The machine blends iron, bleach and sodium hydroxide to form a dark purple liquid mixture of ferrate, salt and water that gets metered into the water supply. (The color disappears instantly as it reacts with the water.) Common disinfectants ozone and chlorine can turn the water cloudy or, worse, leave behind harmful chemical by-products.

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Next, the denim manufacturer incorporated ozone processing to give its garments the washed-down effect sans water (when ozone decomposes, it reverts to free oxygen).

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To deal with this, the Living Machine often includes components at the end of the system that sterilize the water with ultraviolet radiation, ozone or chlorine.

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Where lots of water, aggressive washing and sandpaper was once the norm for creating that worn vintage look, lasers and and ozone gas cameras are now being used to minimize water waste and chemical runoff.

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The pears get a disinfectant bath in water with up to five parts per million of ozone, which kills viruses (like the ones that cause hepatitis) and bacteria (like E. coli and salmonella).

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