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CleaningOurWaterwithNanotechnology
Organization:MuseumofScience,Boston Contactperson:KarineThateContactinformation:[email protected];617‐589‐4483
GeneralDescriptionStagePresentationwithDemos“CleaningOurWaterwithNanotechnology”isapublicpresentationaboutourdrinkingwaterandhowwecanmakecontaminatedwatersafetodrinkusingavarietyoftechnologies–including3newnanotechnologiesforwaterpurification.Duringthepresentation,audiencesconsiderthefollowingquestions:Whichcontaminantsdowehaveinourwaterthatmakesitunsafetodrink?Howdowetypicallypurifyourwater–andwhataretheshortcomings/limitationsofthosetechnologies?Howcannewnanotechnologiespurifyourdrinkingwaterinnewwaystohelpusinsituationswherelarge‐scalewatertreatmentisn’tappropriate?Thepresentationincludesavarietyofdemonstrationstoillustratehowthesetechnologiesworkandsomemodelstohelpvisitorsvisualizewhat’shappeningwiththesetechnologiesatthenanoscale.ProgramObjectivesBigidea:Topurifyourdrinkingwater,weneedtoremovecontaminantsincludingthosethataremuchtoosmalltosee(tinymicrobesandchemicals).Whilelarge‐scalewatertreatmentplantsworkwell,therearetimes/places/situationswherewedon’thaveaccesstothesefacilitiesandneedtopurifyourwateratthepointofuse.Nanotechnologyisprovidingsomenewwaystopurifyourwateratthepointofuse(betterfilterstoremovetinymicroorganismsandpreventfilter‐fouling).
Learninggoals:Asaresultofparticipatinginthisprogram,visitorswillbeableto:
1. Recognizethatwatersourcescanbecontaminatedbymicrobesandchemicals–contaminantsthataretoosmalltosee.
2. Understandthatthesecontaminantsneedtoberemovedtomakethewatersafetodrink.
3. Learnthatnanotechnologyhasmadepossiblesomenewwaterpurificationtechnologiesthatcleanwaterverysimply,effectively,andwithverylittlepower.
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NISENetworkcontentmapmainideas:[X] 1.Nanometer‐sizedthingsareverysmall,andoftenbehavedifferentlythanlarger
thingsdo.[X] 2.Scientistsandengineershaveformedtheinterdisciplinaryfieldofnanotechnologyby
investigatingpropertiesandmanipulatingmatteratthenanoscale.[X] 3.Nanoscience,nanotechnology,andnanoengineeringleadtonewknowledgeand
innovationsthatweren’tpossiblebefore.[X] 4.Nanotechnologieshavecosts,risks,andbenefitsthataffectourlivesinwayswecannot
alwayspredict.NationalScienceEducationStandards:[] 1.ScienceasInquiry
[] K‐4:Abilitiesnecessarytodoscientificinquiry[] K‐4:Understandingaboutscientificinquiry[] 5‐8:Abilitiesnecessarytodoscientificinquiry[] 5‐8:Understandingaboutscientificinquiry[] 9‐12:Abilitiesnecessarytodoscientificinquiry[] 9‐12:Understandingaboutscientificinquiry
[X] 2.PhysicalScience[] K‐4:Propertiesofobjectsandmaterials[] K‐4:Positionandmotionofobjects[] K‐4:Light,heat,electricity,andmagnetism[] 5‐8:Propertiesandchangesofpropertiesinmatter[] 5‐8:Motionsandforces[] 5‐8:Transferofenergy[] 9‐12:Structureofatoms[X] 9‐12:Structureandpropertiesofmatter[X] 9‐12:Chemicalreactions[] 9‐12:Motionsandforce[] 9‐12:Conservationofenergyandincreaseindisorder[] 9‐12:Interactionsofenergyandmatter
[X] 3.LifeScience[X] K‐4:Characteristicsoforganisms[] K‐4:Lifecyclesoforganisms[X] K‐4:Organismsandenvironments[X] 5‐8:Structureandfunctioninlivingsystems[] 5‐8:Reproductionandheredity[] 5‐8:Regulationandbehavior[X] 5‐8:Populationsandecosystems[] 5‐8:Diversityandadaptationsoforganisms
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[] 9‐12:Thecell[] 9‐12:Molecularbasisofheredity[] 9‐12:Biologicalevolution[] 9‐12:Interdependenceoforganisms[] 9‐12:Matter,energy,andorganizationinlivingsystems[] 9‐12:Behavioroforganisms
[] 4.EarthandSpaceScience[] K‐4:Propertiesofearthmaterials[] K‐4:Objectsinthesky[] K‐4:Changesinearthandsky[] 5‐8:Structureoftheearthsystem[] 5‐8:Earth'shistory[] 5‐8:Earthinthesolarsystem[] 9‐12:Energyintheearthsystem[] 9‐12:Geochemicalcycles[] 9‐12:Originandevolutionoftheearthsystem[] 9‐12:Originandevolutionoftheuniverse
[X] 5.ScienceandTechnology
[X] K‐4:Abilitiestodistinguishbetweennaturalobjectsandobjectsmadebyhumans[X] K‐4:Abilitiesoftechnologicaldesign[X] K‐4:Understandingaboutscienceandtechnology[X] 5‐8:Abilitiesoftechnologicaldesign[X] 5‐8:Understandingaboutscienceandtechnology[X] 9‐12:Abilitiesoftechnologicaldesign[X] 9‐12:Understandingaboutscienceandtechnology
[X] 6.PersonalandSocialPerspectives
[X] K‐4:Personalhealth[] K‐4:Characteristicsandchangesinpopulations[X] K‐4:Typesofresources[X] K‐4:Changesinenvironments[X] K‐4:Scienceandtechnologyinlocalchallenges[X] 5‐8:Personalhealth[X] 5‐8:Populations,resources,andenvironments[] 5‐8:Naturalhazards[X] 5‐8:Risksandbenefits[X] 5‐8:Scienceandtechnologyinsociety[X] 9‐12:Personalandcommunityhealth[] 9‐12:Populationgrowth[X] 9‐12:Naturalresources[X] 9‐12:Environmentalquality[X] 9‐12:Naturalandhuman‐inducedhazards[X] 9‐12:Scienceandtechnologyinlocal,national,andglobalchallenges
[X] 7.HistoryandNatureofScience
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[X] K‐4:Scienceasahumanendeavor[X] 5‐8:Scienceasahumanendeavor[X] 5‐8:Natureofscience[] 5‐8:Historyofscience[X] 9‐12:Scienceasahumanendeavor[X] 9‐12:Natureofscientificknowledge[] 9‐12:Historicalperspective
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TableofContents
GeneralDescription ....................................................................................................................1
ProgramObjectives.....................................................................................................................1
TableofContents........................................................................................................................5
TimeRequired ............................................................................................................................6
BackgroundInformation .............................................................................................................6 Definitionofterms...................................................................................................................6 Program‐specificbackground...................................................................................................6
Materials.....................................................................................................................................9
SetUp.......................................................................................................................................11
ProgramDelivery ......................................................................................................................11 Safety ....................................................................................................................................11 SuggestedScript: ...................................................................................................................11 Tipsandtroubleshooting .......................................................................................................18 Commonvisitorquestions .....................................................................................................19 GoingFurther…......................................................................................................................20
CleanUp ...................................................................................................................................21
UniversalDesign .......................................................................................................................22
Credits ......................................................................................................................................23
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TimeRequiredSet‐up Program CleanUp
15minutes 20minutes 10minutesBackgroundInformationDefinitionoftermsNanoisthescientifictermmeaningone‐billionth(1/1,000,000,000).ItcomesfromaGreekwordmeaning“dwarf.”Ananometerisoneone‐billionthofameter.Oneinchequals25.4millionnanometers.Asheetofpaperisabout100,000nanometersthick.Ahumanhairmeasuresroughly50,000to100,000nanometersacross.Yourfingernailsgrowonenanometereverysecond.(Otherunitscanalsobedividedbyonebillion.Asingleblinkofaneyeisaboutone‐billionthofayear.Aneyeblinkistoayearwhatananometeristoayardstick.)Nanoscalereferstomeasurementsof1‐100nanometers.Avirusisabout70nmlong.Acellmembraneisabout9nmthick.Tenhydrogenatomsareabout1nm.Atthenanoscale,manycommonmaterialsexhibitunusualproperties,suchasremarkablylowerresistancetoelectricity,orfasterchemicalreactions.Nanotechnologyisthemanipulationofmaterialatthenanoscaletotakeadvantageoftheseproperties.Thisoftenmeansworkingwithindividualmolecules.Nanoscience,nanoengineeringandothersuchtermsrefertothoseactivitiesappliedtothenanoscale.“Nano,”byitself,isoftenusedasshorthandtorefertoanyoralloftheseactivities.Program‐specificbackgroundCleanwater–forhumansandanimals,foragriculture,forindustry–isafundamentalnecessity.Nearlyabillionpeopleworldwide,however,donothaveaccesstocleandrinkingwater,andmillionsdieeachyear(mostlychildren)fromwaterbornediseasescontractedfromunsafewatersources.It’snotpossibletotellwhetherwaterissafetodrinkjustbyvisualinspection,asthecontaminantscanbeonthemicro‐andnano‐scale.Topurifywaterfor
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humanconsumption(drinkingwater),weneedtoremove(orreducetheconcentrationof):particulatematter,parasites,bacteria,algae,viruses,fungiandarangeofdissolvedchemicals.Large‐scalewatertreatmentplantscleanwatereffectivelyusingavarietyofpossibletechniques:
• Chemicaltreatments–Forexample,chlorine,chloramines,iodine,ozonation(ozonebubbles),etc.Thesetypicallyactasdisinfectantsandkill/inactivatethemicrobesinthewater.
• UVtreatment–UVlightdamagesthegeneticmaterialofmicrobes,inactivatingthem.• Variousfiltrationtechnologies(includingmembranefiltersandreverseosmosis)–
Cleansthewaterbyexcludingcontaminantsbasedonsize.Eithertheholesinthemembranearesmallenoughtopreventcertainparticlesfrompassingthrough,orthecontaminantsinthewateradheretothesurfaceofthematerialinthefilter.
• Flocculation–Clarifiesthewaterbycausingaprecipitatetoform.Addingachemicalcoagulantthatcreatesclumpsofimpuritiesthatcanberemovedbyphysicalmethods.
Formorebackground,theWikipediaarticleonWaterPurificationisagoodplacetostart(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_purification).Also,contactyourlocalwaterdepartmenttofindouthowthewateristreatedinyourarea.However,thelarge‐scalewatertreatmentplantsandthecentralizedwaterdistributionandpurificationinfrastructureswerelyoninindustrializedcountriesareenormouslyexpensive,andareenergeticallyandchemicallyintensiveandrequireskilledengineersandlaborers.Therearecertainsituationsandplaceswherecentralizedwatertreatmentisn’tanoptionand“point‐of‐use”watertreatmentisrequired–inareastoopoororremotetohavecentralizedwatertreatment;inplaceswerepopulationisgrowingveryquicklyanddemandoutstripssupply;afternaturaldisasterswhencentralizedutilitiesshutdown;orafterawatermainbreak(ourowncrumblinginfrastructurewillmakethisabiggerissueintheUSAinthecomingdecades)whenthewatersupplyiscontaminatedduringdistribution.Inthesecases,wewanttopurifythewateratthepointofuse–whereitwillbeconsumed.Pointofusewatertreatmentshouldbeportable,simple,effective,easy‐to‐use,inexpensiveandrequireverylittleornopower.Someofthepopular“point‐of‐use”watertreatmentscurrentlyavailableorcommonlyusedinclude:
• Britafilters–activatedcarbonfilters.Somecontaminantsadsorbtotheactivatedcarbon–butonit’sownit’snotsufficientforpurifyingwatertomakeitpotable.It’sappropriateforuseinhomestoimprovethelook,tasteandsmellofwaterthatisalreadytreated.
• Micro‐filters–commonlyusedbyhikers/campers.Theseremovesomemicrobes(downtothemicronsize–butNOTnano‐sizedviruses).Thesedon’ttreatanykindofchemicalcontamination.
• Chemicaltreatments–chlorinetabletsordrops,oriodine.Thesetreatbiologicalcontamination,butmanypeopledon’tlikethetasteanddon’twantto“clean”their
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waterbyaddingchemicalstoit–they’dratherjustremovethecontaminantswithoutaddinganythingtothewater.
Nanotechnologyprovidesmanypromisingsolutionsforimproving“decentralized”or“point‐of‐use”watertreatment–basically,becomingmoreefficientandeffectiveaboutremovingallthecontaminantsinwatertomakeitsafetodrink.Thetechnologiesdiscussedinthisparticularpresentationdealwithmembranesornano‐filters–thateitherhavenano‐sizedpores,orthatutilizenanomaterials(carbonnanotubes)tofilteroutcontaminants.Thereareothernanotechnologiesrelatedtowaterpurification–everythingfromnanosensorstodetectcontaminantsinthewater,nanomaterialstohelpwithwaterpollutionremediation,tonewdesalinationtechnologiesandeverythinginbetween.ThenanofiltersforwaterpurificationarethemostdevelopedofthesetechnologieswhichiswhyI’vefocusedonthemforthispresentation.Afewgreatoverviewarticlesonthistopicinclude:
• NanotechnologyandtheChallengeofCleanWater(http://www.nature.com/nnano/journal/v2/n11/full/nnano.2007.350.html)
• NanotechnologyandWaterTreatment(http://www.nanowerk.com/spotlight/spotid=4662.php)
• Water,Nanotechnology’sPromises,andEconomicReality(http://www.nanowerk.com/spotlight/spotid=2372.php)
TwomuchmoredetailedreportsbytheMeridianInstituteinclude:• Nanotechnology,Water,andDevelopment
(http://sites.merid.org/nano/waterpaper/?item=%2fnano%2fwaterpaper%2f&user=extranet%5cAnonymous&site=website)
• OverviewandComparisonofConventionalandNano‐BasedWaterTreatmentTechnologies(http://sites.merid.org/nano/watertechpaper/?item=%2fnano%2fwatertechpaper%2f&user=extranet%5cAnonymous&site=website)
AsImentioned,therearemanypossiblenanotech‐enhancedwatertreatments–fartoomanytocoverinashortpresentation,sothreespecific(andrelativelysimple)nanotech‐enabledwaterfiltrationtechnologiesarementionedinthisprogram:1)TheLifesaverbottle–anultrafiltrationmembrane.Theholesinthismembraneareonly15nanometersinsize,smallenoughtokeepoutthesmallestviruses.Thewebsitehasmoreinformationabouthowitworks,andtheFAQsareworthwhiletoo.http://www.lifesaversystems.com/index.html.Finally,thereisagreatTEDtalkvideooftheCEOtalkingabouthowthetechnologyworks–veryeasytounderstandandgreatbackground.http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/michael_pritchard_invents_a_water_filter.html.Thistechnologyisalreadycommerciallyavailable.2)SeldonTechnologiesWaterStickandWaterBox–a“Nanomesh”filterwhichincorporatescarbonnanotubes.TheNanomeshallowswatertoflowthroughquicklyatahigherratethananultrafiltrationmembrane,butthecarbonnanotubesattractcontaminants.Microbesand
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chemicalsadsorb(sticktothesurfaceof)totheCNTsleavingthewaterchemicalfree.Lotsofinfoontheirwebsite:http://www.seldontech.com/index2.html.MOSfeaturedthistechnologyinsciencenewsspotforNewEnglandCableNews.Youcanseethevideohere:http://www.mos.org/events_activities/videocasts/videocasts_archive&d=3131.Thistechnologyisavailableforexport,buttechnicallystillbeing“tested”intheUS.3)ElectrochemicalCarbonNanotubeFilter–inventedbyChadVecitis,aprofessoratHarvardUniversity.It’sstillintheresearchphase,butispromisinginearlytests.Acarbonnanotubefilterthattakesadvantageoftheelectricalconductivityofcarbonnanotubes.Byhookingupsmallpowersourcetothefilter,itiselectrifiedanddoeselectrochemistryasthewaterpassesthrough.Theelectricalcurrentkillsordegradesthemicrobesorchemicalcontaminants,slowingtheprocessoffilter‐fouling,keepingthefiltercleanforlongerandreducingtheneedforfrequentcleaningorreplacementofthefilter.MoreinformationonChad’sresearchhere:http://environmental‐technology.seas.harvard.edu/.Twojournalarticlesonthistopicinclude:C.D.Vecitis,M.H.Schnoor,Md.S.Rahaman,J.Schifmann,M.Elimelech,"ElectrochemicalMultiwalledCarbonNanotubeFilterforViralandBacterialRemovalandInactivation",EnvironmentalScience&Technology,2011,45,3672‐3679.C.D.Vecitis,G.Gao,H.Liu,"ElectrochemicalCarbonNanotubeFilterforAdsorption,Desorption,andOxidationofAqueousDyesandAnions",JournalofPhysicalChemistryC,2011,115,3621.Thatsaid,thereareofcourseconcernsandunansweredquestionsonhowtodistributethesetechnologieseconomically,equitably,etc.Theseconcernsarenotexplicitlydealtwithinthispresentation(asitwouldexpandanalreadylongpresentation),butquestionsonthistopicoftencomeupafterthepresentation,soit’sagoodideatohavereadsomebackground.Materials‐“CleaningOurWaterwithNanotechnology”PowerPointpresentationincludingthefollowingvideos: ‐Man_drinks_water_from_Charles.mov(forslide3) ‐Filter_Fouling.mov(forslide22) ‐Electrochemical_Filter.mov(forslide24)‐Aclearaquariumtankorclearjugfilledwith“dirty”waterfromanylocaloutdoorsource(riverorlake).Besuretoincludefloatingdebris,garbage,plantmatter,etc.Note:Thiswillneedtobecoveredandreplacedeveryweekortwoasitgetstoosmellyanddirtyifleftuntended.‐Asmallkitchensievewithhandle(toscoopphysicaldebrisfromwater)‐Clearplasticcup
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Afewwaterfiltrationtechnologies,forexample:‐BritaFilter(availablefromAmazonoranydepartmentstore)‐IodinetabletsandChloridedioxidedropsortablets(availablefromAmazon,REIorsimilaroutdoorstore)‐Amicrofilterforcampers/hikers‐Empty5gallonbottlefromofficewatercooler.‐Regularsize½literor20ozbottleofwater.‐Ananotech‐enhancedwaterfilterfordemonstration–eithertheLifesaverBottleorSeldon’sWaterStick.LifesaverbottlecanbepurchasedfromAmazonforapprox.$150.TheSeldonWaterstickisnotyetavailablecommercially,butyoumaycontactSeldonTechnologiestoseeiftheywillgiveyouasampleproductfor“testing”.‐Aclearjugfilledwith“dirty”watertouseoneithernanotechenhancedtechnology,andacleanemptyglasstocollectthecleanwater.Watercaneitherfromanaturalwatersource,youcan“dirty”thewateryourselfwithfoodcoloring.Note:Practiceusingthefiltersfirsttobecomecomfortablewiththem.Forexample,withtheLifeSaverbottle,thecleanwatercomesoutwithgreatforceifyoupumptoomuch.Also,theSeldonWaterStickneedstobe“primed”beforetheshow,soyoucangetcleanwaterwithjustafewpumps.
‐2kitchencolanders/sieveswithdifferentsizeholes–onewithfinemesh(typicalsieve);anotherwithlargerholes(morelikeagrillingbasket).‐2differentsizedandcoloredbeads–largebeadstorepresentbacteria;smallerbeadstorepresentviruses.Note:Thesmallerbeadsshouldbesmallenoughtofallthroughthesievewiththelargeholes–soonlythelargerbeadsarecaught.Thefinemeshsieveshouldcatchboththesmallandlargebeads.‐2clearplasticcups(eachholdingamixedcombinationofsmallandlargebeads–representingcontaminatedwater)‐Aplasticcontainertocatchthebeadsthatfallthroughthesieve.Includepapertowelsorfoamatthebottomofthecontainertopreventbeadsfrombouncing.‐Amodelofabacteriaandvirus–10‐15cminsizeapprox.ThesecaneitherbemadefromsmallrubberorStyrofoamballs,oryoucouldusestuffedmodelslikethese:http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/plush/6708/.Plasticnoveltytoysfromtoy/craftstorescouldalsowork(searchonlinefor“pufferworm”toys).‐Smallballrepresentingavirus–shouldbesmallerthan2cm.
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‐CarbonNanotubemodel.Forexample:http://www.indigo.com/models/gphmodel/carbon‐nanotube‐model‐W.html‐Smallfoampiecesofdifferentcolorsandsizetorepresentdifferentcontaminants‐Velcrostrips/pieceswithsticky‐backstoattach/detachfoampiecestocarbonnanotubemodel.SetUpTime:15minutes‐Collectwaterfromalocal,nearbywatersource(hopefully,thisisdoneaheadoftime).Atankofwatercanbeusedforseveralshows,butshouldn’tbekeptformorethanaweekorso.
‐Setuppropsontable/cartasgroupedinthematerialslistabove,sotheyarereadilyaccessiblewhencalledforinthescript.
‐TestoutorprimetheLifeSaverwaterbottleorSeldonWatersticktomakesureit’sreadytogoforthepresentation.
ProgramDeliveryTime:20minutesSafetyDonotletvisitorsdrinkcontaminatedorcleanedwaterfromthetanksorwaterpurificationdevices.Ifusingeithernanotechenhancedwaterpurificationtechnology,besurethatthe“clean”hoseorenddoesnotgetcontaminatedbydirtywater.Museumeducatorswantingtoshowthedevicesinactionmaydrinkthecleanedwateriftheyarecomfortable(andifthey’resurethey’veusedthedevicesproperly),butabetteroptionistouse“simulated”dirtywaterinthenanotechdevices(withfoodcoloringandsoliddebris),insteadofwaterfromanatural“dirty”watersource.SuggestedScript:(Feelfreetoadapt/revisetotailorcontenttoyourvisitors).
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[Slide1–TitleSlide]Goodafternooneveryone,andwelcometo__________________.Mynameis_________________andtoday,I’mgoingtotalkabouthowwecleanourwater.[Slide2–DirtyRiverWater]IhaveatankI’vefilledupfromtheriver/lakerightnearoutsidethemuseum–from_______________________(namelocalwatersource)(fillaglassfromthetank).HowmanyofyouwouldbewillingtoDRINKthiswaterrightoutofanurban,pollutedwatersource?(Raiseshand,lookingencouraging?)Anyone?(Hamitupanddramatizeasnecessary...ifkidsvolunteer,askthem“REALLY?!?Youthinkyourparentswouldletyoudrinkthis?!?!”)Notmanyofyou…Whynot?(Solicitsanswersfromtheaudiences…)WhatifItoldyouthat…[Slide3–MandrinkingwaterfromCharlesRivervideo]THISmanthat–drankwaterrightoutofapollutedriver.HisnameisAlanCummingsandhe’stheCEOofaVermontstartupcompanycalledSeldonTechnologiesthatusesnanotechnologytopurifydrinkingwater.So,toputhistechnologytothetestheusedittodrinkwaterrightoutoftheCharlesRiver–apollutedriverthatrunsrightthroughthecenterofBoston–anddiditonTVinfrontofNewEnglandviewers.[Slide4–DirtyRiverWater]So,whatdoyouthinkYOU’dhavetodofirsttocleanthewatertoapointwhereyouwouldbecomfortabledrinkingit?(holdsupprops/examplesofthesefiltrationtechnologies)Whatifyouskimmedupallthejunkfloatingonthetop(usingasieve)?WouldyoutrustyourBRITAfilter?Wouldyouthinkboilingitwouldbeenough?Whataboutiodineorchlorinetreatments?Well,mostpeoplethinkthosewouldn’tbesufficient–afterall,it’sanurban,pollutedriverthroughaveryhighlypopulatedarea.Allsortsofbadstuff‐dangerouschemicals,pollutants,waste,overflowfromthesewers‐endsupintheriver….Butwhataboutariverlike...[Slide5–Mountainstream]–THIS?Haveyoueverbeenoutinthecountryhikingorcampingandcomeacrossthesebeautifulcrisp,cleanmountainstreams…Everbeentemptedtojustscoopupahandfulsandtakeafewsips…Now,isTHATagoodidea?
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Mostofyouknowthatit’sNOTagoodidea.Whilechemicalpollutantsmaynotbeabigproblemouthere,thereareotherthingstobeconcernedabout.NomatterhowcleanitLOOKS–therearecontaminantsthataretoosmalltosee.Youdon’tknowwhat’shappeningjustupstream.[Slide6–Moose/Beaver–orreplacewithimagesofyourlocalwildlife]Yousee,animalsliketheseguysaren’tverycarefulaboutwheretheyputtheirwaste...[Slide7–hiker]andsometimesneitheraretheseanimals.Therearesomenastylittlecrittersinanimalwastethatcanmakeyouprettysick.So,whataretheselittlecrittersthatI’mtalkingabout?[Slide8–WantedPoster]Thebacteria,virusesandprotozoathatcausewaterbornedisease![Slide9–Imagesofmicrobes]Giardiaforone.Thiscritterisaprotozoanparasite‐it’sTINY,butcanmakeyouVERYsick‐causingdiarrhea,nausea,cramps.Otherdangersarebacterialikethisone‐E.coli.Orothertypesofbacteriathatcausediseaselikecholeraandtyphoid…Butthat’snotall–wealsohavetobeworriedabout–viruses–likehepatitis,orrotavirus...allofwhichmakeyouveryill.Bacteria,protozoaandvirusesmakeALOTofpeopleverysick.World‐wide,water‐bornediseasesareresponsibleforkillingabout2millionpeopleeachyear‐mostofthemchildren.Thetrickythingisthattheyaremuchtoosmalltoseeinourwater‐soyoucan’ttellbylookingatitwhetheryourwaterissafetodrink...Millionsofbacterialcellscanfitinasingledropofwater.Whichbringsustoournextquestion...Betweenthechemicalpollutantswehaveinoururbanwater,tothesemicrobesthatcanbefoundinanywatersource,howdoweactuallygetthesetinythingsOUTofwaterandmakesureit’scleanenoughtodrink?Welltheanswertothatdependsonwhoweare,andwherewelive.[Slide10–kitchenfaucet]
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Mostofusdon’thavetoworryaboutthat–it’salreadydoneforusbythetimeitgetstoourhomes‐chemicalpollutantsanddangerousmicrobesareremovedfromourwater.Thewaterthatcomesoutofourkitchensinksissafe–wecandrinkitwithoutworryingbecauseourlarge‐scalewatertreatmentplantsworkprettywell.Forexample,thewaterhereatthemuseumistreatedatalarge‐scalewatertreatmentplant,andthisishowthewateristreated…[Slide11–watertreatmentfacility](Feelfreetocustomizethisslidewithimagesanddetailsofyourlocalwatertreatment–checkouttheirwebsitetoseehowit’streated…ifnot,justusethisexampleasa“typical”large‐scalewatertreatmentplant)(Forexample,themuseum’swateroriginallycomesfrom_____reservoirorgroundwaterin_______location….Travelsthroughpipesuntilitarrivesat______watertreatmentplant)Theplanttreatsthewaterinafewsteps–firsttheyaddachemicalthatcreatesfloatingclumpsofimpuritiesthatareskimmedoff.Duringthenextstep,theyaddozonebubbleswhichdisinfectthewaterandkillsallthebacteria,viruses,andprotozoa.Thentheyputitthroughanotherfiltertoremoveorganiccompounds,andfinallytheyadd2morechemicals‐ChlorineandChloramine‐whichkillanyleftovermicrobes–butmoreimportantly,theystayinthewaterandkeepitfreefrommicrobesasittravelsthroughthemilesofundergroundpipesonit’swaytothemuseumortoyourhomes.That’sjustoneexampleofhowwateristreated–andit’sprettytypical–butsomeothertreatmentplantsmightuseothertreatments(UV,reverseosmosis).Theyusuallyworkprettywellandprovidemillionsofuswithsafecleanwater.Butthere’sstillaproblem…Theyallrequirelotsof:[Slide12–energy,money,infrastructure,engineers]energy,money,infrastructure,chemicals,andskilledengineersandlaborers.Andthereareplacesorsituationswhenwedon’thaveaccesstoallthisforcentralizedwatertreatment…Anyideaswhatsomeofthosemightbe?(Solicitanswersfromaudience....Perhapspromptthemwith“haveyouevertraveledanywherewhereitwasn’tsafetodrinktapwater?”)[Slide13–remote,poorandoverpopulatedareas]Indevelopingcountries–manyareastoopoorortooremotetohavecentralizedwatertreatment.SomecountrieslikeIndiaandChinaarehavingtroublekeepingupwithdemand–theycan’tbuildwatertreatmentplants,orlaydownpipefastenoughtomeetthegrowingpopulation.[Slide14–disasterdamage]AfterdisasterslikeHurricaneKatrinaorthetsunamisinAsia,orthequakesinHaitiandJapan.Utilitiesshutdownaftermajorcrises,andresidentsfindthereisnocleanwaterorpoweravailable.
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[Slide15–crumblingpipes]Evenhereathome…whenwehaveawatermainbreakorotherproblemwithourpipes.OurowninfrastructureisOLD–manyofourpipeswereputinplaceacenturyagoormoreandthey’rehavinganincreasingnumberofproblems.Haveyoueverhadaboilwaterorderafterawatermainbreakinyourcommunity?Thosesituationscouldenduphappeningmoreandmoreoften.So,whatdowedo?[Slide16–bottledwater]Wecancartinbottledwater…It’ssafe,portable,andyoucanhavesafedrinkingwaterANYWHERE....butit’sreallyheavysonotsoeasytomovearound…justthinkhowmuchwateryouuseeveryday‐fromdrinkingtocookingtobathingtolaundrytowateringyourlawn‐itreallyaddsup.Thenationalaverageforwateruseisabout98gallonsofwaterPERPERSONperday!(Show5gallonwatercoolerbottleasprop)That’salmost20ofthese5gallonbottles.Thatwouldweighmorethan800pounds‐800poundsofwaterforeachperson!Imaginehaulingthataround.Nottomentionthattheproduction,transportationanddisposalofplasticwaterbottlesisanenvironmentalnightmareinitself.(percapitausevarieswidelybylocation–fromalowof50gallonsperpersonperdayinthenortheasternstatestoahighofnearly200gallonsperpersonperdayinsomesouthwesternstates.Findouttheuseinyourareatocustomizethistoyourlocation.A5gallonwaterbottleweighsabout40pounds).[Slide17–3researchers]That’swhyresearchersarelookingfornewsolutions…technologiesthatcanhelpussimply,cheaplyandeasilycleanwateronthespotwithoutalotofequipmentorpowerorhavingtoaddchemicals–Purifywaterwhereyouwanttouseit…takingeverythingoutofthewaterthatwewanttoremove,withouthavingtoaddchemicalsintothewater.So,I’mgoingtosharewithafewstoriesabout3peoplewhosawthisproblemandwantedtodosomethingaboutit–findnewwaysandnewtechnologiestopurifyourwater.Thecommonthread?All3ofthesepeopleusenanotechnologytodothat.Thefirst2technologiesarealreadydevelopedandcommerciallyavailable,thelasttechnologyisstillintheresearchphaseandundergoingdevelopment.[Slide18–LifeSaverbottleimages]ThefirstandsimplesttechnologyisfromMichaelPritchardintheUK.AfterwatchingtheaftermathofthetsunamisinSoutheastAsiaandthefloodinginNewOrleansafterHurricaneKatrina–thatherealizedwhataproblemitwastogetfreshlifesavingcleanwatertopeopleindisasters–andhewasinspiredtodosomethingaboutit.Hecreatedthe“Lifesaver”bottle.Justpopopenoneend,fillitwithanywateryoucanfind(evenfromapuddle)pumpthehandleafewtimesandoutcomescleanwater.(Showpropifyouhaveit)Reallysimple,nopowerisneeded,andyoucangetthousandsoflitersofwaterwithasinglefilter.
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Thewayitworksissimilartoanyfilter‐youpushthewaterthroughamembranethathastinyholes.Basically,it’sasieve‐likewhatyoumightuseinthekitchen(showprop)‐butwithmuchsmallerholesbecauseitneedstogetouttinybacteriaandviruses.Nowalotofpeoplethinkthatbacteriaandvirusesareaboutthesamesize(showbacteriaandvirusmodel‐similarinsize).Butthat’snotthecase.Bacteriaaremuch,muchbiggerthanviruses.IfIwasthesizeofabacteria‐aviruswouldbesmallerthanthissmallmodel(showsmallermodel‐approxsizeofpingpongball).Letssaythiscuprepresentssomedirtywater‐theorangeballsrepresentbacteria,andthegreenballsrepresentmuchsmallerviruses...Nowalotoffiltershaveholesthataresmallenoughtokeepoutbacteria(demo‐pour2sizeballsthroughaseive‐largerones(bacteria)aretrapped,butsmalleronespassthrough),buttheholesaretoobigtokeepoutthetinyviruses(thegreenparticles).SoyouneedafilterwithMUCHsmallerholes.TheLifeSaverbottle(showbottle)filterhasmuchsmallerholes–about15nminsize–smallenoughtokeepouteventhesmallestviruses.Soitworksmorelikethismodel(showsievewithsmallerholesandpoorbacteria/virusesballsthroughit‐everythingiscaught).Youcanseebothbacteriaandvirusesaretrappedbythisfilter‐becauseithassuchsmallholes.It’ssimpleandeffective‐anddoesn’tjustcomeinthisbottleformat‐they’vealsomadeajerrycanversionthatcansupplyvillagesandschoolswithcleanwater‐itwasrecentlyputtothetestinHaiti.Butwecandobetter‐thissolvestheproblemoftakingthesmallestbiologicalcontaminantsout,butwithholestoosmall,itlimitshowmuchwatercanflowthroughquickly.Also,smallporesizeonafilterdoesn’tremovedissolvedchemicalcontaminantsonit’sown‐weneedsomethingmore...[Slide19–AlanCummingsandtheWaterBox]SothatbringsusbacktoAlanCummings–theguyIshowedatthestartofthepresentationwhodrankwateroutofBoston’sCharlesusingthisdevice(showWaterStickifyouhavephysicalprop,otherwiseshowimageofWaterBox).HiscompanySeldonTechnologies–basedoutofVermont,developedabetterwaterfilter.Nowtheirinspirationforthistechnologycamefromalittlefartherafield–SPACE![Slide20–Spacestationandastronaut]TheyfirstdevelopedthisfilterforNASA–becauseoneofthebiggestlimitsinhavingmannedspaceflightisprovidingenoughcleanwaterfortheastronauts–andsincewaterissoheavy,theydon’twanttocarrymuchofit–soNASAwaslookingfortechnologiesthatwouldallowthemtopurifysmallamountsofwaterrightonspacecraft–toletthemrecycleandreusewater,sospacecrafthavetobringlessofitwiththem.Theyalsowantedthewaterfiltertobesmallanduseverylittlepower.StephanieWilsonisoneoftheastronautsthatusedaprototypeofthedevice.[Slide21–NanomeshfilterandWaterBox]
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Seldon’stechnologyiscalledaNanomeshfilter–itactuallyhaslargerporesize(holes)thanthelifesaverbottletoletthewaterflowthroughatafasterrate,butalsousesamaterialcalledcarbonnanotubestogetridofcontaminantsinthewater.Nowcarbonnanotubes(showmodel)aretinytubesmadeofcarbon‐thismodelshowsyoutheirshapeandstructure‐buttherealonesareabout100milliontimessmaller‐onlyafewnanometersacross‐thousandsoftimesthinnerthanthewidthofasinglehumanhair.Whywouldwewanttoaddthistoourfilter?Well,alotofpollutants(showfoampiecesrepresentingpollutants)willadsorb‐basicallysticktoorattachto‐carbon.It’sthesameideawithactivatedcarbonfilters–likeBritafiltersforexample.Buttheydothisonthesurfaceofcarbon.(stickstuffpollutantstooutsideofCNTmodel(velcro)).BecausethesetubesaresotinyhaveLOTSofsurfaceareaandthey’rearrangedinsuchawaytoletwaterflowthroughmuchmoreeasilythanactivatedcarbonfilters,sotheyaremuchmoreeffectiveandtrappingandremovingmicrobesandchemicals.Theyhaveafewdifferentversions‐awaterstickthatsomeonecouldusetodrinkwaterrightfromapollutedsource,afilteryoucouldhookuptoindoorplumbing,orawaterboxthatisportabletopumplargervolumesofwater.(Demonstratewaterstickonstage).Hereyoucanseethefilterinaction‐it’stakingpollutedwaterfromthejugontheleftandputtingcleandrinkingwaterintheglassontheright.(Takeasip!)[Slide22–filterfoulinganimation]Thosetechnologiesworkwell‐butafterawhilethefilterwillclogandwaterwon’tflowthroughaseasilyorbecleanedaswell.Andsincewe’retrappingmicroorganismslikebacteria‐thesemicrobescanstartgrowingonthefilter.That’scalledfilter‐foulinganditmeansthatweneedtocleanorreplacethefilterregularly.Actually,thisistrueofanyfilteringtechnology.Wouldn’titbegreattohaveaself‐cleaningfilter?Onenanoresearcherhasanideaofhowtodothat.[Slide23–ChadVecitisandCNTfilter]MeetChadVecitis,ayoungresearcheratHarvard,whohasagreatideaforimprovingwaterfiltersevenmore‐thetechnologyheisdevelopingtakesthesecarbonnanotubefiltersastepfarther.Hestartswithacarbonnanotubefilter–thisphotohere‐itlooksprettysimilartotheotheronewesawfromSeldon.ButDr.VecitisistakingadvantageofanotherpropertyofCarbonNanotubes‐thattheyareextremelygoodatconductingelectricity.[Slide24–ElectrochemicalCNTfilteranimation]
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Thatmeanswecanhookupapowersourcetoourfilter(itdoesn’tevenneedtobeapowerfulone‐evenafewAAbatterieswouldproduceenough)‐andelectrifyit.We’redoingelectrochemistrynowasthewaterrunsthroughthefilter‐thatsoundsfancy‐butallthatmeansisthatwereusingelectricitytokill/inactivate/degradethebacteriaandvirusesandothercontaminantsthatbuildupthefiltertohelpkeepitcleanandslowfilterfouling,soyoudon’tneedtocleanorreplacethefilterasoften.So,thistechnologyisstillintheresearchphaseandisn’tavailableyet,butit’spromising–ittakeseverythingoutthatwewanttoremovefromthewater–ANDit’sessentiallyaself‐cleaningfilter–simpleandusesonlyasmallamountofpower.Andthistypeoftechnologycouldalsomakeabigdifferenceforourlarge‐scalewatertreatmentaswell.[Slide25–Drippingfaucet]So,thesearejustafewstoriesofrealpeoplewhoareusingscienceandengineeringskillstofindrealsolutionstoverybigproblems.These3nanotech‐basedwaterfiltersareprovidingsomeinnovativewayswecouldprovidecleandrinkingwater‐simply,cheaply,withlittlepower‐tomorepeople,inmoresituationsandplaces.Theyaresimplesolutions,butthesciencebehindthesetechnologieshasonlyjustbecomeavailableinthelast10yearswithnanotechnology.Now,nanotechisnotasilverbulletsolutiontothisproblem‐butitisgoingtobepartofawholesuiteofsolutionsthataddressourwaterchallengesinthecomingdecades.Theevenbiggerissueisthattheworldisrunningoutofcleanwatersourcesforourgrowingpopulation.We’resoluckytohavecleanwaterdeliveredrighttowhereweliveandwork‐thatwedon’tneedtocollectitmilesawayandcarryitbacktoourhomes...Butthatdoesn’tmeanwecanbewastefulwithit.WhatwecandoRIGHTNOWisconservewater‐thinkabouthowmuchyou’reusingeveryday‐3gallonsofwaterperminuteintheshower,40gallonsperloadoflaundry,15gallonspercycleofyourdishwasher,runningyourgardenhoseis9gallonsperminute.Thinkaboutyourwateruseandhowyoumightreduceit‐ashortershower,waitinguntilyouhaveafullloadtodothelaundry,wateringyourlawnatnightorintheearlymorning.Therearelotsofsimplestepswecanalltakeeachdaytoconservewater‐ourmostvaluableresource.[Slide26–Questions?]Thankyouverymuchforjoiningmetoday.I’mhappytoansweranyquestionsyouhave.Otherwise,Ihopeyouenjoytherestofyourdayhereatthemuseum.[Slide27‐30–Credits]TipsandtroubleshootingThispresentationcanbeenhancedandmademorerelevanttoyourvisitors,byresearchingalittlebitaboutyourlocalwatertreatmentandlocalwateruse.Afewslides/imagescanbecustomizedtoreflectwhathappensinyourarea.
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Besuretotestthenanotech‐enhancedfiltersaheadoftimeasittakesafewtriestogetcomfortablewithhowtheyworkandthebestwaytodemonstratethisonstage.CommonvisitorquestionsAsidefromthequestionsbelow,thispresentationseemstodrawawidevarietyofquestionsonwaterpurificationorwasterwatertreatmentingeneral(orspecificquestionsaboutyourlocalwatertreatmentplant),aswellasquestionsonwell‐waterqualityconcerns,andafewothertopicsoutsidethescopeofthepresentation.Readingsomegeneralbackgroundarticlesonhowwateristreatedcouldbehelpful,orreferthemtoyourlocalwaterdepartmentwhoshouldbeabletoanswer.Arethesetechnologiesalreadybeingused(alreadyavailableonthemarket)?Theansweris“yes”forthefirst2technologiesand“notyet”forthe3rdtechnology.TheLifeSaverbottlehasbeeninuseandcommerciallyavailableforthelastfewyears.TheBritishmilitaryinparticularusethistechnologyinthefield.Forthelastcoupleofyears,theSeldonWaterStickhasbeenavailableforexport,butstillis“undertesting”intheUnitedStates.It’snotcommerciallyavailableyet,butisbeingdistributedinlimitedquantitiesaspartof“testing”.TheUSmilitaryisalreadyabigcustomerforSeldonandhaspurchasedandcurrentlyuselargenumbersofWaterSticksandWaterBoxes.Bothcompanieshavedonatedmaterials/suppliesforreliefeffortsinthedevelopingworldandtheirtechnologiesarealreadybeingusedforselectprojectsinHaiti,Japan,Rwanda,andelsewhere.ChadVecitis’stechnologyisnotyetavailable–it’sonlyintheresearchphaseandhispublishedpapersareproofofconcept.Chadwouldneedaninvestor/companytocommercializehistechnology.Howexpensivearethesetechnologies?Cheapenoughtouseindevelopingcountries?Areweabletodistributethesewheretheyareneeded?Asistypicalofanynewtechnology,theyarestillrelativelyexpensive($150fortheLifeSaverBottleand$100fortheWaterStick).Whilethey’vebeendistributedinsmallquantitiesfreeofchargeforreliefefforts,largescaledistributionofthesetechnologiesisn’tyetpossible.Thispresentationmainlytacklesthescienceoftheproblem,astheeconomic,political,andlogisticalbarrierstoequitablydistributingthesetechnologiesisanothermatterentirely–andquiteacomplexoneatthat.Aninterestingonlinearticle‐Water,Nanotechnology’sPromises,andEconomicReality(http://www.nanowerk.com/spotlight/spotid=2372.php)‐addressesthistopicandisawortharead.What’sthedifferencebetweenanactivatedcarbonfilterandacarbonnanotubefilter?Activatedcarbonfilters–likeBritafilters–arequitecommon.Theyaresimplymadeofacarbonrichmaterialthathasbeenprocessedinsuchawaytogiveitlotsofsurfacearea.Britafiltersforexamplearemadeofcharredcoconuthusks.Contaminantsadsorbto(sticktoorreactwith)thesurfaceofthecarbonhelpingcleanthewater.Whiletheactivatedcarbonhaslotsofsurfacearea,itcanbedifficulttostructurethefilterinsuchawaytoallowthewaterto
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flowfreelyandquicklyandforthecontaminantstohavelotsofaccesstothesurfaceoftheareaofthecarbonforadsorption.Carbonnanotube(CNT)filtersworkinthesamegeneralwayasactivatedcarbon–exceptthenanostructureofacarbonnanotubeallowsyoutobettertakeadvantageoftheincrediblylargesurfaceareaofCNTs.TheCNTfiltercanbestructuredsothatwatercanflowquicklyandeasilythroughthelargepores,whilethecontaminantsarebroughtincloseproximitytothesurfaceofthecarbonnanotubesotheyareattractdandtrappedbythefilter.CNTscanalsobespeciallymarked/taggedtoattractcertaincontaminants.Doanyofthenanotubesendupinthefilteredwater?Aren’ttheydangerous?Seldon’stestshaveshownthereisnomeasurabletraceofCNTsintheeffluent(cleanwater).WhileaerosolizedCNTshavebeenaconcernduringmanufacturing,theredoesnotseemtobeanyhealth/safetyconcernforuseoftheCNTfilterssincetheyarenotpassingintothewaterthatisfiltered.Whathappenstothesefiltersaftertheyarefinishedtheirusefullife?Aretheredisposalconcerns?Likealmostanywaterfilterthathasfinisheditsusefullife,itwillbedisposedofinalandfill.Therearen’tyetfacilitiestotreat/recycle/reusethesefilters.Disposalconcernsdonotseemtobeanygreaterthanforotherwaterfilters.However,thisbringsupagoodpointthatasthereismuchresearchintonewmaterials,thereisalsoalotresearchintotheimpactofthe“lifecycle”ofnanomaterialsfrom“cradletograve”–fromharvestingrawmaterialsandmanufacture,touse,todisposal–tomakesurethatwearen’tcreatingnewenvironmentalorsocietalproblemswhiletryingtosolveone.GoingFurther…Thebestsourcesforadditionalinformationwouldbethewebsitesofthetechnologieshighlightedinthispresentation,orthewebsiteofyourlocalwaterdepartment.Afewgreatoverviewarticlesonthistopicinclude:
• NanotechnologyandtheChallengeofCleanWater(http://www.nature.com/nnano/journal/v2/n11/full/nnano.2007.350.html)
• NanotechnologyandWaterTreatment(http://www.nanowerk.com/spotlight/spotid=4662.php)
• Water,Nanotechnology’sPromises,andEconomicReality(http://www.nanowerk.com/spotlight/spotid=2372.php)
TwomuchmoredetailedreportsbytheMeridianInstituteinclude:• Nanotechnology,Water,andDevelopment
(http://sites.merid.org/nano/waterpaper/?item=%2fnano%2fwaterpaper%2f&user=extranet%5cAnonymous&site=website)
• OverviewandComparisonofConventionalandNano‐BasedWaterTreatmentTechnologies(http://sites.merid.org/nano/watertechpaper/?item=%2fnano%2fwatertechpaper%2f&user=extranet%5cAnonymous&site=website)
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Websitesforthe3technologieshighlightedinthispresentation:TheLifesaverbottle–http://www.lifesaversystems.com/TEDtalkvideo‐http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/michael_pritchard_invents_a_water_filter.htmlSeldonTechnologiesWaterStickandWaterBox–http://www.seldontech.com/.NewEnglandCableNewsvideo:http://www.mos.org/events_activities/videocasts/videocasts_archive&d=3131.ElectrochemicalCarbonNanotubeFilter–ChadVecitis’sLabatHarvard:http://environmental‐technology.seas.harvard.edu/.Twojournalarticlesonthistopicinclude:C.D.Vecitis,M.H.Schnoor,Md.S.Rahaman,J.Schifmann,M.Elimelech,"ElectrochemicalMultiwalledCarbonNanotubeFilterforViralandBacterialRemovalandInactivation",EnvironmentalScience&Technology,2011,45,3672‐3679.C.D.Vecitis,G.Gao,H.Liu,"ElectrochemicalCarbonNanotubeFilterforAdsorption,Desorption,andOxidationofAqueousDyesandAnions",JournalofPhysicalChemistryC,2011,115,3621.
CleanUpTime:10minutesBesuretoemptythewaterfiltersofleftoverwaterbeforestoringthem.NotethattheLifeSavershouldbestoredwithasmallamountofwaterinittopreventtheultrafiltrationmembranefromdryingout.Asyoustorethefilters,makesurethatthe“clean”hosesorendsofthefilterremainseparate/protectedfromanysourceofcontamination.Donottouchthemwithhandsthatarewetwith“contaminated”water.Besuretoempty/replacethetankwithlocalriver/lakewatereveryweekortwo,orelsethestandingwaterwillbegintosmellandgrowthickwithalgae.Otherwiseputpropsaway/storeinabin/boxforthenextpresentation.
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UniversalDesignThisprogramhasbeendesignedtobeinclusiveofvisitors,includingvisitorsofdifferentages,backgrounds,anddifferentphysicalandcognitiveabilities.Thefollowingfeaturesoftheprogram’sdesignmakeitaccessible:[X] 1.Repeatandreinforcemainideasandconcepts
Severalkeyideasarerepeatedthroughouttheprogram,including:thatnaturalwatersourcesarecontaminatedwithmicrobesandchemicalsthataretosmalltosee;thesecontaminantsneedtoberemovedfromwaterbeforeitissafetodrink;newnanotechnologiescanhelpcleanthewaterwherewewanttouseit–simply,easilyandwithverylittlepower.
[X] 2.Providemultipleentrypointsandmultiplewaysofengagement
Inadditiontodemonstratingthetechnologiesinaction,severalphysicalanalogiesdescribinghowthesenanotechnologiesworkareprovidedtohelpvisitorsvisualizewhat’shappeningonthenanoscale‐comparingnanofilterstokitchensievesandmicrobestobeads;showingusingtheCNTandfoammodelstoshowhowcontaminantsadsorbtothesurfaceofthenanotube.
[X]3.Providephysicalandsensoryaccesstoallaspectsoftheprogram Inadditiontothevisualimagesontheslides,andtheverbaldescriptionsfromthe
presenters,therearenumerousphysicalprops(thatvisitorsmaytouchandexploreafterthepresentation)andseveralvideostoshowwhat’shappening.
Togiveaninclusivepresentationofthisprogram:Besuretospeakslowlyandclearly,facingtheaudienceanddonotobscureyourmouthwhenspeaking.Inviteaudiencememberstophysicallytouchandexplorethepropsaftertheshow.Holduppropsordisplaytheminamannerthattheycanbeseenbyeveryoneintheaudience.Thereisalotofinformationpackedintothisprogram;asaresult,itisimportanttoavoidsoundingoverlyprofessorialindeliveringit.Usingyourownpersonalstyleofhumoranddramacangoalongwayinbreakingupsomeoftheinformationhere.
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Credits
DevelopmentofthisproductwassupportedbytheNanoscaleScienceandEngineeringCenterheadquarteredatHarvardUniversity,theCenterforHigh‐rateNanomanufacturingatNortheasternUniversity,UniversityofMassachusetts‐Lowell,andUniversityofNewHampshire,withsupportfromtheNationalScienceFoundation.
DisseminationofthisprojectwassupportedbytheNationalScienceFoundationthroughtheNISENetworkunderAwardNo.0940143.Anyopinions,findings,andconclusionsorrecommendationsexpressedinthisprogramarethoseoftheauthoranddonotnecessarilyreflecttheviewsoftheFoundation.
PublishedunderaCreativeCommonsAttribution‐Noncommercial‐ShareAlikelicense:http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by‐nc‐sa/3.0/us/
