Scientists achieve breakthrough that may revolutionize access to clean water: 'A significant step toward providing new r

[hunter]

12. Link to the actual science...

Last edited Sat Nov 23, 2024, 02:01 AM - Edit history (1)

Significance

A layered, convection-limited atmospheric water capture approach is demonstrated, providing water in liquid form at extremely high rates even in low humidities. Inspired by tree frog skins and air plant cuticles, a thin, strong hydrogel acting as a membrane facilitates the transport of water from ambient air into a liquid desiccant for storage. Water in this liquid form is an important precursor for further distillation into drinking water or electrolytic processing for green hydrogen production—enabling new capabilities in arid regions. In addition, pure water can be released from the liquid desiccant using solar energy. Both water capture and release can occur simultaneously, maximizing the potential to harvest water.

Abstract

Transforming atmospheric water vapor into liquid form can be a way to supply water to arid regions for uses such as drinking water, thermal management, and hydrogen generation. Many current methods rely on solid sorbents that cycle between capture and release at slow rates. We envision a radically different approach where water is transformed and directly captured into a liquid salt solution that is suitable for subsequent distillation or other processing using existing methods. In contrast to other methods utilizing hydrogels as sorbents, we do not store water within hydrogels—we use them as a transport medium. Inspired by nature, we capture atmospheric water through a hydrogel membrane “skin” at an extraordinarily high rate of 5.50 kgm ^-2 d ^-1 at a low humidity of 35%. and up to 16.9 kgm ^-2 d ^-1 at higher humidities. For a drinking-water application, calculated performance of a hypothetical one-square-meter device shows that water could be supplied to two to three people in arid environments. This work is a significant step toward providing new resources and possibilities to water-scarce regions.

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https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2321429121

Most people don't understand the scale of urban water use.

This sounds to me like something that might be useful to people willing to use composting toilets and take sponge baths no more than once a week. Forget showering, forget "spring fresh" clothing.

If the natural environment truly turns to shit because of global warming and our technological civilization survives in spite of that, then it's conceivable that desalinated water from the ocean could be delivered in large volumes to cities like Phoenix or Las Vegas and life would go on as usual, but with much higher water and air conditioning bills and little use for this "breakthrough."

Higher elevation cities may be out of luck if there is no affordable water, and life will not go on as usual. I suspect people will simply leave rather than adopt the ultra low water use lifestyles this technology might enable.