New breakthroughs in nanotechnology could possibly be the solution to create clean drinkable water in regions of the world where drought and water contamination is a problem.  Carbon nanotubes could be able to replace the older materials in water purification systems.  This technology is essential with 1 billion people without access to clean drinking water already.  Two-thirds of the worlds countries are expected to have stress related to the shortage of water by the year 2025.

New technology has been developed to make water purification safer and less expensive.  Nanostructured carbon nanotubes with hollow carbon fibers less than a billionth the width of a single human hair will be able to effectively filter water.  The properties of these nanotubes will only allow very small molecules to pass through, stopping viruses, bacteria, toxic metal ions, and large noxious organic materials.

Along with being safe, this technology is also very efficient.  The tubes allow a high flow rate of water through the filter without stopping up the water pressure.  The power required to operate these systems is also much more efficient than any other current water filtration system, requiring less power.  This technology could be coming to household around the world in the near future to deliver safe and affordable drinking water.

This entry is filed under Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.