The University of Purdue has reportedly developed an innovative technique to detoxify water with chlorine and UV radiation. As per sources, this research is believed to tremendously increase water supply by making wastewater reusable, thereby offering relief to drought-struck regions.

Reportedly, the team has developed a method to selectively degrade & detoxify amine, an organic compound derived from ammonia which is common in water supplies. For the uninitiated, this substance comprises numerous compounds that can be highly toxic for humans or animals.

In this new technique, amines are firstly activated via pre-chlorination and then they are exposed to UV rays which degrades these compounds & reduces the toxicity of the water, claim sources familiar with the matter.

Ernest R. Blatchley III, the Professor at Purdue’s Lyles School of Civil Engineering and Environmental & Ecological Engineering, who led this research stated that the climatic variations and population explosion make it mandatory to change the water usage patterns and reuse the disregarded water sources.

He asserted that a constantly growing population would increase their reliance on such water sources, which will further boost the demand for more efficient water treatment systems. He also added that this discovery is inspired by the vision to serve mass population and thus uses common elements like chlorine and UV radiation for water treatment. The current treatment techniques do not remove, degrade and detoxify the amines effectively, he further opined.

As per industry experts, the use of treated wastewater is becoming popular in irrigation and even for drinking in a few regions like U.S. Southwest, where water bodies are in a grave condition. Water available for reuse generally contains huge amount of amines, and this is what makes Purdue’s method an absolute match, as it selectively targets amines while keeping the other nourishing compounds minimally affected, claim reliable sources close to the matter.