Manchester Uni develops sieve that turns sea water into drinking water

Scientists at the University of Manchester have created a Graphene membrane that can sieve salt out of seawater turning it into drinking water.While using Graphene-oxide membranes as a filter isn't new, previously it hadn't worked to remove salt from with water as the membrane became swollen allowing small salts to flow through.

The new method means the pore size in the membrane can be precisely controlled which can sieve common salts out of salty water and make it safe to drink.

By 2025 the UN expects that 14% of the world’s population will struggle to find drinking water. This technology has the potential to revolutionise water filtration across the world.

Scientists hope that graphene-oxide membrane systems can be built on smaller scales making this technology accessible to poorer countries.