Innovative Technologies that Extract Water from Waste and Contaminants

Most of us areluckyto have easy access to water in our everyday lives. But what happens when you go camping, face an emergency situation, or sign up for a mission to space and need clean water? Well, we've got you covered. Check out five innovative technologies that extract water from waste and contaminants.

1. LifeStraw by Vestergaard
How much does it cost to filter 1,000 liters of water from bacteria and protozoa with a handy gadget that fits in your backpack pocket? A meager $19.95. The award-winning LifeStraw water filter can be used in any situation where you think the water is contaminated.

Vestergaard has made a perfect chemical and battery-free filter for camping, hiking and emergency preparedness. They are also working towards a greater purpose by providing one school-age child in Africa with clean water for an entire school year every time a customer purchases a Lifestraw.

2. The McLanahan Nutrient Separation System by University of Michigan
How much manure do 1,000 cows produce? An impressive 10 million gallons a year. Here's another surprising manure fact you may not have thought of today: 90% of manure is actually water. This gave University of Michigan the smart idea to produce drinkable water for cattle from manure.

Original post can be found here.

Steve Safferman, an associate professor of biosystems and agricultural engineering at the university, thinks that in areas of America where droughts seem to be an ongoing issue, "accessibility of clean water could make the difference between a farm remaining viable or going out of business."

The university states: "The McLanahan Nutrient Separation System is an add-on to an anaerobic digester, which extracts energy and chemicals from manure. The system adds ultrafiltration, air stripping and a reverse osmosis system to produce water that's clean enough for cattle to drink."

3. The SolarBag by Puralytics
Grab some sunscreen, a book, and your solar bag while you wait 2-3 hours for the sun to purify your water. This interesting water purifier uses no chemicals or filters but instead uses sunlight to activate the nanotechnology coated mesh insert to purify water. This in turn activates five phytochemical processes that reduce or destroy contaminants.

According to their website, they perform higher in reducing contaminants than other types of water filtration products.


source : How the SolarBag wins against other types of purifiers


source: The SolarBag

4. SX Reactor Platform by AquaMost
Say hello to the chemical free water purifier for the oil and gas industry. This environmentally friendly and slick looking machine allows you to kill bacteria without the cost, purchasing, storage, handling and risk associated with the use of chemical feedstocks.

Aquamost states they use an "advanced oxidation process that combines multiple modes of action, including photocatalytic semi-conductors, electricity, and UV light for the enhanced generation of powerfully oxidizing hydroxyl radicals."


source: SX Reactor Platform

5. Water, sweat, greywater recycling system - NASA
When you are in space, it is a great idea to pack light. NASA seems to agree. They are ditching the Perrier for a water recycling system at the International Space Station (ISS) to extract water from any water they can collect.

The ISS's water recycler uses a distiller that looks like a keg. It spins to make an artificial gravity field while boiling the water. The contaminants in the urine or greywater push against the sides of the drum while the steam gathers in the center and is pumped to a filter.