DIY water filter
How to make water filter using coal
Stuck in the wild with no clean water? Learn how to make a simple water filter from these readily-available tools.
Safety precautions
Attention! This filter does not purify water of bacteria and heavy metal ions.
Reagents and equipment
- charcoal;
- plastic bottle with a wide neck;
- cotton balls;
- hammer;
- napkin.
Step-by-step instructions
Wrap the charcoal in a napkin and pulverize it with the hammer. Make some holes in the bottom of the plastic bottle. Insert some cotton balls, then add some charcoal. Cover with another layer of cotton balls. Your makeshift filter is ready!
Process description
As the dirty water passes through the filter, the cotton ball layers trap the largest particles of dirt. Meanwhile, charcoal, with its myriad pores and crevices, traps the smaller pollutant molecules in a process called adsorption. The relatively large pollutant molecules “stick” to the charcoal’s surface, while the water molecules, minuscule in comparison, pass easily through the filter. This filter can cleanse water of large particles and some organic compounds but is powerless against microorganisms and heavy metals. Boil any filtered water to make it suitable to drink.
