Researchers have shown that cilantro, the herb found in Mexican and Asian dishes, can also help purify drinking water. Cilantro acts as a biosorbent that can remove lead, heavy metals and even harmful bacteria. One method for using cilantro for purification is to grind it up and pass water through the cilantro using a tube. Then clean water trickles out the opposite end of the tube. Another method is to dry cilantro and put it in tea bags, which are then placed in a pitcher of water. The cilantro is then discarded. Cilantro could provide low-cost water purification for developing countries.
Growing Home: Cilantro
