Purification

In many arid regions, people use devices known as solar stills to extract drinkable water from seawater or tainted water. A new type of solar still is claimed to be much more effective than others, by incorporating a rotating cylinder.

Ironically, many of the places that most require water purification have the least-developed infrastructure. That's where a new filtration device comes in, as it's activated by the sun – and it works relatively quickly.

Although ozone is used to disinfect water in settings such as treatment plants, the required equipment is typically too large for use in small appliances like water coolers. A new miniaturized ozone generator, however, may be about to change that.

Evaporation is one of the most enduring methods of purifying water to make it drinkable. Now researchers in China have developed a novel device made of wood that can do just that, by employing bacteria to help build key nanostructures.

By converting liquid salt water – or tainted water – into steam, it's possible to obtain pure, clean drinking water. Doing so could soon be cheaper and easier than ever, thanks to a newly developed material.

Scientists at Japan's Nagoya University have come up with a new technology to treat contaminated water, using electrically charged nanocarbons to more effectively filter heavy metal ions from the mix.

​Washing the inside of a water bottle can be tricky, causing some people to wonder just how clean it really is. Well, CrazyCap is made to kill microbes by replacing a bottle's existing cap with one that shines UV light into the water. It can even be used to purify water that's collected on the go.

If you spend much time backcountry hiking, chances are you're the sort of person who would find use for at least two things: a trekking pole and a water purifier. Well, PurTrek combines them both in one carbon fiber-bodied device.

Researchers have developed a new “mat” that can adsorb and destroy pollutants from water. It's made up of titanium dioxide nanoparticles embedded into polymer fibers, which destroys contaminants through UV light. The team says the design is faster, safer and more energy efficient than other systems.

The Roving Blue O-Pen supports world travellers and nomads by keeping drinking water clean and fresh. In contrast to more common purification means, like UV rays, this pen-sized purification device kills microorganisms with the stuff that blocks those UV rays in the atmosphere: ozone.

For people in developing nations, getting clean water may soon be as simple as opening a book … The Drinkable Book, that is. Each of its pages is made from a thick sheet of paper impregnated with silver nanoparticles, that kill 99.9 percent of microbes in tainted water.

The Grayl Water Filtration Cup does more than just carry water; it filters out bacteria, protozoa, viruses and other impurities, making that water safe and clean.