Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburg say they have developed a book with pages that can be used to filter drinking water.

A report on telegraph.co.uk says the book has pages treated with nano-particles of silver and copper that kill bacteria as it passes through the water.  The pages, containing written messages about filtering contaminated water safely, are torn out of the book for use.

This could mean relief for over 600 million people on Earth that do not have access to safe drinking water.

Trials of the pages were conducted in South Africa, Ghana and Bangladesh, with results that show the paper wiped out more than 99 percent of the bacteria contained in the water.  This is roughly the same level of bacterial contamination in the United States.  Previous trials on artificially contaminated water saw the levels of bacteria drop to zero.

With one page being able to clean up to 100 liters of water, even raw sewage was tested and wiped “almost completely” clean, says the research team.

Some trace amounts of copper and silver are leeched into the water during the process, but those amounts are said to be well within acceptable limits for safe water.

Spokesperson Dr Teri Dankovich of Carnegie Mellon says you only need tear out a paper, place it in a holder and pour water into it.  Water from rivers, streams and wells could be cleaned for drinking.  Dr. Dankovich has been working on the book for several years.

She added it was exciting to see this work in the lab, but also to have real success on water that people are actually using now.

She hopes to soon increase the production rate of the books, which are currently being made by hand, and begin field trials involving local residents, using the books and paper themselves.