Water

A team in the coastal town of Loíza, Puerto Rico, begins rolling out the first of 16 solar modules from MIT Lincoln Laboratory and Infinitum Humanitarian Systems (IHS). Left to right: Abdoun of the Boys and Girls Club; George Villec, president of GeoInnovation; Denisse Abdo, dietician and translator; Erik Limpaecher of Lincoln Laboratory; Alex Hatoum, IHS managing director; Eric Rasmussen, IHS CE...

Solar water purifier is serving 600 Puerto Ricans daily

An off-grid, battery-less system from MIT Lincoln Laboratory and Infinitum Humanitarian Systems will be run indefinitely by a local Boys and Girls Club.

December 4, 2017

With the right business model, solar panels and pumps could be a promising sustainable irrigation approach for smallholder farmers in India.

MIT researchers release evaluation of solar pumps for irrigation and salt mining in India

Study of solar pump technology use in India assesses technical performance and explores innovative business cases to increase user adoption.

November 13, 2017

Acoustic-gravity waves are sound waves that are typically produced by high-impact sources such as underwater explosions or surface impacts. Usama Kadri and his colleagues carried out experiments to see whether objects hitting a water’s surface produced a characteristic pattern in acoustic-gravity waves.

Ocean sound waves may reveal location of incoming objects

New acoustic analysis could pinpoint impacts by meteorites or possibly plane debris.

October 26, 2017

PhD student Britt Huhmann measures arsenic in rice paddy soil using a field kit in Faridpur, Bangladesh.

There's something in the water

MIT field study shows that arsenic in groundwater reduces rice yields in Bangladesh.

October 20, 2017

Emily Tow PhD '17, displays equipment she developed to measure the effects of different pressure levels on the way microorganisms build up on membranes used for desalinating water.

Toward efficient high-pressure desalination

Surprisingly, pressurization isn’t to blame for fouling of membranes, study finds.

October 15, 2017

The winning team, named A Salt Solution, won $10,000 for a prototype of a simple, low-cost hydrogel that can be incorporated into water desalination plants or placed directly into bodies of water to collect uranium. The team members are: (left to right) Jasmine Harris, Cynthia Lo, and William “Robin” Lindemann.

Hydrogel that extracts uranium from water wins MADMEC

Teams developing materials solutions for ships and buildings split second and third prizes.

October 13, 2017

Texas Army National Guardsmen help Houston residents affected by flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey board a military vehicle. "With an event like this," says MIT associate professor of urban planning Brent Ryan, "it becomes viscerally evident which residential areas are absolutely not safe from even moderate flooding."

3 Questions: Brent Ryan on Hurricane Harvey’s implications for U.S. cities

Stranded in Houston by hurricane floodwaters, an MIT associate professor sees firsthand how design and policy decisions affected the storm’s impact.

September 1, 2017

Researchers have found there is often a strong case for building relatively modest, incremental additions to water infrastructure in advanced countries, rather than expensive larger-scale projects that may be needed only rarely.

Case study suggests new approach to urban water supply

One drought remedy: Keep infrastructure fast, cheap, and under control.

August 14, 2017

Left to right: Infinite Cooling researchers graduate student Karim Khalil, associate professor of mechanical engineering Kripa Varanasi, and graduate student Maher Damak.

Infinite Cooling wins Cleantech University Prize competition

Startup is meeting global environmental needs by changing the way power plants use water.

August 8, 2017

After piloting its smart microgardening system in Boston homes and restaurants, and following a successful Kickstarter campaign last fall, SproutsIO is ramping up production and hitting the shelves in a few months.

SproutsIO aims to power a “Personal Produce” movement

Smart, soil-free microgarden lets users optimize growing conditions while cutting water and resource use.

July 26, 2017

Researchers have developed a fast, inexpensive robotic device that can find even tiny leaks in pipes with pinpoint precision, no matter what the pipes are made of.

Finding leaks while they’re easy to fix

Robot can inspect water or gas pipes from the inside to find leaks long before they become catastrophic.

July 17, 2017

The winning team Lightmatter pose with organizers and friends.

MIT $100K winner’s optical chips perform AI computations at light speed

A flushless toilet that shrinks waste and a device that detects leaky pipes also won top prizes.

May 18, 2017

Researchers have developed a new method for removing even extremely low levels of unwanted compounds from water. The new method relies on an electrochemical process to selectively remove organic contaminants such as pesticides, chemical waste products, and pharmaceuticals.

MIT researchers develop new way to clear pollutants from water

Electrochemical method can remove even tiny amounts of contamination.

May 10, 2017

Assistant Professor Gabriela Schlau-Cohen (left) and Associate Professor Mircea Dincă explored how their research at the microscopic level can help address big challenges.

Microscopic answers to humanity’s looming questions about food, water, and energy

Chemistry alumni and friends enjoy an evening of food, drink, and talks by Associate Professor Mircea Dincă and Assistant Professor Gabriela Schlau-Cohen.

May 4, 2017

At the second annual Rabobank-MIT Food and Agribusiness Innovation Prize competition, seven finalist startups and teams from MIT and other universities pitched their business ideas to a panel of judges, for a chance to win prizes totaling $25,000. The pitches addressed some of today’s most pressing issues in the food and agriculture industries.

Funding solutions for pressing food and agriculture issues

Teams tackling crop spoilage, pesticide pollution, and farming efficiency win annual competition.

May 3, 2017

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