Description
We propose an easy-to-use purification treatment
for water with recommended dosages that are sufficient for efficient purification of water.
The solution will entail chlorophyll to eliminate the unpalatable taste effects, resulting in an
odorless and water-clear drinking water supply. It relies on the hydroxyl radical to purify the
water with adequate processes to remove unreacted hydrogen peroxide. Another attractive feature
of this solution is that the invasive hyacinth can be used as a source of chlorophyll which reacts
with hydrogen peroxide to generate the hydroxyl radical. Other sources
of chlorophyll include wheat grass which can be cultivated on the island and developed to produce
a marketable product; a simple procedure for growing the wheatgrass is attached. The nutritional
benefits are obvious.
The hydroxyl radical,
OH·, is the neutral form of the hydroxide ion (OH–).
Hydroxyl radicals are highly reactive and consequently short-lived; however, they form an important
part of radical chemistry. Most notably hydroxyl radicals are produced from the decomposition of hydro-peroxides (ROOH) or, in atmospheric chemistry, by the reaction of excited atomic oxygen with water. Hydroxyl radicals are also produced during UV-light dissociation of H2O2 (suggested in
1879) and likely in Fenton chemistry, where trace amounts of reduced transition metals catalyze peroxide-mediated oxidations of organic compounds.
