BY: SHAWNTAE HARRIS
Clean water is something everyone should have access to. Unfortunately this is not the reality. One Swedish engineering company has created a portable, eco-friendly water purification filter for emergency purposes.
KTH Royal Institute of Technology created a bacteria-trapping device made with wood.
“Our aim is that we can provide the filter for a portable system that doesn’t need electricity – just gravity – to run raw water through it,” said Anna Ottenhall, a PhD student at KTH’s School of Chemical Science and Engineering in a release.
The bacteria are removed with a positively-charged filter. The toxic chemicals have a negative charge, meaning the chemical will stick to it and not slip into the water like other filters.
The filter is burnable. So, it will not contaminate other substances after use.
Refugee camps will beneifit from this device since they do not have access to clean water
There are over 65.3 million people who were forced out of their homes, according to UNHCR (The UN Refugee Agency). About 21.3 million of those people are refugees and half of them are under the age of 18.
“We had this fantastic material that is antibacterial and can be used in different ways, and we wanted to see how to use it in a way that truly makes a difference,” co-worker Josefin Illergård said. “A way that addresses a big problem in the world.”
There are also 10 million people that do not have access to healthcare. The majority of these people are forced to leave their homes. They are scared of conflict and persecution.
This device was made to help people that have fled their homes to ensure they are not putting toxic materials into their body, further adding to their trauma.