Feature Article of Monday, 10 September 2012 Columnist: Anim-
Mensah, Alexander ....Threatening 100 Million People With almost
100 million people in developing countries exposed to
dangerously high levels of arsenic in their drinking water, and
unable to afford complex purification technology, scientists
have now described a simple, inexpensive method for removing
arsenic based on chopped up pieces of ordinary plastic beverage
bottles coated with a nutrient found in many foods and dietary
supplements. Dealing with arsenic contamination of drinking
water in the developing world requires simple technology based
on locally available materials," said study leader Tsanangurayi
Tongesayi, Ph.D., Professor of Analytical and Environmental
Chemistry at Monmouth University, West Long Branch, N.J. "Our
process uses pieces of plastic water, soda, pop and other
beverage bottles. Coat the pieces with cysteine -- that's an
amino acid found in dietary supplements and foods -- and stir
the plastic in arsenic-contaminated water