The key component of the filter is a coating of graphene film with “microscopic nanochannels” that allow water molecules to pass through, whilst stopping the larger molecules of pollutants. A water filtration membrane without this graphene film tends to get coated with contaminants, thus blocking the pores that allow the water to pass through. Graphair is a form of graphene made out of soybean oil. It is much less expensive and simpler to produce than other types of graphene, and that makes the project economically viable. This technology is being designed primarilly for seawater and industrial wastewater treatment plants, but the team at CSIRO believes that it could eventually be used for household and town-based water filtration systems as well.