AUSTIN, Texas — For communities in Texas and across the world, access to clean drinking water can be hard to come by.
That's why research by a team at the University of Texas at Austin Cockrell School of Engineering created a portable, environmentally-friendly water filtration system.
The new device filters out approximately 100% of unwanted particles, which is higher than other previously-made systems. Not only that, but films can be used 30 times before needing to be replaced.
To properly utilize the filter, users can place a syringe into a body of water. From there, the water should travel through a hydrogel filter to remove any particles with the help of a group of fibers. After those steps, the water is safe to drink.
To prove its accuracy, researchers performed multiple tests in different bodies of water including rivers, mudded waterways and those with microplastics. Engineering students worked in conjunction with Northeast Forestry University, Shanghai Tech University and Tsinghua University to make the technology possible.
Although the filter system remains at UT Austin, the team is looking to expand this new and improved device to people across the world.