4.20.2010

World's Most Useful Tree

  • ~1 billion people worldwide drink untreated surface water
    • 2 million of this population (mostly children <5 yrs old) die from disease caused by contaminated water.
  • Moringa oleifera is a vegetable tree commonly grown in the developing world.
    • "One of the world's most useful trees"
      • Drought resistant
      • Provides oil for cooking & lighting
      • Soil fertilizer
      • Pods, leaves, seeds, & flowers are edible and highly nutritious
  • *Simple, low-cost, natural water treatment uses seeds from the tree*
    • Reduces water-borne bacteria by 90-99%
    • Reduces water turbidity (cloudiness due to suspended debris) by 80-99.5%
  • The most significant part of this is not the purification technique itself, but the public access granted by the researchers at Clearinghouse. http://www.currentprotocols.com/protocol/mc01g02
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100303082804.htm

No comments:

Post a Comment