How can plastic balls ‘prevent carcinogenic water’? Science answers!

A few years ago, an action went viral at a water tank in Los Angeles, United States: The city’s Department of Water and Power 96 million plastic balls were released into the reservoir to prevent the formation of carcinogenic substances in the water. Those responsible for the action at the time stated that the dark spheres could help preserve water and regulate levels of a substance toxic to humans.

Shadow balls or shadow balls are a type of plastic ball developed to play an important role. waters at risk of contamination by bromate, a substance that can cause cancer in humans and animals. Currently, some scientists state that the balls have some problems in terms of construction, design and cost-benefit, but they serve their main purpose.

“It looks ridiculous. It’s like we’re in the world’s biggest ball pit. For all these reasons, shade balls reduce evaporation by 80 to 90 percent. “This is pretty important for a dry climate like Los Angeles,” said filmmaker, science popularizer and YouTuber Derek Alexander Muller, who created a video about shadow balls.

To explain a little better how plastic balls can help ‘avoid carcinogenic water’, TecMundo has gathered information from scientists and experts in the field. Check out!

Can plastic balls ‘prevent carcinogenic water’?

Shadow balls are dark spheres made of high density polyethylene, i.e. plastic balls; They are usually produced with a diameter of about 25 centimeters. The purpose of the balls is to combat a natural chemical reaction that occurs with ozone added to water purification reservoirs and is responsible for producing a compound known as bromide.

Chlorine is a substance widely used in water tanks to prevent the development of bacteria, viruses and protozoa by oxidizing organic matter remaining in water networks. In other words, chlorine cleans water in treatment plants, making healthy consumption possible and preventing people from catching different diseases.

The ‘problem’ is that some of these treatment plants have started using ozone to provide reservoir disinfection. Unfortunately, The mixture of ozone and chlorine causes an unintentional chemical reaction that converts bromide into a type of bromide that is harmful to the health of humans and animals. — bromide itself is not a substance harmful to humans.

Although shade balls were not developed specifically to alleviate problems related to climate change, they can play an important role in managing water resources in reservoirs. For example, they They can help conserve water, reduce energy consumption, improve water quality, among other benefits.

Other benefits of shadow balls:

• Reduces water evaporation by up to 90%;
• Helps eliminate algae formation; Therefore, it is necessary to use less substance to clean the water;
• Reduces odors from wastewater or agriculture.

How do shadow balls work?

Originally, shade balls were developed to prevent birds from landing in the waters of poisonous reservoirs. Some airports also use them to prevent birds from landing in water reservoirs near where planes take off. In aviation, birds are considered a major problem as they can be ‘sucked in’ by turbines and damage aircraft.

An article in the journal Vida em Debate describes it this way: “The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer concluded that there is sufficient evidence to consider the bromate ion to be carcinogenic, based on experiments in animals at high doses.”

Plastic balls move as follows: Allows sunlight to reach the water directly and prevents the chemical reaction that can form harmful bromide. The spheres work for up to ten years in a reservoir and supposedly do not contain any toxic residues that affect the water.

Also, they They also prevent 80% to 90% of water evaporation, so they can also preserve the amount of water in the space. —This can be a huge benefit for reservoirs built in regions with hotter, drier climates.

According to website PBS The Los Angeles government claims that plastic balls could help the city save up to 300 million gallons of water annually. However, some experts say the balls need to be left in water for up to a year for visible effects to appear. Apparently the balls have been mined from almost every reservoir in Los Angeles, but they remain in one. The biggest problem is with the cost of the balls.

You’ve finally discovered that the dark balls that help ‘clean up carcinogenic water’ in reservoirs are not just a ball pit, but an innovative way to protect humanity against the dangers of harmful bromate. Anyway, It is important to emphasize that its use is not a common or widely accepted practice and is still being researched.

Did you like the content? Stay up to date with more science curiosities at TecMundo. Or learn about the technique that uses ultrasound to collect microplastics in water.