Many people around the world suffer from diseases caused by contaminated water. The LifeStraw, a portable water purification device, and the Plant Water Tube Filter are affordable technologies that can easily provide safe drinking water in water-scarce areas. These technologies are designed to be locally adaptable, low-cost, and locally available, and can make a big difference in addressing water scarcity.
What happens when you drink contaminated water?
There are still millions of people around the world who drink contaminated water. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 29% of the world’s population still lacks access to safe drinking water, and in underdeveloped countries, especially in Africa and South Asia, walking for hours to fetch water every day is commonplace. However, even the water we do get is often unsafe, and drinking contaminated water exposes us to a variety of diseases. Drinking contaminated water can lead to infectious diseases such as diarrheal diseases and cholera, and children are especially at risk of death from dehydration due to frequent diarrhea.
According to UNICEF, approximately 1.3 million children under the age of five die each year from diarrheal diseases, making it the second leading cause of death among infants and young children. This shows that the clean water we take for granted is not for everyone. Bringing affordable water purification devices to these areas that lack access to safe drinking water is a critical challenge. In this article, we’ll introduce you to two water purification technologies designed to address water scarcity and how they reduce the risk of contaminated water.
LifeStraw, a portable water purification device
The first water purification technology we’ll look at is LifeStraw, a portable water purification device developed by Vestergaard Frandsen. This device looks like a straw, so you can easily carry it with you wherever you go. When you suck water into the LifeStraw, the 0.002 µm porous fibers inside filter out bacteria and parasites. Tests have shown that LifeStraw can filter out more than 99.9999% of 23 types of bacteria and more than 99.9% of seven types of parasites. As such, LifeStraw is a device that can prevent a variety of diseases that can be contracted simply by drinking contaminated water, and one LifeStraw can filter about 1,000 liters of contaminated water.
The product gained widespread attention and popularity, being named Esquire’s “Innovation of the Year” and Time’s “Best Invention of the Year” in 2005. The LifeStraw Family, which was developed for larger groups, uses gravity to filter about 18,000 liters of water, enough to provide a family of five with safe water for about three years without electricity. This meets U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) water quality standards.
However, critics argue that the LifeStraw is not a radical solution in areas where water is scarce. At around $3, it’s still out of reach for people in many underdeveloped countries. Furthermore, the device is limited in that it can only act as a filter for bacteria and parasites, not remove contaminants like heavy metals or chemicals.
Water purification using plant xylem
The second water purification technology is a natural water purification method that utilizes plant xylem. Boutilier et al. (2014) showed that the pit structure of water tubes can be utilized to filter pathogenic bacteria. Plants absorb and move water through their xylem, and the xylem of some plants, especially conifers, has tracheids, which are pit-like structures that filter incoming air that mixes with the water. Research has shown that this structure’s pit membrane can filter out bacteria like E. coli.
In fact, tests with coniferous tree filters have shown a 99.9% filtration rate for E. coli, and a 1 cm² tree filter can purify about 4 liters of water per day, which is enough for one person to drink per day. Since the filter can be made by simply peeling off the bark of a tree branch, it has the potential to be easily utilized in underdeveloped areas. Unlike traditional water purification devices, which require outside support, this technology utilizes the tree itself, making it self-sufficient for local communities.
However, the technology is not yet commercially available and still needs to be improved. Research into the tree species present in water-scarce areas and further validation of the filter’s lifespan are essential. If these are addressed, in the future, people in water-scarce countries could have access to safe water with a simple plant filter.
What is titration?
Both of these water purification technologies are prime examples of appropriate technology. Appropriate technology is designed to take into account the economic, social, and cultural characteristics of the places where it is used, so that it is low-cost, easy to use, reduces dependence on external resources, and is environmentally friendly. Both LifeStraw and plant-based water purification technologies have the potential to save lives and improve quality of life in water-scarce countries because they are designed for the specialized conditions of those countries.
With the development of appropriate technologies, more people are gaining access to clean water, and the benefits extend beyond water purification to energy, health, and education. Harkening back to the original purpose of technology, further advancements and widespread adoption of appropriate technologies will improve the survival and well-being of many developing and underdeveloped regions.
As such, access to safe water and the development of sustainable water purification technologies is not just a survival necessity; it is an essential technology to preserve basic human dignity and quality of life.
