A water-purification technology developed at Auburn University has been granted registration by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The technology, used in appropriately designed drinking water devices, could save lives in remote areas or during natural disasters. Dave Worley, professor in the department of chemistry and biochemistry in Auburn’s College of Sciences and Mathematics, developed the technology that Seattle-based HaloSource, Inc., is commercializing as “HaloPure Br.” The company, which pays royalties to Auburn through a licensing agreement, markets the technology as a disinfecting cartridge to drinking water device manufacturers around the world. “The EPA registration not only will benefit U.S. citizens but also will help provide safe, clean drinking water to consumers in many other countries,” Worley says. “Once the U.S. EPA grants registration to a new technology, many other countries will adopt the view that it is safe and proven.” The technology involves attaching biocidal bromine onto porous beads for use in inexpensive disinfecting cartridges that can be incorporated into water purification and filtration devices, Worley explains. “Bacteria and viruses are killed on contact at the point-of-use. Chlorine also can be used, but bromine is more effective at killing germs.” To activate the cartridges, brominated water is passed through them to anchor the bromine atoms to the beads. When untreated water contaminated with bacteria, mold, or virus cells passes through the HaloPure cartridge, the cells pick up the bromine atoms, which sink into the cells and kill them. The cartridges can be engineered to ensure the safety of stored water and to control biofilm and slime formation downstream of the cartridge. HaloSource, established in 1998 on the potential of Worley’s discoveries, already has received regulatory approval in India, China, and Brazil, where the technology has been marketed since 2007. In the U.S., potential end users include municipalities, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Homeland Security, and the military, as well as hikers, backpackers, and campers, says Jeff Williams, HaloSource senior vice president and chief technology officer. “This technology has the potential for saving lives when there are no inexpensive means available for disinfecting drinking water,” he adds.

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Posted July 1st, 2009 under Tech Transfer

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