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This Tower Pulls Drinking Water Out of Thin Air

smithsonianmag.com

31–40 of 84 posts

Re: This Tower Pulls Drinking Water Out of Thin Air

#31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This looks like a perfect idea for a kickstarter campaign, though...

From https://www.kickstarter.com/help/faq/kickstarter%20basics : > Kickstarter does not allow charity, cause, > or "fund my life" projects. Check out our > project guidelines for details.

But it'd be fine on Indiegogo.

Re: This Tower Pulls Drinking Water Out of Thin Air

#32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This looks like a perfect idea for a kickstarter campaign, though...

From https://www.kickstarter.com/help/faq/kickstarter%20basics : > Kickstarter does not allow charity, cause, > or "fund my life" projects. Check out our > project guidelines for details.

If they work, I would buy one of these things for my place in Colorado. Maybe there would be enough interest to get it going as a business.

Re: This Tower Pulls Drinking Water Out of Thin Air

#33
post #26
post #17

Isn't the generated/collected water like condensed water free of any kind of salts etc. that would naturally occur in ground/drinking water, so shouldn't it be unsafe to drink large amounts of it (much like it is unsafe to drink large amounts of salt/sea water due to the saline imbalance)? I wonder how/if they address this?

It is unsafe to drink sea water due to high salt content. Therefore, drinking water with no salt content is also unsafe. I do not understand that reasoning.

Ultra pure water will leach salts from the body. This is dangerous.

At least, that's what people suggest, I don't know if it's true.

Re: This Tower Pulls Drinking Water Out of Thin Air

#34
post #17

Isn't the generated/collected water like condensed water free of any kind of salts etc. that would naturally occur in ground/drinking water, so shouldn't it be unsafe to drink large amounts of it (much like it is unsafe to drink large amounts of salt/sea water due to the saline imbalance)? I wonder how/if they address this?

The evidence is largely contradictory: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DI_water#Health_effects_of_drin...

In any event, drinking deionized water doesn't appear to be instantly fatal. If the health impact is negative, then the effect size is pretty small.

Re: This Tower Pulls Drinking Water Out of Thin Air

#35

Has anyone tested the long term viability? Contamination, dust, mildew, flies etc.? Seems like a good idea but I venture the water would need further processing. Still, looks like a better starting point than where many communities are now.

As long as the water is reasonably clear, just leaving it in a plastic bottle in the sun for a day or so will get the water safe enough to drink. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_water_disinfection http://www.irinnews.org/report/79172/benin-sunshine-plastic-... And this water is not ground water - so all of the many, many normal types of ground pollution are being avoided.

You're supposed not to drink water from a plastic bottle which has been exposed for some time to the sun.

Re: This Tower Pulls Drinking Water Out of Thin Air

#36
post #26
post #17

Isn't the generated/collected water like condensed water free of any kind of salts etc. that would naturally occur in ground/drinking water, so shouldn't it be unsafe to drink large amounts of it (much like it is unsafe to drink large amounts of salt/sea water due to the saline imbalance)? I wonder how/if they address this?

It is unsafe to drink sea water due to high salt content. Therefore, drinking water with no salt content is also unsafe. I do not understand that reasoning.

That reasoning is not present in the comment you're replying to (it says "like" where you've read "therefore")

Re: This Tower Pulls Drinking Water Out of Thin Air

#37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As long as the water is reasonably clear, just leaving it in a plastic bottle in the sun for a day or so will get the water safe enough to drink. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_water_disinfection http://www.irinnews.org/report/79172/benin-sunshine-plastic-... And this water is not ground water - so all of the many, many normal types of ground pollution are being avoided.

You're supposed not to drink water from a plastic bottle which has been exposed for some time to the sun.

The amount of time matters. The 5 hours required for solar disinfecting is far less than the time a plastic bottle will degrade in the sun and contaminate the contained liquids.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET - commonly used for soda bottles) can withstand direct sunlight for 5 years. There's leeching occurring throughout the degradation, and I can't find any trustworthy research on leeched PET harm when ingested repeatedly over a lifetime, but a few hours in the sun is pretty far from the danger zone.

Re: This Tower Pulls Drinking Water Out of Thin Air

#38
post #17

Isn't the generated/collected water like condensed water free of any kind of salts etc. that would naturally occur in ground/drinking water, so shouldn't it be unsafe to drink large amounts of it (much like it is unsafe to drink large amounts of salt/sea water due to the saline imbalance)? I wonder how/if they address this?

have faith in your GI system...it usually figures out what to absorb.

Re: This Tower Pulls Drinking Water Out of Thin Air

#39
post #36
post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is unsafe to drink sea water due to high salt content. Therefore, drinking water with no salt content is also unsafe. I do not understand that reasoning.

That reasoning is not present in the comment you're replying to (it says "like" where you've read "therefore")

I am unsure of how you could read the comment in any other way. How would you restate the argumentative form in the comment?

Re: This Tower Pulls Drinking Water Out of Thin Air

#40
post #38
post #17

Isn't the generated/collected water like condensed water free of any kind of salts etc. that would naturally occur in ground/drinking water, so shouldn't it be unsafe to drink large amounts of it (much like it is unsafe to drink large amounts of salt/sea water due to the saline imbalance)? I wonder how/if they address this?

have faith in your GI system...it usually figures out what to absorb.

The issue with deionized water isn't what your GI system will or will not absorb. The issue is that the water may absorb minerals and nutrients from you.

I have to imagine that this is easily combated if it proves to be a significant factor. Worse case scenario, now that you have water that doesn't make you violently ill, you have more energy to farm/eat nutrient rich foods?

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