Contaminated drinking water poses a significant threat to public health and welfare. Among the most dangerous contaminants are lead and copper, which have been linked to numerous health problems, particularly in children. However, recent studies have shown that regulations aimed at curbing these contaminants in drinking water can not only help battle these public health…
Lead contamination in drinking water is an increasingly alarming issue that has been plaguing major cities across the United States. While high-profile cases such as Flint, Michigan, and Washington, D.C., have brought attention to this issue, they are sadly not isolated instances. From Jackson, Mississippi, to Chicago, Illinois, numerous cities are grappling with dangerous levels…
Uruguay, an established, thriving country with historically abundant water resources, now faces a severe water scarcity crisis affecting over half of its population. Years of underinvestment in water infrastructure and three consecutive years of drought have led to the depletion of the single reservoir supplying water to the metropolitan area around the capital, Montevideo. As…
As the world continues to face water scarcity challenges, it’s crucial to learn from past crises to help us prepare for the future better. In 2017, Cape Town, South Africa, faced an alarming water shortage crisis, which threatened to cut off the city’s water supply. The city’s “Day Zero” crisis demonstrated the importance of prioritizing…
US citizens expect access to clean and safe drinking water, yet hundreds of thousands across the country are being denied this basic right. From Houston, Texas to Jackson, Mississippi, residents in numerous American cities face daily struggles accessing clean water for their families and communities – a critical issue that has become a stark reality…
Purafy’s project leader Dr. Arghavan Mirahsani is working with two professors in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Queen’s University, Dr. Louise Meunier and Dr. Ehssan Koupaie, on a recently awarded NSERC Alliance, which will develop a “Graphene Kidney” mechanism to treat Canadian waters contaminated with polyfluoroalkyl substances. What are PFAS? Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are…
In April 2022, Purafy announced its partnership with researchers at Queen’s University and St. Lawrence College to test its innovative new greywater recycling system at Kate’s Rest Foundation, a property that provides permanent housing geared towards people who were once homeless or were at risk of homelessness in Prince Edward County, Ontario. Greywater is wastewater…
Canada is currently dealing with a massive problem that affects millions of people, but most people have never heard of it!. The country is in the process of identifying, and replacing, thousands of asbestos lead pipes that could be poisoning citizens’ drinking water. This is an urgent issue as there are at least 85 Canadian…
For many, plastic water bottles are an essential part of their everyday lives. But for the environment, they are a source of unnecessary pollution. Hawaii’s latest iteration of a plastic ban may arrive in 2024, this time restricting the use of plastic water bottles in an effort to stop water pollution. The Problem with Single-Use…
If you’ve ever wondered how seawater can be transformed into safe, drinkable freshwater, the answer lies in desalination. Desalination is a process used to remove salt and other impurities from seawater so that it can be consumed as drinking water. This process has been around for centuries, but technological advancements have made it more efficient…