The plug 'drinkable' water for one dollar
One in ten people in the world -663 million- not have access to potable water, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). A child dies every 90 seconds for a related to the consumption of unsafe drinking water disease, reports the NGO Water.org. End this situation is the aim of FairCap, a small water filter 12 centimeters long "collaborative, low cost" which is threaded cap to a bottle of water, improving its potability.
Mauricio Cordova is a Peruvian economist and alma mater of this project. "The initial idea was that the filter could be printed in 3D anywhere in the world but three-dimensional printing limits the quality and strength and resolution of a printer is not so small to print filters with nano-sized holes, although the prototype is available for downloaded and printed, "Cordova said.
The project 'open source', based in Barcelona, is financed by own and 'crowdfunding' savings. Oxfam has also decided to be part of the project. The goal is to produce it in large quantities to reduce the current cost of three dollars to one US dollar in the near future "to make it accessible to people who need it most." The greatest shortcoming of the filter is that although remove physical, bacteria and protozoa, is unable to remove chemical contamination and viruses in the water, so not perform a complete purification. "The most common infections are through as Escherichia coli coliform bacteria, so the filter prevent most of these diseases" Cordova explained.
The physical process used is called ultrafiltration purification and prevents the passage of particles larger than 0.1 microns. "A family version for larger bottles virus itself could filter with a pore membrane 0,01 micron. Thicker active filter will have to improve taste and remove organic carbon components, "he adds. The initiative is currently undergoing final product design. Mauricio Cordova is collaborating with two other projects to "build a portable modules to purify water for more people," including a system that "can carry in a backpack and can purify water for one hundred people" and "small water treatment plants for thousands of people" They powered by solar energy. "The goal is to offer different solutions to meet the needs of drinking water for emergencies in developing countries and in places outside the network with laptops, open, modular systems and low-cost countries," added the Peruvian entrepreneur.
The source: http://www.elconfidencial.com/tecnologia/2016-08-21/faircap-tapon-botella-potabiliza-agua-dolar_1249092/
