Solution To Water Scarcity Sought At Molecular Level

University researchers are increasingly interested in molecular engineering as an antidote to water scarcity.

At the University of Chicago, researchers are "tackling water scarcity because [the university] believes it has a novel approach to the problem — relying on engineering at a molecular level to produce breakthroughs. The university opened its Institute of Molecular Engineering in 2011, and within a year talk began of putting water scarcity at the top of the institute's agenda," the Chicago Tribune reported.

The researchers are trying "radical new approaches" to water scarcity, according to the article.

"One project uses a common inkjet printer to apply layers of chemicals to a water filter to repel bacteria and keep the filter clog-free. Another turns radioactive isotopes into tracking devices to trace water movement through aquifers, a development that could lead to the discovery of vast new strata of groundwater. Still another effort strives to create filtering membranes that operate on a molecular level, using electrically charged, cilia-like hairs to repel filter-fouling microbes. The goal is to complete research by the latter part of 2015," the report said.

Steve Sibener, a scientist at the University of Chicago who is helping lead the effort, explained why the school is investing in this research.

"There are shortages of water from the First World to the Third World," said Sibener. "If you look at California, it has been a particularly dry year, and you can see how the whole West and Southwest can have boom and bust cycles that are likely to get worse. If you move onto the Middle East and Africa, you understand that water is precious — it's like gold," he said, per the report.

"It's the issue of the day," he continued. "Hundreds of millions of people are at risk of (not) having enough water."

Pressure on water resources is a serious problem. "85% of the world population lives in the driest half of the planet," according to the United Nations.

For more information on water scarcity, check out Water Online's Water Scarcity Solution Center.