Turning water from toilet into drinking water

Nanotechnology can help people turn waste water from toilets into clean water and rocket fuel, a British scientist says.

>>> Using nanotechnology to treat water

Numerous scientists have studied the technology that transforms sewage into fuel. Sarah Haigh - a nanotechnology expert at the University of Manchester in the UK - is one of them. She believes that waste from the toilet can generate huge amounts of energy.

"The new nanomaterials allow us to extract hydrogen from human waste and turn it into hydrozene, a form of fuel for missiles," Haigh said.

Test version of Toilet Waste Disposal Device
Drinks will be released in 2013. (Photo: thetechjournal.com)

Haigh wanted to use her knowledge of nanotechnology to create a device that could convert wastewater from toilets into drinking water and fuel. So she collaborated with experts from London's University of Experimentation in the research process. They will make a device that contains bacteria and metallic nanoparticles capable of reacting with water. After the reaction, hydrogen is separated from water, and water is again filtered to become clean water. The cost of producing this type of device is quite low so its price is cheap.

Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft Corp., donated $ 100,000 to Haigh and his associates through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. He said that their inventions would change the lives of hundreds of millions of people on the planet in a positive way. The team will receive an additional $ 1 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation next year if they prove that their bacteria and metal nanoparticles actually convert wastewater from the toilet into drinking water.

The research team said the test version of the toilet wastewater filter would be released in 2013. Haigh said her device could not produce the same quality as bottled water, but that water was enough. clean to save lives or reduce the risk of illness for millions of people every year. Of course, the device can also filter wastewater from other sources, not just the toilet itself.

"Our wastewater treatment technology will be extremely important for remote areas in developing countries, and it will also help people reduce their levels of pollution and reduce the cost of treatment. " Haigh said.