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LONDON, Nov. 18, 2003 — Uri Sagman has a vision in which he sees abundant fresh water — especially for those who live regions where the resource is scarce. And the Canadian scientist/entrepreneur believes the solution to this scarcity, one of the world’s leading environmental problems, can be found in nanotechnology.
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According to ITT Industries, a fluid technology company, about 2 billion people could face water scarcity by 2050. The issue is already the most pressing environmental problem in the Middle East and security analysts see it is a likely cause of future conflict in the region.
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To combat the problem, Sagman launched the Nanotechnology Clean Water Initiative at CMP Cientifica’s recent World Nano Economic Congress in London. “Almost every aspect of nanotechnology can be used to alleviate the water scarcity problem. This is potentially the biggest single application of nanoscience,” Sagman said.
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The Canadian has already established himself as one of his country’s leading lights in the business of nanotechnology as president and co-founder of C Sixty Inc., now based in Houston.
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Sagman said that the water initiative has significant backing from several governments. “Canada has a lot of experience in the water purification technology. … It has one of the world’s largest supplies of fresh water and has developed a lot of technology in this field.” Sagman has also met with the Swiss government to discuss the initiative, as well as U.S. state agencies.
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The Israeli government has already agreed to collaborate. Last year, Israel created its Israeli National Nanotechnology Initiative (INNI), which has invested about $150 million in nanotechnology with an annual operating budget of around $25 million, according to Einat Wilf, managing director of the Israeli Nanotechnology Trust, the fund-raising and distribution arm of the INNI.
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Israel is looking to focus its nanotech research on a few areas of local importance, including desalination. The region already conducts leading research into desalination techniques at the Ashkelon Desalination Plant and the Grand Water Research Institute.
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The first fruits of the initiative are expected to come from three areas: pure membrane technology, integration of energy and membrane components and development of nanosensors. Research is being carried by five research universities in Israel, including the Weizmann Institute of Science, the Technion — Israel Institute of Technology, Tel Aviv University and Bar-Ilan University.
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Shimon Peres, the former Israeli foreign minister and prime minister, has been instrumental in setting up the initiative.
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“I don’t want to get too political about this, but we are also seeking to work with other countries in the region. This is going to be a very important political issue” Sagman said.
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However, the initiative is not expected to develop any major new technologies, but rather exploit existing technologies more effectively. “We are not going to reinvent the wheel, but you will get an incremental improvement by leveraging off these technologies” Sagman said.
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He’s looking to set up a conference that will bring together scientists, researchers, utility companies, governments and nongovernmental organizations focused on water issues.
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Water purification is already a major area in nanoscience research. German chemical group BASF’s future business fund has devoted a significant proportion of its $105 million nanotech research fund to water purification techniques.
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French utility company Generale Des Eaux has also developed its own Nanofiltration technology in collaboration with Dow Chemical subsidiary Filmtec. Generale des Eaux has also been selling its technology to others. Most recently, Israel signed a turnkey contract for a nanofiltration plant adapted for seawater.
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Competitor Ondeo, the water unit of French conglomerate Suez, has meanwhile installed what it calls an ultrafiltration system, with holes of 0.1 microns in size, in one of its plants outside Paris.
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One significant application of nanotechnology in water filtration is its ability to obviate the need for large industrial size purification plants.
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Argonide Corp., a Miami-based group that produces aluminium oxide nanofibers, has developed a filtration system for NASA, which will enable large amounts of water to be filtered without the need for large high pressure pumps. The filters work using positively charged aluminium oxide fibers that attract negatively charged pathogens and other impurities. “The potential for sanitizing drinking water for pharmaceutical, medical and home use is remarkable”, said Argonide President Fred Tepper.