‘Boiling the water or even filtering it won’t help’

Photo Credit: Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand

Scientists have found a water purification method combining ultraviolet light and chlorine that makes contaminated water safe to drink during toxic algae outbreaks, per Phys.org.

This discovery addresses an issue affecting drinking supplies across the globe. When certain blue-green organisms multiply quickly in nutrient-rich waters, they release substances that can cause health problems.

“Boiling the water or even filtering it won’t help because that doesn’t remove the toxins, which target your liver,” noted Minghao Kong, a doctoral graduate from the University of Cincinnati.

Kong, who now studies environmental health at Emory University, served as lead author on the paper published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. The research builds on previous work examining various water treatment methods that protect public health.

This breakthrough is particularly significant as dangerous algae are more frequent in lakes and reservoirs worldwide. The poisonous compounds these microscopic organisms produce reached crisis levels in California’s Clear Lake (2014) and Florida’s Lake Okeechobee (2021), forcing authorities to issue do-not-drink warnings to residents.

Kong explained that these toxic events aren’t new. Researchers have speculated that some dinosaur fossils discovered near water sources in Madagascar may have perished because of prehistoric toxic algae events.

The new UV/chlorine solution offers a more reliable method that safeguards public health while protecting natural resources. Lab experiments showed this combined approach degraded toxins much more effectively than chlorine alone.

One concern was whether the treatment might create harmful byproducts. The team’s careful testing confirmed this wasn’t an issue. “Our tests confirmed that resulting byproduct concentrations remained within safe limits,” Kong explained in the university report.

The most promising aspect of this technology is its compatibility with existing treatment systems. Researchers verified that the combined approach successfully lowered toxin concentrations below safety thresholds established by global health organizations while maintaining acceptable levels of any secondary compounds.

This advancement means your community’s water facility might soon implement this technique to protect against toxic algae. With its low chemical demand and energy consumption, the UV/chlorine treatment offers an efficient and practical solution to a growing environmental challenge.

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