The “drinkable book”, containing pages of paper that can be used to purify sewerage into drinking water, is being hailed as a game-changer for the developing world.
Unsafe drinking water is a major killer, accounting for some 3.4 million deaths a year, according to the World Health Organization.
The book was developed by Theresa Dankovich, from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Her “pAge drinking paper” contains silver and copper nanoparticles that kill 99% of bacteria living in the dirtiest water.
She teamed up with the nonprofit organisation WATERisLIFE to mass-produce books of this specialised paper, each sheet of which can purify nearly 100 litres of water.
