For its new portable Lifestraw Family water purification system, Vestergaard Frandsen uses Ultrason E 6020 P resin, a polyethersulfone (PESU) from BASF. The Swiss company manufactures products to protect against illnesses, primarily in developing countries.
High filtering action for clean water
The easy-to-use plastic design that characterizes the LifeStraw® Family simplifies on-site conversion of large quantities of dirty water into potable water in villages and by families. The primary element is an approximately 30 cm long plastic housing that contains filter membranes made from Ultrason E. They provide ultrafiltration (UF membranes) and remove viruses as well as bacteria from dirty surface water that may have come from rivers, lakes, rainwater collection barrels or puddles. The unique benefit of the high-performance resin Ultrason E in such filters is that it lends itself extremely well to production of membranes with a precisely controlled pore size and thus exactly defined filter characteristics. By using the portable purification station, the risk of contracting gastrointestinal illnesses from dirty water is reduced drastically. According to information from the World Health Organization (WHO), 1.8 million people die yearly from diarrheal illnesses. More than one billion people worldwide do not have access to clean drinking water.
Lightweight, safe and ready-to-use
The LifeStraw® Family system is not only lightweight and easy-to-use, but also inexpensive. It is able to purify at least 18,000 liters of water reliably without the need for batteries, electricity, replacement parts, chemicals or complex technology. Water purified by the unit has been tested by the EPA and declared potable. The EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) is the agency within the American federal government responsible for enforcing environmental regulations.
The products can be quickly and easily distributed during natural disasters. Vestergaard Frandsen worked in conjunction with non-governmental agencies to ship their products rapidly in response to Myanmar’s cyclone Nargis in May 2008 and the Chinese earthquake in August 2008.
Vestergaard Frandsen is a 50-year old Swiss-based company that has developed into one of the world’s leading manufacturers of products that prevent the transmission of disease and save lives. The company has branches in Denmark, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Vietnam, South Africa, the USA, the United Arab Emirates and Thailand. Vestergaard Frandsen is able to provide assistance quickly in emergencies and in the event of an outbreak of illness.