A new “drinkable” book could present a cheap solution to the global problem of access to clean water, suggest US researchers. A research team has developed a book consisting of treated filter papers that are able to eradicate water-borne diseases. The pages also contain information to understand the need to filter water.
The pages of the book contain nanoparticles of silver or copper that kill bacteria in the water.
In tests carried out on 25 contaminated water sources in South Africa, Ghana and Bangladesh, the papers were successful in removing 99% of the bacteria present in the water.
After filtration, the level of contamination of the water was similar to that of tap water in the United States, the researchers find.
They presented their results at the American Chemical Society Congress in Boston, USA.
“This book targets communities in developing countries,” commented Dr Teri Dankovich, a post-doctoral fellow and researcher at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh (USA). She notes that today, around 663 million people do not have access to drinking water.
Just tear up a leaf, put it in a funnel, and pour water from rivers, streams and wells into it, says Dr Teri. The water comes out drinkable and bacteria-free.
According to tests, a leaf is able to filter 100 liters of water, so a pound could filter the amount of water needed by a person for four years.
The next step for Dr Teri Dankovich and her team is to start considering the production of the book and the ways in which they can make it readily available to those who need it. Now the book, which is completely handmade, is under the non-profit brand “Drinking Paper”. Researchers want to mass-produce them in the near future.
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