New technology uses sunlight to purify water

Scientists have come up with a new technology that uses sunlight with several high-tech components to purify water.

Anne Morrissey said that the new technology could someday be incorporated into making an easy-to-use water purifier that would remove stubborn pollutants from drinking water, New Scientist reported.

Morrissey's team at Dublin City University worked with titanium dioxide(TiO2), that is used to whiten paints, paper, toothpaste, food and other products that can also act as a catalyst with the right energy and break down unwanted compounds in drinking water like pesticides and pharmaceuticals.

She said that TiO2 is usually only activated by ultraviolet light, which is produced by special bulbs and Graphene has great potential to be used for water treatment.

Morrissey said that they are looking at using the graphene composite in a cartridge for one-step drinking water treatment, which involves just plopping the cartridge into the water pipe.

She added that a lot of research is required to declare the TiO2-graphene system a success and her design seems to be easier to make and dispose of than other visible-light activated TiO2 purifiers.