A prototype was able to successfully extract liters of water from dry air – a promising advance as water scarcity becomes a growing global problem
Getty
Stock photo of water in a person’s hands; Stock photo of a drought affected area.
Scientists have developed a machine that – to put it simply – can effectively convert air into water by removing moisture from the environment even in dry conditions.
Sorption-based atmospheric water harvesting (SAWH) is an engineering field that addresses water scarcity, which “remains a major challenge around the world,” according to a study published in ACS Energy Letters said.
Examples of similar techniques include fog and water collectors that collect moisture from the air.
However, since current models are “often not applicable in dry environments,” scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology developed a new model that “has shown great potential for providing fresh water under a wide range of climatic conditions.”
Getty
Stock image of water pouring into a bucket.
Related: Study shows cancer-causing ‘forever chemicals’ found in nearly half of US tap water
A prototype based on the model promises “5,826 liters” of water per day, according to the study, but admits that “this comes at a significant energy cost” and proposes using “high-density waste heat” – essentially the heat given off by a machine during operation – as an energy source.
The result of the study could be a “reliable and effective source of drinking water production that can be integrated into various existing applications, such as buildings, industrial plants and transport with suitable high-density waste heat.”
The World Wildlife Fund states that “around 1.1 billion people worldwide do not have access to water and a total of 2.7 billion people suffer from water scarcity for at least one month a year.”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Related: Scientists say they will buy less bottled water after learning 1 litre contains a quarter of a million pieces of plastic
According to the United Nations, the situation will not improve. They point out that “climate change is exacerbating water scarcity. The impacts of climate change are making water supplies more unpredictable.”
UNICEF estimates that “by 2030, approximately 700 million people will be displaced by extreme water scarcity.”
The increasing scarcity has led to projects such as the new atmospheric water harvesting system and the Grey Water Project, started by a Stanford University student. The project is looking for solutions to recycle “grey water” – the non-potable water from sinks and showers – and use it for toilets and watering plants.
The study sees its concept as a possible solution and points out that “there are about 1.3 billion liters of fresh water in the atmosphere that could be easily extracted without relying on existing liquid water supplies.”
Subscribe to our newsletter to receive more People news!
Read the original article on People.
