CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Students at the University of Virginia have created a new way to purify water. PureMadi is a nonprofit organization at the University that has created the Madi Drop, a new water filtration system consisting of a ceramic disk that is painted with copper or silver nanoparticles. The metal paint is the key to the filter, as the copper and silver ions possess antibacterial properties within an aqueous solution, purifying the water.
The Madi Drop is used by simply placing the ceramic disk into a container of water. Almost magically, with the presence of the disk “99.9 percent of the pathogens in water can be removed or killed by the filter.”
The new filtration system is revolutionary because of its low cost and high effectiveness. The Madi Drop only costs a few dollars to produce, and can safely filter out water impurities for up to six months at a time.
The developers of the Madi Drop hope that the filters will be produced by those living in developing countries in the future. The production process is both simple and relatively inexpensive, and can help bring jobs and an economic boost to developing areas.
A similar filter created by the students is already in use in parts of Africa. It is shaped like a flower pot and, like the new system, makes water safe to drink. The newer Madi Drop is an improvement on the flower pot filter, since it costs less to produce, is easier to use, and is easier to transport.
Studies from the University of Virginia Medical School show that the use of the Madi Drop filter “significantly improves health outcomes for users” and is “particularly beneficial to people with compromised immune systems, such as people living with AIDS.” Madi Drop developers plan on eventually serving at least 500,000 people with their new water filtration technology.
– Jordan Kline
Sources: University of Virginia, Voice of America