Removing Arsenic from Water with...Plastic Bottles and Nutrition Supplements?

By: Jaymi Heimbuch

Publication: Treehugger

Date: September 1, 2011

http://www.treehugger.com/clean-technology/removing-arsenic-from-water-withplastic-bottles-and-nutrition-supplements.html?campaign=th_rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+treehuggersite+%28Treehugger%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Photo: This photo shows a water bottle sitting in an area with arsenic filled water. It's not trash laying in the water, it's actually helping get rid of the arsenic in this water.

Summary: Water bottles are usually thought of as a problem when we talk about drinking water, but not in this case. These bottles are helping 100 million people. Water bottles and a nutrient that is in dietary supplement can help water with arsenic in it, clean enough for people to drink! Arsenic is a big problem around the world, mostly in Bangladesh and Southeast Asia. Something that hasn't been helped very much, but that could change. The American Chemical Society says, "this new technology could help as a simple, inexpensive, and very easy solution." All you do is take a water bottle, or any other plastic bottle and coat it in cysteine, which is the dietary supplement. Then you swirl it around in the water contaminated with arsenic, the arsenic builds up on the cysteine, and when you remove the bottle it is clean to drink! This could help so many villages, and it would be easy and a cheap price!

Opinion/Reflection: I think this is a great idea! Arsenic-contaminated water is a big problem around the world that I didn't think anyone was trying to help. Now there is this simple way that it can be helped little by little. With water bottles! Water bottles can be collected easily and cysteine is a non-technical process, so it's a cheap and simple way! People need clean water so bad. Who knew there would be a way this simple. I hope they can find an even bigger way that more arsenic can be cleaned at one time, but you need somewhere to start, and this is a great spot. I remember looking at the site in class and I felt horrible for those people living in Nepal with arsenic contaminated water. Now maybe there is a way to fix it!

Question:

1: Do you think this idea is going to work for a long time? Why?

2: Do you like this idea of using water bottles? Why or why not?

3: Do you have any other ideas on how arsenic-contaminated water can be cleaned?

4: How do you think the people that have arsenic-contaminated water are feeling?

Dryer Balls: America's latest invention.

http://www.theenvironmentalblog.org/2011/10/makedryer-balls/

Picture: Dryer Balls save you energy and they are fun to make and play with!

Author: John Tarantino

Publication: The Environmental Blog.org

Date: Saturday 29, 2011

Summary: Dryer balls are new energy saving "toys that are used instead of softener sheets. They soften the fabric by jumping around the dryer with your clothes. They also prevent clothes from getting clumped which can shorten your drying time which therefore saves you electricity. Unfortunately the result is likely to vary depending on the dyer type, fabric type, load size and heat level setting. Many people who use this fun effective toy claim that they do notice a shorter drying time. These dryer balls cut down on drying time, save you money through electricity and prevent carbon emissions and fuels. Other people say that these dryer balls reduce static from ironing and keep fabrics fluffy and soft for longer periods of time.

Opinion/Reflection: I think these dryer balls are a great strategy to earn money as well as save energy! It also softens clothes at the same time. You can make these dryer balls at home instead of wasting money on them at Amazon. com! I remember in CTY Johns Hopkins University camp that I went to over the summer for 3 weeks I had to sit there and wait for my laundry to be done and it took about an hour to dry, if only I had some dryer balls I could toss in!

Question 1: Do you think Dryer Balls would save families money in the long run?

Question 2: What is the main chemical ingredient in these dryer balls? Explain what it does. ( Hint: click on the link below the picture.)

Question 3: What is another way we can decrease energy used and time spent washing/drying our clothes?

Question 4: Would you invest in dryer balls? Do you think they work?