Solarbag

Product Description

SolarBag disinfects chemical contamination in drinking water via a nanotechnology-coated mesh, which is activated by the sun. The SolarBag is compact in size and relatively lightweight making it suitable to ship to areas of humanitarian need.

Target SDGs

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being

Market Suggested Retail Price

$99.92

Target Users (Target Impact Group)

Household, NGOs

Distributors / Implementing Organizations

Puralytics Many organizations (Amazon, Brownells, Camping World, Columbia Fire and Safety Ltd., L.L. Bean, REI, Sportsman's Warehouse, Woot, Sportsman's Guide) also offer the SolarBag for purchase.

Manufacturing/Building Method

Mass produced

Intellectural Property Type

Patent

User Provision Model

The SolarBag is available for purchase online. During humanitarian crises, NGOs/nonprofits and governmental agencies can order in bulk from Puralytics. End-user is likely to receive as donations.

Distributions to Date Status

<50,000 (targeted 50,000 by end of 2015) Interview with representative

Description of the combined methods

Nanotechnology disinfection

Manufacturer-specified water treatment rate (L/hr)

3 L, 2-6 hr treatment

Bacteria reduction

6 log

Virus reduction

4 log

Protozoa reduction

3 log

Heavy metals and/or arsenic reduction

Yes, reduction rate unknown

Maximum recommended influent turbidity level (NTU)

Unknown

Effluent turbidity levels (NTU)

<30 NTU

Safe water storage capacity (L)

None

Manufacturer-specified lifetime volume (L)

1500 L

Consumables

None

Design Specifications

Bag dimensions: Total Height: 39.9 cm, Total Width: 24.5 cm, Bag Height: 36.6 cm, Weight: 104 g, Capacity: 3.5 L The SolarBag is filled with water, and set horizontally in the sun for 2-6 hours depending on both water quality and weather conditions.

Product Schematics

Technical Support

FAQ section on Solarbag's website

Replacement Components

Unknown. Since the product handles contaminated water, any defects will most likely compromise the product and require the product to be disposed of.

Lifecycle

The Solarbag has a dry shelf life of 7 years. Puralytics specifies a potential life for the SolarBag as 500 uses. To dispose of the product cut the bottom of the bag open and remove the mesh insert. Dispose of the mesh insert as non-toxic solid waste, then recycle the plastic bag as Type 7 plastic.

Manufacturer Specified Performance Parameters

Removes the following from water: Bacteria, Viruses, Protozoa, Herbicides, Pesticides, Herbicides, Petrochemicals, Pharmaceuticals, Arsenic, Lead, and Mercury. The self-cleaning mesh does not clog, and the water tastes clean after disinfection. Eliminates 99.9999% of bacteria, 99.99% virus, 99.9% protozoa, removes heavy metals, and destroys man-made chemicals.

Vetted Performance Status

92% of SolarBags functioned normally throughout the first 6 months of trial use. 77% were fully functional even after 6 months.

Safety

SolarBag is unsafe if there is a leak or the activated mesh is compromised. If water is highly turbid or contains sediment, filtering the water or allowing sedimentation to occur will improve the resulting water quality. Saline waters need to be desalinated in conjunction with the use of the SolarBag, as it will not remove salt.

Complementary Technical Systems

For overcast days, the SolarBag comes with Pur-Blue Process Timer, a blue indicator dye that turns clear once the water has been purified. A single drop per bag indicates whether water is ready for drinking.

Academic Research and References

David E. Reisner and T. Pradeep, 2015, Aquananotechnology Global Prospects. CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group.

Naranjo, J.E., Gerba, C.P., 2000, Microbiological water purification without the use of chemical disinfection. Wilderness Environ Med. 11(1), pp. 12-16.

Owen, M.D., Hawkins, T., 2015, Light-activated nanotechnology for drinking water purification. Aquananotechnology: Global Prospects. CRC Press.

Burleson, G.E., 2016, Water treatment technologies for the developing world. Oregon State University: Corvallis, OR.

Byrne, J.A., et. al., 2015, A Review of heterogeneous photocatalysis for water and surface disinfection. Molecules, 20(4), pp. 5574-5615.

“The SolarBag “,Engineeringforchange.org. Available: https://www.engineeringforchange.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/SolarBag-NGO-Booklet-1-April-2014.pdf

“SolarBag —,” Puralytics. Available: https://puralytics.com/solarbag

“SolarBag Products,” SolarBag. Available: https://solarbag.com/collections/all

Goal 6. (n.d.). Sdgs.un.org. Available: https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal6

Engineeringforchange.org. Available: https://www.engineeringforchange.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/SolarBag-Technical-Reports-18-Mar-2015.pdf

“FAQ,” SolarBag. Available: https://puralytics.com/faqs-solarbag

“Hunting Articles, Product Reviews, Outdoor Guides,” Sportsman’s News. Available: https://news.sportsmans.com/

Compliance with regulations

Solarbag exceeds highest water quality testing standards from WHO and the EPA; meets National Standards in Turkey, Kenya, Cameroon, Japan, USA, Mexico, Malawi

Evaluation methods

U.S. EPA Standard and Protocol for Evaluation of Microbiological Water Purifiers have been cited by Puralytics. Testing was conducted at the University of Arizona; World Health Organization Protocols

Other Information

Informational video about Solarbag