Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 28, 2026
09:32
Polycrystalline Silicon Thin-film Solar cells with Plasmonic-enhanced Light-trapping
Published on: July 2, 2012
19.3K
Plasmonics driven engineered pasteurizers for solar water disinfection (SWADIS)
Aditi Kulkarni1, Atya Kapley2, Rita S Dhodapkar2
1CSIR-NEERI/Environmental Materials Division.
Journal of Hazardous Materials
|February 25, 2019
Summary
Newly developed carbon nanoparticles (CNP) offer a sustainable solution for water disinfection. These nanoparticles, integrated into solar pasteurizers, achieve 100% bacterial inactivation using sunlight, providing a cheap and eco-friendly method.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Environmental pollution, particularly water contamination by pathogens, is a critical global issue.
- Sustainable, cost-effective, and eco-friendly solutions are urgently needed for water decontamination.
- Solar energy presents an accessible and renewable resource for water treatment applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate novel carbon nanoparticles (CNP) for solar water disinfection (SWADIS).
- To design and test efficient multipurpose and nano-solar pasteurizers utilizing CNP for water disinfection.
- To assess the efficacy of CNP-based pasteurizers in thermally inactivating water-borne bacteria under solar irradiation.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of carbon nanoparticles (CNP) with broad light absorption (UV-Visible-IR).
- Development of Multipurpose Solar Pasteurizer (MSP) and Nano-Solar Pasteurizer (NSP) incorporating CNP.
- Testing pasteurizer performance under natural solar radiation with simulated E. coli contamination (10^6 CFU mL^-1).
Main Results:
- CNP exhibit a pronounced photothermal effect, ideal for solar water disinfection.
- The developed MSP and NSP efficiently performed SWADIS under natural sunlight.
- 100% bacterial inactivation was achieved within approximately 45 minutes under sunny conditions.
Conclusions:
- CNP-based solar pasteurizers are a highly effective and practical solution for water disinfection.
- The photothermal properties of CNP enable efficient thermal inactivation of bacteria using solar energy.
- This technology offers a sustainable, eco-friendly, and cost-effective approach to combating water-borne pathogens.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Cleaning, Sterilization, and Disinfection
10.2K
Cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization are the methods that help to break the infection chain and prevent disease.
Cleaning
The cleaning process usually involves using water with detergents or enzymatic cleaner and removing foreign material from objects and surfaces, including organic material such as body fluids or inorganic material like soil. Cleaning is performed before high-level disinfection and sterilization because foreign materials on the cover of the devices interfere with process...
Cleaning
The cleaning process usually involves using water with detergents or enzymatic cleaner and removing foreign material from objects and surfaces, including organic material such as body fluids or inorganic material like soil. Cleaning is performed before high-level disinfection and sterilization because foreign materials on the cover of the devices interfere with process...
10.2K
00:49What is Genetic Engineering?
80.0K
Overview
80.0K
01:23States of Water
56.8K
Water exists in any one of the three classical states: solid (ice), liquid (water), and gas (steam or water vapor). The state of water depends on i) the intermolecular forces that draw molecules together and ii) the kinetic energy that leads to movements that pull them apart.
Water freezes when the intermolecular forces are greater than the kinetic energy. Unlike most other substances, water is less dense in its solid state than in its liquid state. This is because each water molecule can form...
Water freezes when the intermolecular forces are greater than the kinetic energy. Unlike most other substances, water is less dense in its solid state than in its liquid state. This is because each water molecule can form...
56.8K
01:00The Water Cycle
28.5K
The Earth’s hydrosphere includes all of the areas where the storage and movement of water occurs. Since water is the basis of all living processes, the cycling of water is extremely important to ecosystem dynamics.
28.5K
02:34Water and Mineral Acquisition
35.6K
Specialized tissues in plant roots have evolved to capture water, minerals, and some ions from the soil. Roots exhibit a variety of branching patterns that facilitate this process. The outermost root cells have specialized structures called root hairs that increase the root surface, thus increasing soil contact. Water can passively cross into roots, as the concentration of water in the soil is higher than that of the root tissue. Minerals, in contrast, are actively transported into root cells.
35.6K
01:19Quality of Water
556
In concrete preparation, the quality of water is paramount as it affects the strength and durability of the concrete. Potable water is usually preferred; however, it must not have excessive sodium or potassium to prevent compromising the concrete's integrity. Water quality is typically evaluated based on impurities such as dissolved solids, chlorides, and sulfates, and its pH value is ideally between 6 and 8. Even slightly acidic natural water may be acceptable unless it contains harmful...
556