Ceramic1 Water Purifier2

 

Broadcast: May 5, 2003
By Jill Moss¹

This is the VOA Special English Development Report.
Each year more than two-million people die from diseases caused by drinking dirty water. That is the estimate of the World Health Organization. Dirty water is a leading killer² in developing countries. Most of the victims are children.
Diarrhea, cholera³, typhoid, and infectious hepatitis are all spread through unclean water by bacteria or viruses. Malaria⁴, river blindness and dengue fever are spread by insects that lay their eggs in drinking water or live around water resources.
There are systems designed to make dirty water safe to drink. A group called Potters for Peace has developed a low-cost system for use by families. Potters for Peace is a non-governmental organization based in the United States and active in Central America. The system this group developed is called the Ceramic⁵ Water Purifier.
The purifier is a round container with a filter inside made of porous⁶ clay. Clay is hard earth. A process called firing strengthens it with intense heat. Porous means it still lets water flow through. But the clay acts as a filter. It traps harmful organisms. Also, the clay filter is painted with a substance called colloidal⁷ silver. Colloidal silver kills bacteria. It is used in water purification systems in many aircraft.
The purifier sits inside a larger container that catches and stores water as it flows through the filter. This larger container also protects the purifier from damage. The filter is supposed to be cleaned about once a month to make sure water is still able to flow through. Potters for Peace suggests that users replace the filter after a year. Ceramic water purifiers are being used in developing countries around the world. They first became popular in Ecuador and Guatemala. Today they are being used throughout Central and South America, and in parts of Africa and Asia.
Ceramic water purifiers can help communities meet their water needs. But Potters for Peace says they can also help communities earn money. With a little training, local artists can produce and sell the containers that hold the purifier.
You can find out more about the Ceramic Water Purifier at the Potters for Peace Web site. That address is w-w-w-dot-p-o-t-p-a-z-dot-o-r-g. Again, p-o-t-p-a-z-dot-o-r-g. (www.potpaz.org)
This VOA Special English Development Report was written by Jill Moss.

1. ceramic [sI5rAmIk] adj. 陶器的
2. purifier [5pjuErIfaIE] n. 清洁者, 清洁器, 精制的,精炼者

1 moss   

n.苔，藓，地衣

参考例句：

• Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
• He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。

2 killer   

n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者

参考例句：

• Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
• The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。

3 cholera   

n.霍乱

参考例句：

• The cholera outbreak has been contained.霍乱的发生已被控制住了。
• Cholera spread like wildfire through the camps.霍乱在营地里迅速传播。

4 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。

5 ceramic   

n.制陶业，陶器，陶瓷工艺

参考例句：

• The order for ceramic tiles has been booked in.瓷砖的订单已登记下来了。
• Some ceramic works of art are shown in this exhibition.这次展览会上展出了一些陶瓷艺术品。

6 porous   

adj.可渗透的，多孔的

参考例句：

• He added sand to the soil to make it more porous.他往土里掺沙子以提高渗水性能。
• The shell has to be slightly porous to enable oxygen to pass in.外壳不得不有些细小的孔以便能使氧气通过。

7 colloidal   

adj. 胶状的, 胶质的

参考例句：

• Colloidal particles are bombarded by molecules of the dispersion medium. 胶粒会受到分散介质分子的碰撞。
• Frictional behavior is modified by colloidal silica or starch deposition. 耐磨损性能可以通过在织物上沉淀胶状硅或淀粉一类物质而得到改善。