Paper Filters for Clean Water — Upstream Partners

Paper and water don’t seem like the best combination, but the team at Folia Paper are making it work. They have developed paper that is able to filter out dirt, bacteria, viruses, and worms.

According to the World Health Organization, one in three people (2.2 billion people) around the world do not have access to safe drinking water. With the human body being made up of 60% of water, clean water is critical for survival. Folia Paper’s water filter provides an inexpensive solution, with each filter costing a few pennies to produce.

Folia Papers patent entitled, “Substrates with metal nanoparticles, related articles, and a continuous process for making same” (US20190242064A1) is made out of paper fibers that will biologically degrade over time. The paper is imbedded with silver nanoparticles that release antimicrobial silver ions. These silver ions attach to the cell membrane of bacteria and force them to rupture. This kills 99.99% of the bacteria and germs in the water. The pores in the paper filters out dirt, however, heavy metals and contaminant such as lead are not removed.

The simplicity of Folia Paper filters is key for accessibility. The process is similar to making a drip coffee, but instead one antimicrobial filter cleans 20 liters of water. A paper filter is made into a cone shape to be placed in a funnel. The funnel lid is closed and is placed into the mouth of the water container to collect the clean water. A unique design on the funnel allows the lid to clamp to the opening of the water container for stability. At the top of the funnel, a jug of uncleaned water is added to be filtered at a rate of 3 to 5 liters per hour. Within a few hours, 20 liters of water are cleaned without any heat, pumps, or electricity.

Folia Paper’s innovation provides clean water in an inexpensive and efficient way.