A young scientist's quest for clean water | Deepika Kurup

譯者: Mingyu Cui 審譯者: Regina Chu

Every summer, my family and I travel across the world,

每年夏天我和我的家人 都會橫跨世界

3,000 miles away

到 4800 公里之外、

to the culturally diverse country of India.

文化多樣的印度旅行。

Now, India is a country infamous for its scorching heat and humidity.

印度是一個因炎熱 和潮濕而出名的國家。

For me, the only relief from this heat is to drink plenty of water.

對我來說，唯一能讓我從 這灼熱中解脫的，就是喝水。

Now, while in India,

在印度的時候，

my parents always remind me to only drink boiled or bottled water,

我父母總是提醒我 只能喝燒過的水或瓶裝水，

because unlike here in America,

因為與美國這裡不同，

where I can just turn on a tap and easily get clean, potable water,

這裡水龍頭流的都是 乾淨的自來水，

in India, the water is often contaminated.

但是在印度，水常常是被汙染的。

So my parents have to make sure

所以我父母必須確保

that the water we drink is safe.

我們喝的水是安全的。

However, I soon realized

然而我很快就意識到

that not everyone is fortunate enough

不是每個人都像我們一樣幸運，

to enjoy the clean water we did.

能喝到乾淨的水。

Outside my grandparents' house in the busy streets of India,

我看到在我祖父母的房子外，

在印度的大街小巷裡，

I saw people standing in long lines

人們在大太陽下排著長隊，

under the hot sun

filling buckets with water from a tap.

從水龍頭往桶裡接水。

I even saw children,

我甚至看到

一些看起來和我一樣大的孩子，

who looked the same age as me,

filling up these clear plastic bottles

裝滿整塑膠瓶

with dirty water from streams on the roadside.

路邊小河裡的髒水。

Watching these kids

我看到這些孩子

forced to drink water

不得不喝

that I felt was too dirty to touch

我連碰都覺得髒的水，

changed my perspective on the world.

我的世界觀因此改變了。

This unacceptable social injustice

這種令人不能接受的社會不公義

compelled me to want to find a solution

促使我想要找到

解決世界淨水問題的方法。

to our world's clean water problem.

I wanted to know why these kids lacked water,

我想要知道為什麼這些 孩子如此缺水，

a substance that is essential for life.

它可是生命的必需品。

And I learned that we are facing

我發現我們正面臨著

a global water crisis.

全球水源危機。

Now, this may seem surprising,

這可能令你驚訝，

as 75 percent of our planet is covered in water,

因為地球表面的 75% 都是水，

but only 2.5 percent of that is freshwater,

但是只有 2.5% 是淡水，

and less than one percent of Earth's freshwater supply

而淡水中只有不到 1%，

is available for human consumption.

可以供人類使用。

With rising populations,

隨著人口的增長，

industrial development and economic growth,

工業和經濟的發展，

our demand for clean water is increasing,

我們對乾淨水的需求越來越大，

yet our freshwater resources are rapidly depleting.

但我們的淡水資源正被迅速地消耗。

According to the World Health Organization,

根據世界衛生組織的數據，

660 million people in our world

世界上有 6 億 6 千萬人

lack access to a clean water source.

缺少淨水資源。

Lack of access to clean water is a leading cause of death

缺少淨水資源是發展中國家

in children under the age of five in developing countries,

五歲以下兒童死亡的主要原因。

and UNICEF estimates that 3,000 children

聯合國兒童基金會估計

每天有 3000 名兒童死於 與水有關的疾病。

die every day from a water-related disease.

So after returning home one summer in eighth grade,

所以國中二年級的夏天 我回家的時候，

I decided that I wanted to combine my passion

我決定要把

for solving the global water crisis

我對解決全球水源危機的熱情，

with my interest in science.

與我對科學的興趣結合起來。

So I decided that the best thing to do

於是我決定

would be to convert my garage into a laboratory.

把我的車庫改裝成實驗室。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Actually, at first I converted my kitchen into a laboratory,

其實最開始我把家裡 廚房改成了實驗室，

but my parents didn't really approve and kicked me out.

但我父母並不贊成，把我趕出去了。

I also read a lot of journal papers on water-related research,

我還讀了許多 關於水研究的學術論文，

and I learned that currently in developing countries,

我了解到現在在發展中國家，

something called solar disinfection,

一種叫太陽能消毒，

or SODIS, is used to purify water.

又叫陽光殺菌法的方法 被用來淨化水。

In SODIS, clear plastic bottles are filled with contaminated water

陽光殺菌法就是把裝著汙水的塑料瓶

and then exposed to sunlight for six to eight hours.

放在陽光下曬 6 到 8 小時。

The UV radiation from the sun

太陽的紫外線

destroys the DNA of these harmful pathogens

能夠破壞有害病原體的 DNA，

and decontaminates the water.

從而淨水。

Now, while SODIS is really easy to use and energy-efficient,

儘管陽光殺菌法很好用，

as it only uses solar energy,

又因僅僅利用太陽能而節省能源，

it's really slow,

這方法實在太慢了，

as it can take up to two days when it's cloudy.

因為陰天的時候就要花兩天，

So in order to make the SODIS process faster,

所以為了加快陽光消毒法的進程，

this new method called photocatalysis

一項名為光催化法的技術

has recently been used.

最近開始興起。

So what exactly is this photocatalysis?

光催化法到底是什麼呢？

Let's break it down:

我來解釋一下：

"photo" means from the sun,

「光」指從太陽來，

and a catalyst is something that speeds up a reaction.

催化劑是一種能使反應加速的物質。

So what photocatalysis is doing

所以光催化法

is it's just speeding up this solar disinfection process.

就是加速太陽能消毒的過程。

When sunlight comes in and strikes a photocatalyst,

當陽光照射到光催化劑，

like TiO2, or titanium dioxide,

例如氧化鈦，或二氧化鈦，

it creates these really reactive oxygen species,

會產生活性很強的氧化物，

like superoxides, hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radicals.

比如超氧化物、過氧化氫和羥基。

These reactive oxygen species

這些活性氧類

are able to remove bacteria and organics

可以消滅細菌和有機物

and a whole lot of contaminants from drinking water.

以及很多飲用水中的汙染物。

But unfortunately, there are several disadvantages

但不幸的是， 目前光催化太陽能消毒法

to the way photocatalytic SODIS is currently deployed.

See, what they do is they take the clear plastic bottles

比方說，現在大家的做法是，

and they coat the inside with this photocatalytic coating.

把乾淨塑膠瓶的內壁塗上光催化劑。

But photocatalysts like titanium dioxide

但是像二氧化鈦一類的光催化劑，

are actually commonly used in sunscreens

其實常被用於防曬霜上

to block UV radiation.

以抵擋紫外線。

So when they're coated on the inside of these bottles,

所以當瓶子的內壁被塗滿二氧化鈦，

they're actually blocking some of the UV radiation

它們實際上就阻擋了一些紫外線，

and diminishing the efficiency of the process.

而淨水的效率也就變低了。

Also, these photocatalytic coatings

並且這些光催化劑塗層

are not tightly bound to the plastic bottle,

不是與塑膠瓶密不可分，

which means they wash off, and people end up drinking the catalyst.

這就意味著它們會被洗掉， 而人們會喝掉一些催化劑。

While TiO2 is safe and inert,

儘管二氧化鈦對人體無害，

it's really inefficient if you keep drinking the catalyst,

這還是會導致淨水效率低下，

because then you have to continue to replenish it,

因為催化劑被喝掉後， 總是需要補充。

even after a few uses.

So my goal was to overcome the disadvantages

因此我的目標就是克服

of these current treatment methods

目前淨水方法的缺陷，

and create a safe, sustainable,

發明一種安全、永續、

cost-effective and eco-friendly method of purifying water.

成本效益高、環保的淨水方法。

What started off as an eighth grade science fair project

本來只是我國中二年級科展計畫，

is now my photocatalytic composite for water purification.

現在變成我水源淨化的 光催化複合配方。

The composite combines titanium dioxide with cement.

這個複合物包含二氧化鈦和水泥。

The cement-like composite can be formed into several different shapes,

水泥使化合物可以塑形，

which results in an extremely versatile range of deployment methods.

這就使運用方法很靈活。

For example, you could create a rod

例如，可以做成桿狀，

that can easily be placed inside water bottles for individual use

很容易放在瓶子裡供個人使用，

or you could create a porous filter that can filter water for families.

或者用多孔過濾網為家庭濾水。

You can even coat the inside of an existing water tank

你甚至可以把水箱內壁塗上催化劑，

to purify larger amounts of water

在較長的時間內

for communities over a longer period of time.

為整個社區淨化大量水。

Now, over the course of this,

在整個過程中，

my journey hasn't really been easy.

我的工作並不簡單。

You know, I didn't have access to a sophisticated laboratory.

我沒有精密的實驗室，

I was 14 years old when I started,

我當時只有 14 歲，

but I didn't let my age deter me

但我沒有讓年齡成為

in my interest in pursuing scientific research

我的興趣和科研追求的阻力。

and wanting to solve the global water crisis.

我希望解決全球水資源危機。

See, water isn't just the universal solvent.

水不只是通用的溶劑，

Water is a universal human right.

水是通用的人權。

And for that reason,

正因如此，

我繼續著 2012 年科展項目，

I'm continuing to work on this science fair project from 2012

to bring it from the laboratory into the real world.

把它們從實驗室帶入現實世界。

And this summer, I founded Catalyst for World Water,

這個夏天，我成立了 「世界水的催化劑」，

a social enterprise aimed at catalyzing solutions to the global water crisis.

一個致力於催化全球水源危機 解決方案的社會企業。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Alone, a single drop of water can't do much,

一滴水不能做什麼，

but when many drops come together,

但當許多滴水匯於一處，

they can sustain life on our planet.

就可以供養地球上的生命。

Just as water drops come together to form oceans,

就像水滴匯成大海，

I believe that we all must come together

我相信我們必須合力

when tackling this global problem.

來解決這個全球問題。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）