Could new technology make potable water from desert air?

In Ethiopia, where the drought is the worst in 40 years, people walk up to eight hours a day to obtain water and some wells are running dry. Water scarcity is worsening as climate change progresses.

New technology being developed at the University of Texas at Austin may be able to help. It harvests water from the air using simple, low-cost materials, even in the driest climates. Drawing moisture from the air has the advantage of not being dependent on geography. Also known as "atmospheric water harvesting," this process isn't entirely new. However, in arid environments, capturing moisture is difficult and energy-intensive. By experimenting with different materials, researchers were able to improve the process. Konjac gum, a powder manufactured from an Asian root vegetable that's commonly used as a fiber supplement, is a primary component.

The material's open pores help expose it to air, and when mixed with a sort of salt, it absorbs moisture naturally, like a sponge. The same underlying principle causes salt and sugar to clump when exposed to air. The components are added to a plant-derived polymer designed to quickly absorb water and then release it when heated. The salt already attracts water, but the polymer 'mattress' helps it perform better.

By itself, salt takes 10 hours to absorb and release water, which is too slow to be truly useful. Polymer films take only an hour to absorb water, and they release it in only 10 minutes. The accelerated kinetics allow many cycles to be completed each day. The researchers' prototype can produce more than six liters of clean drinking water per day in very dry climates with less than 15% relative humidity, and 13 liters per day in areas with up to 30% relative humidity. That's enough for a small family.

The work was funded by the US Department of Defense's Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which is interested in using it to make water for troops in the desert. As the process is improved, it may produce even more water and be scaled up for larger applications, such as crop irrigation. Additionally, it could provide safe drinking water in high-humidity areas with contaminated water, reducing water-borne disease.

Globally, one in every three people lacks access to safe drinking water, so the situation is dire. This is one instance in which a little science can make a huge difference!

Helpful links:
   • Water doesn’t come from a tap I UNICEF  
http://www.unicef.org
https://www.who.int/news/item/18-06-2...
https://www.nature.com/articles/s4146...
https://water.org/about-us/our-vision
https://www.charitywater.org/

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