The Safe Global Water Institute: An integrated, collaborative approach for improving drinking water and sanitation globally

摘要

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently published a progress update for MillenniumrnDevelopment Goal 7, Target 10 dealing with sustainable access to safe drinking water and basicrnsanitation. As of 2010, 780 million people lack access to improved water sources globally, andrnmany more drink unsafe water. Additionally, source waters can easily become contaminatedrnfrom animal and human waste with 2.5 billion people worldwide lacking access to improvedrnsanitation (WHO, 2012). Waterborne pathogens in contaminated drinking water sources arernespecially concerning because of their ability to cause high levels of morbidity and mortality.rnThe recently established Safe Global Water Institute (SGWI) focuses on safe water andrnsanitation through fundamental research, the development of novel technologies, and buildingrninstitutional and human capacity. This presentation will highlight some of the current transdisciplinaryrnefforts of the SGWI.rnThis research focuses on waterborne viruses because of their virulence and resistance torndisinfectants, and also the limited knowledge available. Adenovirus, a human pathogenic virusrnpresent globally in drinking water sources, is highly resistant to monochloramine, low-pressurernultraviolet light, and solar disinfection. With a more fundamental understanding of howrndisinfectants inactivate viruses on a molecular level, more robust treatment technologies forrnhighly resistant viruses like adenovirus can be designed and implemented globally. Additionally,rnthis research studies the inactivation kinetics of a potential bacteriophage surrogate forrnadenovirus that will enable treatment technologies to be more easily tested in the laboratory andrnchallenged in the field. There is currently no field method to test for infectious viruses inrndrinking water sources, and therefore the SGWI is engaging in research to develop a novelrnsensor to detect infectious adenovirus in drinking water.rnLastly, the SGWI strengthens collaborations between scientists, engineers, and sociologists in thernUS and developing regions. This presentation will emphasize SGWI partnerships in EasternrnAfrica including universities, NGOs, government agencies, and rural communities. Thesernpartnerships have involved surveying community members and analyzing source and householdrnwater quality with students from several international universities. At the University of Illinois,rnchemistry and social science graduate students from the University of Nairobi have beenrnworking with engineers on appropriate technologies for the region. The SGWI is working tornimprove drinking water and sanitation by engaging multidisciplinary international partners,rndeveloping novel technologies, and building capacity globally.