To this day dirty water is one of the biggest killers on Earth, particularly in the developing world. However, there now exists a cheap and efficient way to stop dangerous, waterborne bugs in their tracks. Enter the LifeStraw. The device aims to decontaminate dirty water, making it safe for human consumption.
It achieves this by using a 0.2-micrometre tube with a hollow fibre membrane that allows water through, but not dirt and virtually no pathogens like parasites and bacteria, of which over 99.9 per cent are blocked.
As the latest iteration of the LifeStraw doesn’t use electricity or any sort of chemical (an earlier version used iodine), it is ideal for remote, impoverished areas experiencing drought or with an unreliable water supply. The device can process up to 1,000 litres (264 gallons) before it has to be replaced.
