Low-cost solar-powered water filter, inspired by pufferfish, removes lead and other contaminants

Low-cost solar-powered water filter, inspired by pufferfish, removes lead and other contaminants

A new invention that uses sunlight to drive water purification could help solve the problem of providing clean water off the grid. The device resembles a large sponge that soaks up water but leaves contaminants – like lead, oil and pathogens – behind. To collect the purified water from the sponge, one simply places it in sunlight. The researchers described the device in a paper(link is external) published this week in the journal Advanced Materials.