1y ago

Desalination system could produce freshwater that is cheaper than tap water

Engineers are aiming to turn seawater into drinking water with a completely passive, solar-powered device that is inspired by the ocean.

MIT engineers and collaborators developed a solar-powered device that avoids salt-clogging issues of other designs.

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Small question (perhaps dumb on my part as I haven't slept yet), do these desalination system remove other chemicals such as PFAS, arsenic, lead? I think I read that they use nanofiltration membranes to remove almost everything. How about molecules that are smaller than water (H₂O)? Do they get filtered?
- Depends if they also evaporate.
- Most molecules aren't smaller than water, however filters that are small enough to only let water through clog pretty quickly. That said, most heavy metals and salts won't evaporate in a decent still (which is good, because atoms and ions are often smaller than water). I'm not sure about PFAS and microplastics, but I expect they don't evaporate.

36 comments