scholarly journals Evaluation of use, acceptability, and effectiveness of household water filter systems in Honduras, 2016–2017

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 809-816
Author(s):  
Kirsten Fagerli ◽  
Jacqueline Hurd ◽  
Emma Wells ◽  
Jarred McAteer ◽  
Sunkyung Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Water Treatment ◽  
Program Implementation ◽  
Water Filter ◽  
E Coli ◽  
The Past ◽  
Quality Guidelines ◽  
Household Water ◽  
And Performance

Abstract We evaluated a household hollow fiber water filter program in 11 Honduran villages by assessing filter uptake and water quality. Filters were purchased by 90% of households; of these, 94% reported use within the past week. When comparing water treatment methods between baseline and follow-up, there were increases in the proportion of households reporting water treatment (74% vs. 93%, p < 0.001) and treatment by filtration (19% vs. 85%, p < 0.001), and decreased purchase of bottled water (44% vs 6%, p < 0.001), indicating acceptability of the water filtration systems. There was a significant decrease in the presence of Escherichia coli in water samples taken from 35 households at baseline and follow-up in water filter systems (p < 0.001). As a result, 68% of samples met WHO water quality guidelines (no detectable E. coli) 6–12 months after program implementation. Observations of filter stands revealed a 6-inch gap between the top (reservoir) bucket and bottom (filtrate recipient) bucket that could have permitted animals, insects, hands, or other objects to touch filtered water. We recommend a redesign of filter stands to eliminate the gap between buckets, and a longer-term follow-up to assess filter durability and performance.

scholarly journals A rapid assessment of drinking water quality in informal settlements after a cholera outbreak in Nairobi, Kenya

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 714-725 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Blanton ◽  
Natalie Wilhelm ◽  
Ciara O'Reilly ◽  
Everline Muhonja ◽  
Solomon Karoki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Water Treatment ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Rapid Assessment ◽  
Informal Settlements ◽  
Epidemic Disease ◽  
Household Water Treatment ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Household Water ◽  
Water And Sanitation Infrastructure

Populations living in informal settlements with inadequate water and sanitation infrastructure are at risk of epidemic disease. In 2010, we conducted 398 household surveys in two informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya with isolated cholera cases. We tested source and household water for free chlorine residual (FCR) and Escherichia coli in approximately 200 households. International guidelines are ≥0.5 mg/L FCR at source, ≥0.2 mg/L at household, and <1 E. coli/100 mL. In these two settlements, 82% and 38% of water sources met FCR guidelines; and 7% and 8% were contaminated with E. coli, respectively. In household stored water, 82% and 35% met FCR guidelines and 11% and 32% were contaminated with E. coli, respectively. Source water FCR ≥0.5 mg/L (p = 0.003) and reported purchase of a household water treatment product (p = 0.002) were associated with increases in likelihood that household stored water had ≥0.2 mg/L FCR, which was associated with a lower likelihood of E. coli contamination (p < 0.001). These results challenge the assumption that water quality in informal settlements is universally poor and the route of disease transmission, and highlight that providing centralized water with ≥0.5 mg/L FCR or (if not feasible) household water treatment technologies reduces the risk of waterborne cholera transmission in informal settlements.

scholarly journals Sodium hypochlorite dosage for household and emergency water treatment: updated recommendations

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 112-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalie Wilhelm ◽  
Anya Kaufmann ◽  
Elizabeth Blanton ◽  
Daniele Lantagne
Keyword(s):  
Water Treatment ◽  
Sodium Hypochlorite ◽  
Diarrheal Disease ◽  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
Water Source ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Household Water Treatment ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Log Reduction ◽  
Household Water

Abstract Household water treatment with chlorine can improve the microbiological quality of household water and reduce diarrheal disease. We conducted laboratory and field studies to inform chlorine dosage recommendations. In the laboratory, reactors of varying turbidity (10–300 NTU) and total organic carbon (0–25 mg/L addition) were created, spiked with Escherichia coli, and dosed with 3.75 mg/L sodium hypochlorite. All reactors had >4 log reduction of E. coli 24 hours after chlorine addition. In the field, we tested 158 sources in 22 countries for chlorine demand. A 1.88 mg/L dosage for water from improved sources of <5 or <10 NTU turbidity met free chlorine residual criteria (≤2.0 mg/L at 1 hour, ≥0.2 mg/L at 24 hours) 91–94% and 82–87% of the time at 8 and 24 hours, respectively. In unimproved water source samples, a 3.75 mg/L dosage met relaxed criteria (≤4.0 mg/L at 1 hour, ≥0.2 mg/L after 24 hours) 83% and 65% of the time after 8 and 24 hours, respectively. We recommend water from improved/low turbidity sources be dosed at 1.88 mg/L and used within 24 hours, and from unimproved/higher turbidity sources be dosed at 3.75 mg/L and consumed within 8 hours. Further research on field effectiveness of chlorination is recommended.

Assessment of the quality, effectiveness, and acceptability of ceramic water filters in Tanzania

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ansley Lemons ◽  
Ariel Branz ◽  
Mesiaki Kimirei ◽  
Tracy Hawkins ◽  
Daniele Lantagne
Keyword(s):  
Flow Rate ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Diarrheal Disease ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Household Water Treatment ◽  
Ceramic Filters ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Ceramic Water Filters ◽  
Household Water

Globally, approximately two billion people drink contaminated water. Use of household water treatment (HWT) methods, such as locally manufactured ceramic filters, reduces the diarrheal disease burden associated with unclean water. We evaluated the quality, effectiveness, and acceptability of ceramic filters in two communities in Arusha, Tanzania, by conducting: 1) baseline household surveys with 50 families; 2) filter flow rate testing; 3) filter distribution with training sessions; 4) follow-up surveys at 2, 4, and 6 weeks after distribution; and 5) project end focus group discussions. We tested Escherichia coli (E. coli) and turbidity at baseline and the first two follow-ups. We found: 1) filter quality was low, as only 46% of filters met recommended flow rate guidelines and 18% of filters broke during the 6-week study; 2) filter effectiveness was moderate, with 8% and 35% of filters effectively reducing E. coli to <1 CFU/100 mL and <10 CFU/100 mL, respectively, at follow-ups; and, 3) filter acceptability was high, with 94% overall satisfaction and 96–100% reported use in the previous day. These results highlight the importance of mixed methods research as HWT product quality, effectiveness, and acceptability all impact product efficacy, and the need for quality assurance/quality control and certification schemes for locally manufactured HWT products.

Efficacy of a ceramic siphon household water filter for removal of pathogenic microorganisms: lifespan volume test

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 102-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda R. Kaufman ◽  
Lisa M. Casanova ◽  
Mark D. Sobsey
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Feed Water ◽  
Virus Removal ◽  
Water Filter ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Bacteriophage Ms2 ◽  
Point Of Use ◽  
Household Water ◽  
Contaminated Drinking Water ◽  
Pass Through

Treatment of drinking water at the point of use (POU) has demonstrated health benefits for people who have access only to microbially contaminated drinking water. In this work, the ceramic siphon POU water filter was evaluated for its ability to reduce indicator microorganisms in test waters. During batch challenge tests, the filter reduced Escherichia coli in filtered water by 7 log10 (99.999987%) and bacteriophage MS2 by 0.12 log10 (24.0%). Next, a novel continuous flow dosing system allowing sewage-amended feed water to constantly pass through the filters allowed for determination of changes in microbial reductions over time and total volume of water filtered. E. coli B, MS2 and fluorescent microspheres (as a surrogate for Cryptosporidium oocysts) were seeded into test water and dosed to filters at 10, 25 and 50% of the filter's volume lifespan. Microbial removal efficacy decreased as the volume of water filtered increased and test filters did not achieve their volume lifespan before physically failing. The ceramic siphon household water filter is effective in reducing E. coli and surrogates for Cryptosporidium in water, but filter modifications may be needed to achieve acceptable levels of virus removal and to reach the target 7,000 L volume lifespan of the filter.

scholarly journals Characterization Techniques as Supporting Tools for the Interpretation of Biochar Adsorption Efficiency in Water Treatment: A Critical Review

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (16) ◽  
pp. 5063
Author(s):  
Michele Castiglioni ◽  
Luca Rivoira ◽  
Irene Ingrando ◽  
Massimo Del Bubba ◽  
Maria Concetta Bruzzoniti
Keyword(s):  
Water Treatment ◽  
Water Purification ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Efficiency Index ◽  
Adsorption Efficiency ◽  
The Past ◽  
Physicochemical Features ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Significant Attention

Over the past decade, biochar (BC) has received significant attention in many environmental applications, including water purification, since it is available as a low-cost by-product of the energetic valorisation of biomass. Biochar has many intrinsic characteristics, including its porous structure, which is similar to that of activated carbon (AC), which is the most widely used sorbent in water treatment. The physicochemical and performance characteristics of BCs are usually non-homogenously investigated, with several studies only evaluating limited parameters, depending on the individual perspective of the author. Within this review, we have taken an innovative approach to critically survey the methodologies that are generally used to characterize BCs and ACs to propose a comprehensive and ready-to-use database of protocols. Discussion about the parameters of chars that are usually correlated with adsorption performance in water purification is proposed, and we will also consider the physicochemical properties of pollutants (i.e., Kow). Uniquely, an adsorption efficiency index BC/AC is presented and discussed, which is accompanied by an economic perspective. According to our survey, non-homogeneous characterization approaches limit the understanding of the correlations between the pollutants to be removed and the physicochemical features of BCs. Moreover, the investigations of BC as an adsorption medium necessitate dedicated parallel studies to compare BC characteristics and performances with those of ACs.

scholarly journals Comparison of Different Bacteria Inactivation by a Novel Continuous-Flow Ultrasound/Chlorination Water Treatment System in a Pilot Scale

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huasheng Zou ◽  
Haoyuan Tang
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Treatment ◽  
Continuous Flow ◽  
Treatment System ◽  
National Standard ◽  
Dual Frequency ◽  
Water Treatment System ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Log Reduction

The existing traditional drinking water disinfection technology relies mainly on chlorine disinfection alone, which has high disinfection efficiency and can effectively inactivate most of the microorganisms in the water. However, it produces a series of harmful disinfection by-products (DBPs). Therefore, it is very necessary to study an efficient and environmentally friendly disinfection technology for drinking water. For this purpose, a novel continuous-flow ultrasound (US)/chlorination water treatment system was designed and developed. Escherichia coli (E. coli), Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis), and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) were selected as indicators of water treatment effects to (1) investigate the disinfection effects of different bacteria by US treatment alone at different single or dual frequencies; (2) explore the disinfection effects of US pretreatment with 8 mg/L NaClO on different bacteria to assess the promoting effects of US pretreatment; and (3) identify the optimum system process to satisfy the national standard for drinking water quality. Results showed that the dual-frequency US had better inactivation effects compared with single-frequency US, although it could not achieve an ideal disinfection level (complete disinfection). Further, 17 + 33 kHz dual-frequency US pretreatment had obvious enhancement of the disinfection efficiency, where 3.85 (E. coli), 3.65 (S. aureus), and 3.52 (B. subtilis) log reduction were achieved when 8 mg/L NaClO disinfection lasted 10 min, and finally all three bacteria achieved 4 log reduction after 30 min. Moreover, the treated water satisfied the Chinese national standard for drinking water quality, in which the residual chlorine concentration was below 4 mg/L. The utilization efficiency of disinfectant was improved approximately 40% by 17 + 33 kHz US pretreatment.

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