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Arthur T Knackerbracket has processed the following story:
The water coming out of your faucet is safe to drink, but that doesn't mean it's completely clean. Chlorine has long been the standard for water treatment, but it often contains trace levels of disinfection byproducts and unknown contaminants. Georgia Institute of Technology researchers developed the minus approach to handle these harmful byproducts.
Instead of relying on traditional chemical addition (known as the plus approach), the minus approach avoids disinfectants, chemical coagulants, and advanced oxidation processes typical to water treatment processes. It uses a unique mix of filtration methods to remove byproducts and pathogens, enabling water treatment centers to use ultraviolet light and much smaller doses of chemical disinfectants to minimize future bacterial growth down the distribution system.
"The minus approach is a groundbreaking philosophical concept in water treatment," said Yongsheng Chen, the Bonnie W. and Charles W. Moorman IV Professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering. "Its primary objective is to achieve these outcomes while minimizing the reliance on chemical treatments, which can give rise to various issues in the main water treatment stream."
Chen and his student Elliot Reid, the primary author, presented the minus approach in the paper, "The Minus Approach Can Redefine the Standard of Practice of Drinking Water Treatment," in the Environmental Science & Technology journal.
The minus approach physically separates emerging contaminants and disinfection byproducts from the main water treatment process using these already proven processes:
The minus approach is intended to engage the water community in designing safer, more sustainable, and more intelligent systems. Because its technologies are already available and proven, the minus approach can be implemented immediately.
Journal information: Environmental Science & Technology
More information: Elliot Reid et al, The Minus Approach Can Redefine the Standard of Practice of Drinking Water Treatment, Environmental Science & Technology (2023). DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c09389
(Score: 4, Insightful) by JoeMerchant on Friday September 15 2023, @07:17PM (15 children)
I have long believed that pesticides and weed suppression chemicals are a terrible idea for large scale farming.
There are systems coming out now that optically identify weeds in row crops and kill them with lasers - the minus approach - as opposed to the plus approach of spraying on herbicides, modifying the crops to be herbicide resistant, etc.
Questionable whether or not we want our self-targeting robot laser tractors to be taught to kill animal pests in the field as well...
🌻🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by VLM on Friday September 15 2023, @07:51PM (14 children)
weeds don't move and don't sweat so a pretty wimpy laser can wilt them to 140F in a couple minutes then they're done. Takes a lot higher energy flux to zap bugs and rabbits. Huge difference like battery powered zapper vs you're gonna need water cooling for that mini-death-star from star wars.
(Score: 4, Informative) by JoeMerchant on Friday September 15 2023, @07:54PM (3 children)
The machine I saw is large enough to carry lasers that powerful, and the power source to drive them too:
https://carbonrobotics.com/ [carbonrobotics.com]
🌻🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by VLM on Friday September 15 2023, @08:16PM (2 children)
Wow saw the video they're going for a vaporization kill.
I 'weedburner' a patio once in a while and you don't need to incinerate weeds until the charcoal vaporizes, just cook them to well done then hit the missed spots a week later which is vastly faster and takes less propane.
These guys are indeed going full on "death star" per the video. Impressive!
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Friday September 15 2023, @09:34PM (1 child)
Go big or go home.
I too propane torch my sidewalk cracks, unfortunately one place I lived the sidewalk would spall from the heat before the weeds would really die. It has a lot to do with the species, I think.
🌻🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 16 2023, @09:58AM
Dandelions are a bugger for this, the tap root usually survives the incineration, and as you've just added some fertiliser composed of the ash of it's now dead competitors to the surrounding soil, it's remarkable how fast it'll grow back.
I've been told that the electric hot air guns work better for weeds like this as the forced stream of 300-450°C air to the soil at the base of the plant penetrates the soil better and deeper than the heat of the flame from a torch, so is more effective at zapping the root systems.
I've not been able to verify this myself, as I've still not yet found one of these electric weed wands/guns that I've been willing to buy, not being happy about the poor construction of the ones I've looked at.
Once we've a couple of dry days forecast, I'm hitting my weed ridden path with an initial spraying of acetic acid then following it up with the gas torch a couple of days later (gas torch, as my paraffin/kerosene flame gun is currently U/S, and the current prices of spare parts for it are fecking ridiculous..)
(Score: 3, Touché) by RS3 on Friday September 15 2023, @10:12PM (9 children)
"weeds don't move and don't sweat"
Oh no? So you haven't seen Little Shop of Horrors, or other similarly fine works of cinematic excellence (cough cough) ? [scariesthings.com]
:)
(Score: 3, Funny) by Reziac on Saturday September 16 2023, @05:15AM (8 children)
I see you've been to my back pasture, aka Jurassic Weedpark.
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
(Score: 3, Touché) by RS3 on Saturday September 16 2023, @06:22AM (7 children)
DNA editing going well as usual?
(Score: 4, Funny) by Reziac on Saturday September 16 2023, @06:39AM (6 children)
I'm thinking of introducing dinosaurs to keep it grazed down...
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
(Score: 2) by RS3 on Saturday September 16 2023, @02:26PM (5 children)
The obvious choice would be herbivores. However, carnivores will solve the problem of the lazy landowner. Food for thought? Or maybe carnivorous dinosaurs don't think? :)
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Saturday September 16 2023, @04:02PM (4 children)
A couple of big herbivores to keep the jungle in check, and a couple of midrange carnivores to keep nosy neighbors away....
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
(Score: 2) by RS3 on Saturday September 16 2023, @04:09PM (3 children)
Hmmm, I might buy a couple of those if you have some to spare.
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Saturday September 16 2023, @04:48PM (2 children)
First I need a stable breeding population... but I'll put you on the list.
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
(Score: 2) by RS3 on Saturday September 16 2023, @06:52PM (1 child)
There are dinosaur populations that breed in stables? :)
No thanks, I'm not interested in breeding with dinosaurs, in or not in a stable.
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Saturday September 16 2023, @07:30PM
My nefarious scheme is exposed! Was hoping to take advantage of the craze for dino porn with a live-action film...
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.