Abstract
I WAS surprised that in his article on “Potable Water from Sea-Water” Dr. A. Parker1 makes no reference to what seems to a biologist an obvious method—that found in the Bowman's capsule of the kidney. If a pressure greater than the osmotic pressure is applied to a solution bounded by a semi-permeable membrane, pure solvent will go through the membrane. The osmotic pressure of sea-water is about 450 lb./sq. in., a pressure reached over an area of 1 sq. in. by quite small car jacks with no more effort than can be applied with one finger. The only difficulty should be the semi-permeable membrane, and I suggest that research might profitably be devoted to producing a suitable one. It would not need to be perfect; if it let through 15 per cent of the salts, a two-stage pump would produce a liquid within the limit suggested by Dr. Parker for potability.
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NATURE, 149, 184 (1942).
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YAPP, W. Potable Water from Sea-Water. Nature 149, 357 (1942). https://doi.org/10.1038/149357a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/149357a0
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