Machine turns sweat into drinking water
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Swedish engineer has developed a machine that can turn people’s sweat into drinking water, according to BBC News.
The device was developed to promote a UNICEF campaign drawing attention to the fact that 780 million people in the world lack access to clean water.
Designed by engineer Andreas Hammar, the technology uses a technique called membrane distillation to spin and heat sweat-soaked clothing, removing the sweat, and then passing it through a membrane that filters out everything except water molecules, BBC News reported. The developers claim that the resulting product is cleaner than local tap water.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"They have something similar on the (International) Space Station to treat astronaut's urine - but our machine was cheaper to build,” Hammar told BBC News. “The amount of water it produces depends on how sweaty the person is - but one person's T-shirt typically produces 10ml (0.3oz), roughly a mouthful."
The machine is on display in Gothenburg, Sweden, at the Gothia Cup, a youth football tournament. So far, the machine’s creators claim more than 1,000 people have sampled the water produced by the machine.
The device, which was produced primarily as a stunt to draw attention to UNICEF’s cause, has limitations and would be difficult to produce for mass market.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“There are better solutions out there such as water purifying pills," Hammar said.