Nanofilter
The new water filter works in sunlight
Alexandra Medvedeva, InScience
Swiss scientists have created a water filter made of titanium dioxide nanowires and carbon nanotubes. Upon contact with ultraviolet light from sunlight, the filter produces reactive oxygen species that effectively destroy pathogenic bacteria and viruses. The article was published in the journal Clean Water (Horváth et al., Solar water purification with photocatalytic nanocomposite filter based on TiO 2 nanowires and carbon nanotubes).
The appearance and operation scheme of the nanofilter – VM.
Even now, clean drinking water is not available to all people in the world. According to the World Health Organization, at least 1.8 billion people consume dirty water. About 1.8 thousand children die every day from diseases caused by pathogens that have entered the body with water. Therefore, scientists are striving to create new, efficient and economical ways to disinfect water.
Now scientists from the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne have made a new filter for drinking water purification. The solar-powered device combines titanium dioxide (TiO 2) nanowires and carbon nanotubes. Scientists have shown for the first time that TiO 2 nanowires can effectively purify water in the presence of sunlight. And their interweaving with carbon nanotubes forms a composite material that adds an additional disinfecting layer.
When interacting with ultraviolet light, the filter produces reactive oxygen species: hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2), hydroxide ion (OH-) and oxygen ion (O 2–), which destroy pathogens.
Scientists tested the filter on water with E. coli bacteria; Campylobacter jejuni, which causes diarrhea; the causative agent of giardiasis Giardia lamblia and Salmonella Salmonella, as well as hepatitis A virus. The device coped perfectly with the removal of all pathogens and showed impressive results when cleaning water from micro-pollutants, such as pesticides, medicines, cosmetics, etc.
"We have developed a very efficient water purification device that does not need any energy source other than sunlight," says Laszlo Forro, head of the study. "Our prototype can supply clean drinking water to a small settlement even in remote areas, and it can be easily scaled."
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