• HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
Thursday, July 31, 2025
BIOENGINEER.ORG
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
No Result
View All Result
Bioengineer.org
No Result
View All Result
Home NEWS Science News Chemistry

Injectable water filtration system could improve access to clean drinking water around the world

Bioengineer by Bioengineer
January 23, 2024
in Chemistry
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on RedditShare on Telegram

More than 2 billion people, approximately a quarter of the world’s population, lack access to clean drinking water. A new, portable and affordable water filtration solution created by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin aims to change that.

hydrogel 1

Credit: The University of Texas at Austin

More than 2 billion people, approximately a quarter of the world’s population, lack access to clean drinking water. A new, portable and affordable water filtration solution created by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin aims to change that.

The new system collects dirty water with a syringe and injects it into a hydrogel filter that weeds out nearly all tiny particles. This device, the researchers say, offers significant advantages in cost, simplicity, effectiveness and sustainability compared existing commercial options, giving users the ability to easily decontaminate water from nearby streams and rivers and make it drinkable.

“The pressing concern of particle-polluted water, particularly in remote and underdeveloped regions where people frequently rely on contaminated water sources for consumption, demands immediate attention and recognition,” said Guihua Yu, a professor of materials science at the Cockrell School of Engineer’s Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering and Texas Materials Institute. “Our system, with its high efficiency in removing diverse types of particles, offers an attractive yet practical solution in improving freshwater availability.”

The research was published recently in Nature Sustainability.

Today’s options for portable water filtration of tiny particles mostly consist of filter paper and microporous membranes. According to the research, these devices filter out roughly 40% and 80% of particles larger than 10 nanometers, respectively. This new system catches close to 100% of these particles.

And it is made of low-cost, sustainable, readily available materials. The main innovation is an intertwined web of nanocellulose fibers that catches particles while the newly cleaned water passes through.

All the user has to do is take the syringe to the nearest water source, pull out the water and inject it through the filter. The system takes care of the rest, spitting out clean, drinkable water.

The filter system has been tested with several types of water sources, including muddy water, river water and water contaminated with microplastics. The hydrogel films are biodegradable and can be used up to 30 times before they need to be replaced.

The research team has tested the technology using syringes as large as 1.5 liters, about 40% of an individual’s daily drinking water needs. And they plan to continue developing the technology to use it at larger scales to tackle global drinking water needs.

The researchers were motivated by one of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals to improve drinking water standards and sanitation worldwide. Meeting this goal, according to the U.N., will require a 6X increase in drinking water availability by 2030.

“The reality is, a large percentage of the world’s population lacks access to safe drinking water, even in places where fresh water sources are available,” said Chuxin Lei, lead author and a graduate student working in Yu’s lab, said. “There is an urgent need for simple, universal, and efficient materials and devices for purifying particle-contaminated water, which should be able to help people around the world obtain clean water.”

Team members on the project also include collaborators from Northeast Forestry University, Shanghai Tech University and Tsinghua University in China.



Journal

Nature Sustainability

DOI

10.1038/s41893-023-01264-9

Article Title

A bio-based nanofibre hydrogel filter for sustainable water purification

Article Publication Date

19-Jan-2024

Share12Tweet8Share2ShareShareShare2

Related Posts

Examining the Link Between GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy Risk in Older Adults with Diabetes

Examining the Link Between GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy Risk in Older Adults with Diabetes

July 31, 2025
blank

Innovative Visual Microphone Uses Light to Capture Sound at Low Cost

July 31, 2025

Cutting-Edge Weather Tracking Uncovers Astonishing Lightning Extremes

July 31, 2025

Cosmic Mystery: Unraveling the Enigmatic Black Hole Phenomenon

July 31, 2025

POPULAR NEWS

  • Blind to the Burn

    Overlooked Dangers: Debunking Common Myths About Skin Cancer Risk in the U.S.

    60 shares
    Share 24 Tweet 15
  • Dr. Miriam Merad Honored with French Knighthood for Groundbreaking Contributions to Science and Medicine

    46 shares
    Share 18 Tweet 12
  • Study Reveals Beta-HPV Directly Causes Skin Cancer in Immunocompromised Individuals

    37 shares
    Share 15 Tweet 9
  • Engineered Cellular Communication Enhances CAR-T Therapy Effectiveness Against Glioblastoma

    35 shares
    Share 14 Tweet 9

About

We bring you the latest biotechnology news from best research centers and universities around the world. Check our website.

Follow us

Recent News

Profiling Antibodies Targeting Chemical Modifications in Antisense Oligonucleotides

Protecting Desert Ecosystems: A New Book Delves Into Mexico’s Vulnerable Arid Regions

New Book Investigates How Antibiotics Affect Women’s Reproductive Health

  • Contact Us

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Homepages
    • Home Page 1
    • Home Page 2
  • News
  • National
  • Business
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Science

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.