<p class="title rtejustify">Proteins from the Moringa oleifera plant - a tree native to India - can help effectively purify water in developing nations at a low cost, say, scientists.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">The plant - commonly known as the drumstick tree - is cultivated for food and natural oils, and the seeds are already used for a type of rudimentary water purification.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">However, this traditional means of purification leaves behind high amounts of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from the seeds, allowing bacteria to regrow after just 24 hours. This leaves only a short window in which the water is drinkable.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University in the US used sand and plant materials to create a cheap and effective water filtration medium, termed "f-sand."</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">F-sand was created by extracting the seed proteins from the Moringa oleifera plant, and adhering them to the surface of silica particles, the principal component of sand.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">It kills microorganisms and reduces turbidity, adhering to particulate and organic matter. These undesirable contaminants and DOC can then be washed out, leaving the water clean for longer, and the f-sand ready for reuse.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">According to the United Nations, 2.1 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water services, the majority of whom live in developing nations.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">The Moringa oleifera plant tree is native to India and grows well in tropical and subtropical climates.</p>
<p class="title rtejustify">Proteins from the Moringa oleifera plant - a tree native to India - can help effectively purify water in developing nations at a low cost, say, scientists.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">The plant - commonly known as the drumstick tree - is cultivated for food and natural oils, and the seeds are already used for a type of rudimentary water purification.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">However, this traditional means of purification leaves behind high amounts of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from the seeds, allowing bacteria to regrow after just 24 hours. This leaves only a short window in which the water is drinkable.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University in the US used sand and plant materials to create a cheap and effective water filtration medium, termed "f-sand."</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">F-sand was created by extracting the seed proteins from the Moringa oleifera plant, and adhering them to the surface of silica particles, the principal component of sand.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">It kills microorganisms and reduces turbidity, adhering to particulate and organic matter. These undesirable contaminants and DOC can then be washed out, leaving the water clean for longer, and the f-sand ready for reuse.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">According to the United Nations, 2.1 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water services, the majority of whom live in developing nations.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">The Moringa oleifera plant tree is native to India and grows well in tropical and subtropical climates.</p>