Water + Salt + Energy = Clean!

codesmith.ca writes "CTV News is reporting about a device built at the Russian Institute for Medical Engineering that can convert standard water and salt into an antimicrobial solution. Apparently it's works on almost anything (virii, bacteria, cysts...) and it's safe for human consumption to boot. I can't find a site for the institute, but there are articles around. This one is fairly detailed, but hard to reach. Here's the Google cache. Here's one about a paper shows it's not exactly super-new technology." Any chemist care to comment on what sounds to be too good to be true?

Comments

Hmm... I'm sceptical.

[26199]

Let's have a look at that CTV report:

The resulting solution is so energy rich, it dissolves all microbes it comes in contact with, in water, on objects and on human skin. It also happens to be odorless, colorless, and completely safe for human consumption.

It dissolves microbes, but is safe for human consumption? Is anyone else not convinced?

Researchers said the technique used to control bacteria, viruses, cysts and germs is 200 to 300 times more efficient than any other purification alternative.

200 to 300 times more efficient, how, exactly? And what does it do to help cysts?

(and, er, what's the difference between a virus and a germ?)

The process is cheap. It costs just fractions of a penny to purify a litre of water. Researchers have even been able to take spoiled milk and, by passing it through the Emerald, make it fresh once again. Sounds like science fiction, doesn't it?

Yep... it does. Sorry.

Difference between a virus and a germ

[AlaskanUnderachiever]

Bare with me, biology was a LONG time ago and chemistry was more recent.
A virus is basically a self replicating (with a hosts help) package of RNA.

A germ (or bacteria) is a single celled organism.

Here's the problem as I see it. "spoiled" milk is not JUST caused by bacterial action. It's also a chemical conversion of lactose and lipids. Unless this stuff is some Uber-Converter that can reverse time, this story is full of crap. Now, it COULD have enough energy to 'dissolve' the biological matter present in it. Hell, if I put a huge current though an ionic solution, I can almost guarantee everything in it is going to be toast too.

That's not remarkable, that's bad swimming pool pump maintenace.