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Nanotech Used To Create Custom Water Filters In Tanzania
Obtaining fresh water in Tanzania is a problem for at least half of its people. Groundwater is often available, but is contaminated with mining waste and toxic drainage.
Askwar Hilonga, a PhD chemical engineer, has a potential solution.
(Customized water filter)
With 33 academic journal articles on nanotechnology to his name, Hilonga aims to solve Tanzania’s water contamination problems by using nanotechnology to customize water filters.His water filter absorbs anything from copper and fluoride to bacteria, viruses and pesticides and earlier this month won the African innovation prize from the UK’s Royal Academy of Engineering.
“His innovation could change the lives of many Africans, and people all over the world,” said one of the judges, according to the BBC.
All over the world, indeed. Like maybe America's Southwest.
In his new novel The Water Knife, Paolo Bacigalupi describes the effects of decades of drought - and the way to obtain fresh, potable water when in need:
A guy off to the side of the parking lot was pissing into a Clearsac. He finished and held it up over his mouth, sucking as he squeezed; looking like the happiest man alive. People started out squeamish about Clearsacs, but eventually even the fussiest were grateful for them...
(Read more about Bacigalupi's Clearsac)
Via qz; thanks to Jonathan Jeckell (@jon_jeckell) for the tip via Twitter.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 6/11/2015)
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