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A cleaner way to purify water

University of Melbourne

Researchers from the Department of Chemical Engineering at University of Melbourne have have found a new naturally occurring material that’s nearly as effective as chlorine when it comes to killing bacteria.

It has the advantage of avoiding bacterial gene exchange or creating toxic by-products of traditional chlorine treatment.

Brownmillerite is a mineral that is abundant in ore deposits across Europe. The powdered The brownmillerite used in the research is exceptionally safe, and consists of only three different elements – calcium, iron and oxygen. These break down into components that are both safe for human consumption and don’t harm the environment.

While other minerals and compounds have been tested as alternatives to chlorine for water disinfection, this research has revealed brownmillerite is the safest and quickest material found so far.

Read about this research in the University of Melbourne Pursuit publication