I-Corps: Portable Water Purification Device for the Removal of Ions and Heavy Metals

New Mexico State University, Las Cruces NM

Investigators

Abstract

Owing to drinking water issues in some cities and rural remote areas, this I-Corps team has designed a portable, simple, and effective device to purify drinking water to meet the essential standards. The proposed device can remove heavy metals, such as lead, copper, arsenic, and other elements from tap water that can cause serious health issues. Lead containing pipes in old water distribution systems and old buildings can introduce lead to the tap water as seen in the ongoing water crisis case in Flint, MI. The lead poisoning is uncompromised and it may have lifelong consequences on Flint children. Lead may cause severe consequences, such as dropping the IQ and behavioral abnormalities with multi-generational impacts. In such cases in urban areas, the drinking water needs to be treated in household levels since it may take a long time to have the problem fixed by the administrative organizations and regulators. The proposed device can be utilized in these conditions to purify the drinking water and eliminate the undesired elements from water. The device can also be distributed in cities where residents prefer to purchase bottled water or use household water treatment systems to ensure that there will not be any long-term effects of undesired elements in water. Additionally, the device can be used for drinking water purification in rural areas where residents often suffer from unavailability of safe drinkable water. Through the NSF I-Corps program, the team intends to prove the value proposition of the technology and evaluate prospective clients. The goal of this project is building a new portable efficient drinking water purification device for removal of heavy metals and other ions from water. The proposed device, utilizes not only physical adsorption approach, which is the main heavy metal removal method in common heavy metal removal filters, but also the electrical force to enhance the ion removal process. In this device, the applied electrical field triggers the electro-migration of the ions toward electrodes and then the ions are physically adsorbed on the adsorbent surface. Additionally, the mixing feature of the device enhances the overall mass transfer rate in the process. The adsorbent can be regenerated effectively or replaced after a period of functioning. Therefore, the operating cost of this new device will be much lower than common membrane-based technologies and its efficiency is higher than the adsorption-based water treatment filters. The device will be made in two models, one for urban areas, which can utilize AC electricity and has mixing capability with higher efficiency, and the other for use in off-grid and rural areas, which is simpler and can be energized using batteries. Therefore, the scope of the potential customers will be wider and the device's application will not be limited to a specific condition due to its effective and quick removal of heavy metals and other common ionic pollutants in water. The experience during the I-Corps program will help the team develop a business and commercialize a needed product.