An electrical engineering student at the Federal University of Goiás in Brazil has invented a system to purify water without using electricity, thereby preventing carbon dioxide emissions. Inventor Leonardo Lira’s water purification system is based on a box made from five wooden boards covered with aluminum foil that is used to concentrate sunlight. The water is placed in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottles that are kept inside the box for up to six hours, until the water reaches a temperature of 70 degrees Celsius. Toxic substances, bacteria and viruses are destroyed by the high temperature.

A private company, Saneamiento de Goiás SA, tested the water for impurities.

“This is an inexpensive system that takes up a square meter of space at most, which means it can be adapted to different locations. The use of solar power instead of conventional power prevents carbon dioxide emissions, and makes it ideal for poor communities without access to basic sanitation services,” Lira told Tierramérica.