Inactivate pathogens to reduce health outbreaks with mechanoluminescence - William Miller

photo from Nature Oct 22, 2008

Think of Haiti and the UN workers whose cholera waste contaminated the aid camps unleashing untold suffering.  What if the cholera waste could have been sterilized with low-cost x-rays?  What if these x-rays could also directly provide germicidal effects on water as well?  This could be achieved by the x-rays themselves, or by the stimulation of a fluorescent material that fluoresces in the germicidal UV range of a wavelength of around 260 nm.

The method works without electricity and could be propelled by gravity, water pressure, wind, solar, or a hand-crank in emergency situations.  Adhesive tape has been studied since the 1950s to show a form of triboluminescence in ambient STP and when peeled from its roll in a vacuum, photons of x-rays are generated with energies of around 10 KeV.  This tape dispenser could be disposable or reloadable or recharged with adhesive periodically.  Engineering needs to be worked out, but the idea has some merit.

UV disinfection with mercury lamps is a tried and true technology (mercury is a bit of an issue especially if it is inside the plumbing of a potable water supply).  LEDs at the UV germicidal effect are not available currently and when they do become available will be costly until economies of scale kick in and will be a welcome replacement to the toxic mercury lamps.  But in the meantime, x-rays do have an advantage over UV sterilization which requires water with low-turbidity.  X-rays have the potential to penetrate turbid waters and even solid waste inactivating pathogens in the shadow of suspended particles.