Every year, millions of people around the world die from drinking dirty water. Now researchers have developed a process that can purify water, no matter how dirty it may be, in just one step. Scientists at the Australian research organization CSIRO have created a filtration technology using graphene film with microscopic nanochannels that allow water to pass through but stop pollutants. The process, called Graphair, is so effective that water samples taken from Sydney Harbor can be safely drunk after processing without any harm to health.
Graphair's technology, which purifies water quickly and environmentally, is relatively cheap, although it uses graphene, as the main filter component is renewable soybean oil, which is used to improve the purification efficiency in various filtration plants. Over time, oily contaminants can degrade filter performance and must be removed periodically, but Graphair can do this much faster than any other method.
Water purification is a complex process involving several steps, so a revolutionary invention could have a huge impact on the more than 2 billion people in the world without access to clean and safe drinking water. “All we need is heat, our graphene, a membrane filter and a small water pump. We hope to start field trials in developing countries next year,”said lead author Dr. Dong Han Seo. He added that the team is looking for partners to refine the technology to industrial scale, and is also working on other Graphair options for seawater and industrial effluent treatment.
Sergey Lukavsky