Copper-coated jute beads are extremely useful in preventing microbial contamination of water.
Many parts of India have widespread water contamination and the resultant spread of water-borne diseases is a regular ordeal for the citizens and administration. Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras have come up with an affordable and easy to implement method to ensure portability of water.
Dr Dilip Kumar Chand, Department of Chemistry, IIT Madras and Randhir Rai, his research student, have demonstrated that copper-coated jute beads are extremely useful in preventing microbial contamination of water. They contend that this method could drastically bring down cases of water-borne diseases in the country and solve the prevalent water contamination problem.
The simple contraption of jute beads coated with cuprous oxide or copper floats on water and is not only a good antimicrobial, but is also cost effective, as the jute beads are derived from jute sticks, an agricultural waste.