIIK (Safe Water and Sustainable Technology Initiative from Indian Knowledgebase), that is a combined solution to disinfect water and offer possible health benefits of natural oils
Using modern technology and traditional knowledge of Ayurveda SWASTIIK claims to disinfect water completely.
Scientists Dr V M Bhandari and his group at CSIR-NCL Pune, with support from the DST, developed the hybrid technology that involves boiling of a liquid as a result of pressure reduction (cavitation), and also uses natural oils with antimicrobial properties. This technology can eliminate harmful bacteria, including antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. “Disinfection of water is essential for removing pathogenic microorganisms that are responsible for causing a number of water-borne diseases. However, the common drawbacks of chemical methods such as chlorination include formation of harmful and carcinogenic disinfection by-products. Therefore, it is pertinent to develop technology that provides safe and healthy drinking water at a low cost with substantial ease of operation, scalability, and without harmful by-products,” said Dr Bhandari.
“The technique used hydrodynamic cavitation, combining chemistry, biology, and chemical engineering, along with natural resources in the form of natural oils and plant extracts. The process has resulted in increased efficiency and reduced cost of water treatment. It was observed that increased rates of disinfection using oil can drastically reduce the time of operation and consequently reduce cost as compared to other advanced treatment processes,” he added.
SWASTIIK can have significant benefits in terms of providing safe water and also possible health benefits that can also boost immunity, an important aspect as underlined in the current pandemic times.
By Dheeraj Bengrut
More details from the Ministry of Science & Technlogy
Modern technology and Indian traditional knowledge combine to bring safe & healthy drinking water
Posted On: 02 JUN 2021 9:47AM by PIB Delhi
Modern technology and Indian traditional knowledge of Ayurveda have been combined for a solution to disinfect water completely and also offer possible health benefits of natural oils.
Disinfection of water is essential for removing pathogenic microorganisms that are responsible for causing a number of water-borne diseases. However, the common drawbacks of chemical methods such as chlorination include formation of harmful/ carcinogenic disinfection by-products. Therefore, it is pertinent to develop technology that provides safe and healthy drinking water at low cost with substantial ease of operation, scale-up, and without harmful disinfection by-products.
Scientists, Dr. VM Bhandari and his group at CSIR-NCL Pune, with support from the Water Technology Initiative of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, has developed the novel hybrid technology called SWASTIIK’ that involves boiling of a liquid as a result of pressure reduction (cavitation) and also uses natural oils having antimicrobial properties. This technology can eliminate harmful bacteria, including antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, economically. It not only integrates Indian traditional knowledge of Ayurveda for complete disinfection of water but also may offer possible health benefits of natural oils.
The technique used ---hydrodynamic cavitation combines chemistry, biology, and chemical engineering along with natural resources in the form of natural oils and plant extracts. The process, which draws inspiration from Indian traditional knowledge, has resulted in increased efficiency and reduced cost of water treatment. The team achieved complete elimination for gram-negative E. coli and gram-positive S. aureus bacteria and even AMR bacteria/ difficult opportunistic pathogenic bacteria typically in 5-10 minutes. It was observed that increased rates of disinfection using oil can drastically reduce the time of operation and consequently reduce cost as compared to other advanced treatment processes.
The novel strategy of SWASTIIK (Safe Water and Sustainable Technology Initiative from Indian Knowledgebase) can have significant benefits in terms of providing SAFE WATER and also possible health benefits that can also boost immunity, an important aspect as underlined in the current COVID-19 era.
Process flow diagram and possible prototype for household use and corporation water treatment plant
Mechanism of the new hybrid cavitation technology using natural oils
Taxonomy
- Disinfection