A small Japanese company has come up with a special powder that makes water cleaner within minutes and could improve water quality in developing countries or could even be used to provide emergency water supply after disasters. Poly-Glu powder sticks to dirt in water and makes it sink to the bottom.
It separates the dirt in water. Soybeans are used to make the effective coagulant. Dirt and pollutant are shifted to bottom of the container after they are mixed with the powder. Additional filtering with a strainer or cloth is needed to make the water safe for drinking. A self-contained tank that duplicates the results of the powder with larger water supplies is also available. It could help improve water quality in third-world countries.
The key ingredient of the powder is a polymer of the amino acid glutamic acid, a coagulant made from fermented soybeans, which helps quicken the coagulation of impurities in water. It is a safe and eco-friendly flocculant which has been applied in various fields such as food, industrial equipment and cosmetic materials.
One gram of the powder can treat up to 5L of polluted water, depending on the turbidity (cloudiness) of the water source. The product can also be used in water with varying acidity levels and temperatures. Waste water can be treated too; however it cannot be fully purified, requiring further filtering in order to be safe to drink.