Purify Water Using Nanotech

Slashdot It! U.S. researchers say they've developed a reverse osmosis membrane that promises to cut the cost of seawater desalination and wastewater reclamation.

Reverse osmosis desalination uses extreme high pressure to force saline or polluted waters through the pores of a semi-permeable membrane. Water molecules under pressure pass through the pores but salt ions and other impurities cannot, resulting in highly purified water.

"The nanoparticles are designed to attract water and are highly porous, soaking up water like a sponge, while repelling dissolved salts and other impurities," Hoek said. "The water-loving nanoparticles embedded in our membrane also repel organics and bacteria, which tend to clog up conventional membranes over time."

The improvements result in a water purification process that is as effective as current methods but more energy efficient and potentially much less expensive, Hoek said.