Panasonic has developed its own photocatalytic water purification technology, to solve drinking-water issues worldwide.

The technology uses photocatalysis and the ultra-violet (UV) rays from sunlight to detoxify polluted water at high speeds, creating safe and drinkable water.

About 70 per cent of the population in India uses water not from taps but primarily from under the ground, which has harmful substances such as agrochemical residues, the arsenic of Himalayan ore veins, and hexavalent chromium produced from leather tanneries, said a statement.

This contamination has come to be seen as a societal problem, having caused health problems for as many as 50 million people, it said.

The processes have two core technological developments including achieving a high capacity to decompose toxic substances with synthesis technology of photocatalysts; and achieving high processing speeds with water purification technology that disperses photocatalytic materials.

Along with being driven by light, another key feature of photocatalysts is that they remove any necessity of pharmaceuticals. As such, they offer a low-cost and environmentally friendly way of treating water, said the statement.

Panasonic aims to provide this water to small rural communities, using trucks equipped with photocatalytic water purification systems. Beyond this, the company is looking at linking up with local water supply operators to establish water purification facilities, and is also considering the licensing of this technology to businesses.

It is also working to lower costs and maintenance requirements with the water purification systems - its aim being to make this technology available right across India and other emerging nations. - TradeArabia News Service