Last updated January 15, 2020 at 2:59 pm
Dr Karl tackles another question from an Australian school student about the ways to sterilise water. When you boil water to make it safe to drink, where does the bacteria actually go?
Why This Matters: Unsafe drinking water is one of the biggest health issues in the world. Here’s what happens when you sterilise water.
Also: Bushfires are threatening our drinking water
The World Health Organization estimates that around 1-in-3 people around the world don’t have access to safe drinking water. This results in over 700,000 children under 5 dying from diarrhea caused by unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation every year.
While Australians are generally considered to have access to clean, safe drinking water without needing to sterilise it, some researchers argue that some regional communities are still missing out.
More: In Class With… Dr Karl
The most common way to sterilise water is to boil it before use. However, where does the bacteria contaminating the water actually go? Enter walking encyclopaedia Dr Karl with the answer.
This is an excerpt from our exclusive In Class With… event, when Dr Karl tackled questions about anything and everything from school students from right around Australia.
In association with National Science Week, and Adelaide Botanic High School.
