making better things happen

'Super sand' could improve drinking water

WASHINGTON (UPI) -- Australian scientists say ordinary sand, used tofilter and purify drinking water around the world, can be made into a"super sand" five times more efficient.

Researchers writing in the journal Applied Materials & Interfaces saythe material could be a low-cost benefit in developing countries wheremore than a billion people lack clean drinking water.

Sand has been used to purify water for more than 6,000 years, and sandor gravel water filtration is endorsed by the World HealthOrganization, researchers Mainak Majumder and his colleagues write,but their study of a nanomaterial called graphite oxide suggests itcould be used to improve sand filtration in a cost-effective way.

Sand grains coated with graphite oxide become a "super sand" that cansuccessfully remove mercury and other contaminants from water.

While ordinary sand was saturated with mercury after just 10 minutesof filtration, the super sand was capable of absorbing the heavy metalfor more than 50 minutes, the researchers said.

Its filtration "performance is comparable to some commerciallyavailable activated carbon," at much less cost, the scientists said.

 

Copyright 2011 by United Press International

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Hollecrest & Associates Inc  -"Turnaround Consultants"  .

Sunridge Lodge   "Back to Eden"  Quality 24/7 care
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promoting goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant, Brantford and Six Nations 

for the ladies

Scientists discover cause of gray hair

NEW YORK (UPI) -- Scientists at the Ito Lab at New York University'sLangone Medical Center say they have identified the protein thatcauses gray hair.

Researchers, using black mice as test subjects, isolated a proteinidentified as 'wnt' as the cause of gray hair and that a cure willeventually be found, ABC News reported.

"Mouse and the human hairs are very similar in the way that they arestructured and the way they contain melanocyte stem cells," said PiulRabbani, the graduate student leading the study. "We found that thewnt signaling pathway is activated the same way."

He said the wnt protein coordinates pigmentation between cells and thebreakthrough means the wnt protein could be added to hair groomingproducts or supplements, putting an end to graying hair.

"Our hair follicles and the pigmentation from the melanocyte stemcells work in a very similar fashion, so it definitely can be appliedat some point in the future," Rabbani told ABC News.

 

Copyright 2011 by United Press International

--
Hollecrest & Associates Inc  -"Turnaround Consultants"  .

Sunridge Lodge   "Back to Eden"  Quality 24/7 care
261 Oakhill Drive, Brantford  backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -
 
Brant Positive Action Group  "a positive community affirmative action group"

promoting goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant, Brantford and Six Nations