ashok _ wrote [at 12:26 PM 6/13/2007] :
I noticed a lot of aid agencies...especially the ones operating in the
sudan using
this water purification attachment called Zero-B (an indian company
makes it...)
which is quite compact and comes in different sizes (tap attachment
to refrigerator
size purification systems...) .... i wonder how this is different from
that?
Zero B works by using a resin impregnated with iodine. See
http://www.zerobonline.com/products.html
Sounds somewhat similar to the lifestraw, yes. Except that the
lifestraw seems to add an ion-exchange stage and odour removeal, as well.
http://www.lifestraw.com/en/low/specs_low.asp
Costs (based on the retail price of a low end Zero B unit in India)
seem to be comparable.
(okay the
straw thingis innovative... but most probably not practical for large
scale use...
two people would not share the same straw for reasons of taboo...)
The idea is to have 1 straw per person, at $3 for an object that will
filter a year's worth of water for one person. Seems reasonable -
especially for a large aid organization (Gates Foundation, this means you).
Udhay
--
((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))
