Dubbed Mesopaper, the solution sidesteps the chemicals, electricity, and plastic components that are required for conventional filtration systems but are difficult to mobilize in emergencies. The 40–50 nm ceramic clay pellets embedded in the bamboo paper are covered with millions of pores that contain tiny iron needles to trap viruses and contaminants—similar to how the human nose works, founders say. Viruses, bacteria, pollutants and radioactive elements are removed from water as it moves through the paper. Mesofilter says the single-step filtration process takes .15 seconds and removes 99% of heavy metals and 99.9999% of viruses.
Only one square foot is required to clean 10 gallons of water. Mesopaper is also biodegradable. A six-pack of the filters is available on Amazon.com for $6.99.