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Scientists Discover Bacteria That Makes Toxic Water Safe To Drink
Treating wastewater using the newly discovered bacteria doesn’t require expensive equipment and chemicals, so it can be done at scale at a reasonable price.
UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) estimate that 1 in 3 people in the world don’t have access to safe drinking water. In places where safe drinking water is scarce, nutrition-related problems are prevalent, children have trouble staying focused in school, and diseases caused by bacteria and unhygienic practices are common.
Solving this global problem is one of the greatest challenges of our time, which is why many scientists from around the world are researching all kinds of methods for making unsafe water drinkable.
Among them are Dr. Vishal Mishra and PhD student Veer Singh from the Indian Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University (IIT-BHU). Recently, the two scientists have published a paper in the Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, describing their discovery of a bacteria capable of separating toxic metal from wastewater and making it safe to drink.
They named the bacteria “Microbacterium paraoxydans strain VSVM IIT (BHU),” and described it as very effective when it comes to the elimination of hexavalent chromium, a known carcinogen and a reproductive toxicant present in many water sources around the world.
“It is very effective for removal of hexavalent chromium from wastewater compared to other conventional methods,” said Dr. Mishra. “This bacterial strain showed fast growth rate in the Hexavalent chromium Cr (VI) containing aqueous medium and gets easily separated from the aqueous medium after the treatment process”.
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Treating wastewater using the newly discovered bacteria doesn’t require expensive equipment and chemicals, so it can be done at scale at a reasonable price.
In India, the country from where the two scientists come from, less than 50 percent of the population has access to safely managed drinking water, and water contamination is present in more than 1.96 million dwellings. Hopefully, this and other similar discoveries will eventually help reduce these numbers to zero.
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Influencer Growth Fuels Saudi Creator Economy Surge
The Kingdom’s creator economy grew over 32% in Q1 2025, fueled by TikTok, UGC, and cost-per-action (CPA) influencer models.
Saudi Arabia’s creator economy saw a significant 32.37% growth in the first quarter of 2025, driven by an uptick in influencer marketing, content-driven e-commerce, and the increasing influence of user-generated content (UGC). These insights come from a recent study by Admitad and the Stllr Network.
Much of this momentum is coming from video-based platforms, where brands are leaning on creators who feel more relatable than polished ad campaigns. The trend shows a clear preference for authenticity, as audiences gravitate toward content that feels real and personal.
Mohannad Alzahrani, Co-founder and VP KSA of Stllr Network, highlighted the shift: “The rise of user-generated content (UGC) is changing the way brands engage with consumers. Audiences trust real creators more than traditional advertising, making UGC a key driver of authenticity and sales”.
TikTok remains the dominant platform in this space, reportedly reaching 88% of the Saudi population. It also showed the sharpest rise in influencer-led transactions. Other platforms followed with solid, if less dramatic, growth: X was up 17%, Instagram increased by 12%, and Telegram by 10%.
In terms of content niches, beauty led the pack with a 56% growth rate, followed by lifestyle at 45.8% and fashion at 18.2%. Tech content also showed healthy traction at 10.6%, while entertainment, food, fitness, parenting, and gaming posted smaller — but still positive — gains.
Also Read: Top E-Commerce Websites In The Middle East In 2025
The report analyzed more than 300,000 influencer-driven purchases. These efforts translated into a 15% year-on-year jump in Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) and a 5% increase in the number of orders in 2024. Influencers themselves are seeing the benefit, with average order values hitting $54 and creator earnings rising by 14%.
A noticeable trend is the move away from fixed-rate deals. More influencers in Saudi Arabia are embracing hybrid compensation models — especially cost-per-action (CPA) setups that tie their earnings directly to performance.
As Anna Gidirim, CEO of Admitad, explains, “The CPA model brings much-needed transparency to influencer marketing. Brands only pay for actual results, and influencers benefit by securing long-term partnerships while offering their audiences exclusive promo codes and special discounts”.
However, the ecosystem still shows a gender imbalance. The data indicates that 63% of creators in Saudi Arabia are men, while women account for just 37%.
Influencer Growth Fuels Saudi Creator Economy Surge
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