Scientists from Australia have used a type of graphene called Graphair to create a water filter that can make contaminated seawater drinkable after only one crossing .
This technology can be used to provide potable water at low cost to areas that do not have potable water.
"About a third of the world's population, about 2.1 billion people, do not have clean and safe drinking water," says lead author Dong Han Seo.
As a result, millions annually - mostly children - die from diseases related to inadequate water supply, sanitation and hygiene.
We found the Grapher as an ideal candidate for water purification. It can replace complex (time consuming), multi-stage processes that are currently required in one step only. "
The grapher was developed by researchers at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), into a form of graphene made from soybean oil.
Graphene is a carbon-soluble substance with the thickness of a single carbon atom and can be described as a superconducting material, but its production has been relatively expensive, limiting its use in wider applications