For this project, I bio-mimicked the human immune system to build an inexpensive, effective water filter. My goal was to construct a filter that could be assembled in underprivileged communities without access to clean water. In time, this would cut down on the 3.5 million deaths a year caused by waterborne illness.
The Problem:
Pathogenic microorganisms in drinking water cause 3.5 million deaths a year, mostly effecting children under 5.
My Idea:
Make a simple water filter to decontaminate hazardous water from communities without clean
water.
The Product:
A three part easy to transport water filter, each layer bio-mimicking a part of the human immune system.
Drafting:
The Bio-Mimicry:
The human body is the most effective contaminant-fighting machine in the world, the second bacteria breaches your skin your body works to fight it. Because of this, I decided to model my filter off of the immune system. When an antigen is introduced to the human body, many moving parts start working to remove the hazard. The first layer of the filter is the copper pipe, this denatures the proteins in bacteria so they wont be harmful to consume. The pipe bio-mimics the body's lymph nodes, and drains into the ceramic filter. The ceramic filter relies on it's porous composition to filter particles, much like the spleen filtering red and white blood cells. Finally, the water will move through a layer of activated carbon, which like white blood cells, will destroy any remaining toxins that manage to get through the other filters.
Construction:
The human body is the most effective contaminant-fighting machine in the world, the second bacteria breaches your skin your body works to fight it. Because of this, I decided to model my filter off of the immune system. When an antigen is introduced to the human body, many moving parts start working to remove the hazard. The first layer of the filter is the copper pipe, this denatures the proteins in bacteria so they wont be harmful to consume. The pipe bio-mimics the body's lymph nodes, and drains into the ceramic filter. The ceramic filter relies on it's porous composition to filter particles, much like the spleen filtering red and white blood cells. Finally, the water will move through a layer of activated carbon, which like white blood cells, will destroy any remaining toxins that manage to get through the other filters.
Construction:
Final Product:
Water Before The Filter (Under A Microscope):
Water After The Filter (Under A Microscope):
Reflection:
This project went very successfully and I encountered only a few challenges throughout construction. It cost under $30 to make the filter and it is light enough to be easily transported. Looking at the water under a microscope before and after filtration shows that the filter is effective (the small dark particle in the after picture are from the carbon filter and are completely harmless). To critique my final product, I partnered with a water treatment facility operator who gave me reliable feedback and helped me to improve my design. This project helped me examine the small details of an idea to make sure all moving parts perform successfully.
This project went very successfully and I encountered only a few challenges throughout construction. It cost under $30 to make the filter and it is light enough to be easily transported. Looking at the water under a microscope before and after filtration shows that the filter is effective (the small dark particle in the after picture are from the carbon filter and are completely harmless). To critique my final product, I partnered with a water treatment facility operator who gave me reliable feedback and helped me to improve my design. This project helped me examine the small details of an idea to make sure all moving parts perform successfully.