IV.+Decontamination

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__** Decontamination **__

=How Contamination Occurs (by Jackie F.)=

There are many different ways that water can become contaminated. However, humans are big reason as to why water is contaminated in the first place. When water is left running or litter is left on the ground, we contribute to contaminating the water. So how does this filthy water become clean? There is a process known as the decontamination process that water goes through so that humans have access to clean and healthy water.

=Science of Decontamination (by Cassie G.) = “When a place or a product is contaminated it becomes a major health risk, contamination can cause infections, sickness and disease.”(1) Water and food are the first most common things to become contaminated. “When a place or a product is contaminated it becomes a major health risk, contamination can cause infections, sickness and disease.”(2) “For 1.5 to 2.5 billion people in the world, lack of clean water is a critical issue.”(1) In 2025, there is an estimated that 2.5 billion more people that will lack cleam water. “The northeastern United States– with its large population, concentrated residential areas, industrial sites, livestock confinement operations, and the like has any such sites where low volume- flow water runoff and discharges need to be treated. In addition, it is estimated that there are approximately 500,000 abandoned hard-rock mine sites in the United States, many of them located in or near watersheds where acid mine drainage may release heavy metals into thousands of public drinking water systems.”(2)

=Natural Processes (Liz's Group)=

=Ways to Purify Water (By Joni S.) = = = -SEPARATION: HEAT, LIGHT & GRAVITY -CHEMICALS -FILTRATION

Best ways to purify water
**-** Boiling -Iodine -Chlorine -Filters

Many different ways are used to purify water. They are put into different categories, which are separation, chemicals, and filtration. Separation is when you take out the unhealthy part of the water to make it become healthier to drink. Four ways to purify water are put into the category separation. Sedimentation is the first one, then boiling it in water, distillation, and ultraviolet light. You can add different types of chemicals in the water to purify the water, but you have to wait at least 25 to 30 minutes after adding the chemical. Chlorine and iodine are the most common chemicals used to purify. Filtration is when you take the water and filter it through something. The most common one is when you are out somewhere with no access to water you can take the unhealthy water and put it through sand and let it filter out into a container. This removes the bacteria. (3)

The four best ways to purify water is to boil the water up to 160 degrees for 30 minutes. Iodine also purifies the water. Little tablets are made and put into hot water. Wait until it dissolves are you will be able to drink it within 30 minutes. Chlorine doesn’t have the same affect on the water as the other products. If chlorine isn’t available then you can use bleach. In a gallon of water you can add 16 droplets of bleach let in sit for an hour and a half to an hour. Filters are used if chemicals are not available. They use heavier sheets for the filtration so that the sheet doesn’t tear. (4)

Benefits
Benefits of decontaminating water is that it can get rid of water born diseases. The environment has several benefits towards water. Decontaminating water can also improve access to water.

=Water Decontamination in Third World Countries (By Ryan) =

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Many third world countries around the world are not as well off when we talk about water decontamination and restoration. All over the U.S., many people would rather drink bottled water then drink from their tap, which is also safe to drink. People of the U.S. have the privilege to drink either bottled or tap water however, and not have to worry weather or not they will become sick, according to John Stossel’s article from ABC News online. The U.S. has water filtration systems, and many decontamination plants which make this possible.

People of third world countries though, do not have that luxury. They can’t choose which water they want to drink, and many don’t have a choice but to drink contaminated and filthy water full of bacteria which is extremely harmful. Thalif Deen from IPS News explains that “ of more than six billion people in the world today, over one billion have no access to improved drinking water.” The main question many have is how these countries will get the water they need, and is there a way to decontaminate the water that they already have?

Written in an article from the UC Santa Cruz Currents by Jennifer McNulty, the solution may be as simple as just thinking small and simple. Third world countries don’t have the comfort of getting to drink clean water because they don’t have decontamination plants and systems. According to an interview from Professor Brent Haddad, “Access to clean water, doesn’t mean an unlimited supply flowing from a shiny chrome tap. Technically, it is defined as 20 liters per person per day delivered to a home.”

Haddad also mentioned that, “The technology we need to solve these problems is not that high-tech. It’s accessible. Inexpensive water purification systems that let users pour rainwater through a filter would be cheap, manageable, and low-tech. In addition, it would minimize the risk of contamination because water would be purified immediately prior to use.”

References:

2. Clark, C. Wesley (2010) Decontamination (water) retrieved: December 7, 2010 from the ezinearticles website: [|http://ezinearticles.com/?Decontamination-(Water)&id=2896977] /water.html <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">3. N/A,. "24 ways to purify water." //Enviromental Enviroments//. Aqua Alternatives, n.d. Web. 17 Dec 2010. <_http://www.enviroalternatives.com/watermethods.html__>.__

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">(4) Lacoma, Tyler. "The Best Ways to Purify Water." //eHow//. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec 2010. <http://www.ehow.com/way_5234123_ways-purify-water.html>. 3. etc

Ryan - References 1. Copyright © 1998-2009 Lenntech Water treatment & purification Holding B.V Read more: http://www.lenntech.com/water-trivia-facts.htm#ixzz17dcR

2. UC Santa Cruz Currents Online May 3rd, 2004, Thinking small could quench Third World’s thirst for reliable, clean water, professional says, Jennifer Mcnulty:http://currents.ucsc.edu/03-04/05-03

3. ABC News, Is Bottled Water Better Than Tap, ** By John Stossel ** May 6, 2005: http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Health/story?id=728070&page 4. IPS News, Dirty Water Kills 4,000 Children a Day, By Thalif Deen, Thursday, December 09, 2010: @http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=34927

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