This Cheap, 2D Material Cleanses 99.9999% Of Bacteria From Water In 30 Minutes
Friday, February 22, 2019 IST
A novel breakthrough in China could bring cheap, clean drinking water to billions of people around the world. Perhaps most importantly, the process is powered by the sun.
GoodNewsNetwork reports that earlier this month, researchers from Yangzhou University developed a water system that can purify water of 99.9999% of bacteria — including E. coli. The process relies on 2D materials and sunlight.
The scientists’ tests confirm that the eco-friendly system can purify enough daily drinking water for four people in under 30 minutes. The university researchers published their findings in the journal Chem.
How does it work? Sheets of graphitic carbon nitride are used as a photocatalyst inside of a water container. Once they are directly exposed to sunlight, the sheets release electrons that bond with oxygen in the water and create compounds that purge bacteria from the water.
Of course, there are other purification systems that use similar chemical processes for destroying bacteria. But, they rely on photocatalysts that leave behind harmful chemical pollutants. Furthermore, those systems typically take over one hour to purify the same 10-liter bag of water as the newly-developed system.
“Its first-order disinfection rate was five times higher than that of previously reported best metal-free photocatalysts with only one-tenth catalyst consumption,” said the paper’s co-author Wang Chengyin.
The team is now working on implementing their system into portable drinking containers. The goal is to deploy the system to at-risk areas around the world.
“The future application of photocatalytic disinfection technology can significantly relieve clean-water scarcity and global energy shortage,” said Wang Da, lead researcher of the study.
Related Topics
Trending News & Articles
ALMATY: Hour upon hour, day upon day, Omir Bekali and other detainees in far western China's new indoctrination camps had to disavow the...
Recently posted . 212K views . 1 min read
If you have payed attention to the belly buttons of people on the beach or the members of your family, you have probably noticed that they have different shapes and...
Recently posted . 10K views . 2 min read
The Langya henipavirus has a place with a similar group of infections, including Nipah, which is known to kill up to 3/4 of people in extreme cases.
Recently posted . 5K views . 1 min read
Queen's death: The eldest of her four children, Charles, Prince of Wales, who at 73 was the oldest heir apparent in British history, became king immediately...
Recently posted . 5K views . 1 min read
More in Global
Macron expressed relief that “the worst had been avoided” in a blaze that had at one point threatened the entire edifice, and left France in shock over ...
Recently posted. 1K views . 1 min read
Indian women have always been labelled as traditional. Covering heads, wearing bindis, laden with ornaments, traditional clothes and so many other things sets India...
Recently posted. 1K views . 2 min read
This burger candy machine can prepare hot and new burgers in a question of only six minutes. Peruse on to have a ton of familiarity with it!
Recently posted. 813 views . 1 min read
Recently posted . 671 views
Recently posted . 1K views
Recently posted . 2K views
Recently posted . 2K views
Recently posted . 1K views . 49 min read
Recently posted . 4K views . 52 min read
For China whose last quarter growth was lowest since 1992, the implications of Ma's new business could be profound.
Recently posted. 808 views . 0 min read
Employees of Indian IT giants like TCS, Infosys and Wipro are among the major beneficiaries of the H-1B programme as they rely on it for bringing in tens of thous...
Recently posted. 1K views . 1 min read