Weighing about 10 pounds, this compact device sits in the palm of a hand just like a car wheel. It charges faster than a typical cell phone and costs around $50 (about 48 euros). Importantly, it can render water drinkable without needing pricey filters or high-pressure pumps. Created by a team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology after ten years of studying desalination physics, this portable and inexpensive plant is as big as a small suitcase.
It claims to be the first of its kind and marks a genuine shift for the industry. With this tool, turning salt water into drinking water can be done with a simple push of a button. Unlike many portable desalination devices that rely on a sequence of filters, this unit uses electrical power alone to remove harmful particles, making the water safe to drink.
Two advantages set this device apart from competing products: it requires less ongoing maintenance and it can be reduced in size without losing energy efficiency. The team explains that a decade of work helped uncover the physics behind individual desalination steps. Once the pieces were clear, they integrated them into a compact system and confirmed its effectiveness in real seawater. The inventor emphasizes the feeling of accomplishment that comes with validating the technology in ocean conditions.
Operation of this device rests on a method the researchers describe as ion concentration polarization. Instead of filtering water through beds of membranes, electricity is applied across membranes located above and below the water. Charged particles are pushed away, while salt ions, bacteria, and viruses are removed from the stream that becomes drinkable.
These charged particles are diverted to a second water channel that is eventually discharged. While some contaminants can attach to the ion exchange membrane, reversing the polarity of the electric field clears them away, according to Yoon.
The design makes operation straightforward: anyone can start the desalination process with a single button. When salinity and particle counts drop below preset thresholds, the device signals that the water is safe to drink.
Half an hour of drinking water
Initial field testing occurred at Carson Beach in Boston, United States. The researchers placed the box near the shore with a feeding tube extending onto the beach. Within thirty minutes, a plastic glass filled with clear, potable water. The team notes that the result met expectations and highlighted it as a milestone achieved through many incremental advances over years of effort.
The water reached standards comparable to or exceeding World Health Organization guidelines, and results appeared quickly: about 300 milliliters were obtained in an hour. Pioneers in the field believe this device could transform how water is managed globally, especially in regions with fewer resources.
Estimates show that billions rely on contaminated drinking water sources, and hundreds of millions lack even basic access to water services. Contaminated water spreads diseases such as diarrhea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid, and polio. Annual deaths from diarrhea linked to unsafe water run into the hundreds of thousands.
Reference note: a study published in Environmental Science & Technology provides context for the technology and its potential applications (citation: Environmental Science & Technology, 2021).
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Public health and water management researchers continue to explore scalable, low-cost approaches to bring clean water to communities around the world, with a focus on areas most affected by resource limitations.
Contact the environment department for more information and ongoing updates from field tests, noting that direct communication channels have been streamlined for public safety and privacy.