In the weeks ahead, Olympic rowers, sailors, and swimmers will compete in waters with hazardous levels of bacteria. Doctors say that just three teaspoons of Rio’s polluted water are enough to bring on terrible diseases. But one community in Rio shows the way with a cheap and simple device called a “biodigester.” Anaerobic bacteria in the biodigester eat (human) waste and kill pathogens, getting sewage about 80 percent “clean.” Then, it filters through a series of rock-and-plant pods, where the plant roots sanitize it further. From there, the wastewater—now 99 percent clean—flows into the ocean. Environmentalists complain that Brazilian authorities could have implemented many such low-tech solutions to provide the Olympics with a much cleaner environment.
There is a cheap and easy way to fix the Rio sewage problem
More of Today's Solutions
How carbon credits helped unlock the Great Koala National Park in NSW
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM The Great Koala National Park might sound like a place that’s too good to be true, but it ...
Read MoreAstronomers discovered first green star ever. And it’s powered by a dea...
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM For most of human history, the night sky came in a limited palette. Orange for the cooler stars, ...
Read MoreCA to return property to Black family after illegally seizing it 100 years ago
The Chicago suburb of Evanston has launched the country’s first reparations program to compensate for the racism and discrimination Black Americans have historically experienced ...
Read MoreManchester City is the first to offer soccer fans edible coffee cups
Soccer fans rejoice! In many cases, fans have returned to the stands after months and months of empty stadiums. However, returning fans aren’t just ...
Read More
