Arsenic water safety breakthrough (BBC)

Arsenic-contaminated water can be made drinkable cheaply and simply using tiny crystals related to rust, scientists at Rice University in Texas say.

The US team says that particles of iron oxide can bind themselves to large amounts of arsenic in water.

When a strong magnet is placed above the particles, they clump together like iron filings and are simple to remove.

If confirmed it could help nearly 60 million people in Bangladesh who drink water with dangerous arsenic levels.

The researchers from Rice University's Centre for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology report their work in the journal Science.
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more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6136970.stm

This ... is amazing. Apparently, they can make the nanoparticles simply by heating flakes of rust in coconut or olive oil. Talk about benefits of 'appropriate' technology!

makes lots of Iron Hydroxide...