Lecturer makes cheap water filter for people

Ms. Xuan Thuy is always concerned with research that contributes to the environment and people's lives - Photo: D.NHAN

Associate Professor, Dr. Le Thi Xuan Thuy, lecturer of the Faculty of Environment at the University of Technology (University of Danang) owns four environmental patents and is dedicated to inspiring students with a passion for scientific research.

Besides, her solutions and inventions contribute to environmental protection and bring benefits to people.

Research for the community

In 2012, after completing her doctoral program in life and environmental sciences at Tokushima University (Japan), Dr. Xuan Thuy returned to Da Nang and worked at the Faculty of Environment, University of Technology (University of Da Nang).

From here, the young lecturer began his journey to ignite environmental inventions with students.

Talking about her inventions with her students and colleagues, Ms. Thuy shared that the multi-layer water filter is the invention that left the most impression on her.

Many years ago, realizing that her family's domestic water was dirty, Ms. Thuy spent a lot of time surveying and evaluating the quality of water tanks of more than 500 other households in Da Nang City. From there, she discovered that most of the water tanks of the households had a layer of dirt at the bottom.

Ms. Thuy and her students quickly set up research groups to create multi-layer water filtration products with the hope of helping households use cleaner water.

The solution Ms. Thuy proposed was to make a device to hold materials such as quartz sand, cotton, activated carbon, etc. to filter water. The device is divided into many separate compartments, so it is quite easy to change and wash the filter material and save costs.

Through many tests, the device has been proven to be able to filter dirt, separate heavy metal ions, silt... for cleaner, safer water, equivalent to water filters on the market, but at a very low price - only from 500,000 VND.

Inventing a product that can reach even the most disadvantaged and low-income people is the goal that Ms. Thuy and her colleagues are aiming for.

With the project called “multi-layer groundwater filtration device”, Ms. Thuy and her research groups have succeeded with different projects in all three areas of water, soil and air environment.

Among them, three other notable projects were also granted protection by the Intellectual Property Office, including a method of treating wastewater contaminated with heavy metal ions using magnetic materials coated with gamma-poly glutamic acid (Gama-PGM), a multi-layer vermicomposting device to treat agricultural waste, and a votive paper burning box.

Promote research movement among students

In addition to teaching, Ms. Thuy is a lecturer who has devoted much of her passion to research projects and environmental inventions of students, trainees and postgraduates over the years. She is especially willing to withdraw her own money to "invest" in the initial stages of student research.

“Integrating scientific research topics with competitions or awards from organizations so that students have the opportunity to receive certificates of merit and bonuses is also a way for them to feel recognized for their efforts and gain more motivation for their research,” said Ms. Thuy.

Not letting her inventions remain on paper, Ms. Thuy and her students find ways to bring their research to remote areas where people are facing water problems and economic difficulties.

The first step was to treat saline water for people in Ly Son island district, then to treat alum-contaminated water for people in Tam Hai island commune. When listening to Nguyen Duc Tri (25 years old), a former student of Da Nang University of Technology, talking about the situation of many households in Ly Son island district having to use saline water, Ms. Thuy encouraged her students to come and help the people.

“The students have learned all the processes and methods at school. When they go to the island, I am just a guide to help them make the most of the resources and materials that the people have available to reduce costs to the lowest level, so that the proposed solutions are more accessible to the people,” said Ms. Thuy.

People's lives are improved

Mr. Tran Anh Minh - a resident of Ly Son island district - said that everyone knows that the water source that people have been using is contaminated with salt, but they still accept using it because no one has helped them to completely handle the problem.

“After being treated by Duc Tri’s student group, the salinity of the water has significantly decreased. This water treatment project has greatly improved my family’s life. Before, people had to carry bulky water tanks and spent a lot of money. While using filters, you can just stay at home and spend only 1/4 of the previous cost,” said Mr. Minh.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/giang-vien-lam-loc-nuoc-gia-re-cho-nguoi-dan-20240813002957311.htm