scholarly journals Microbiological effectiveness of locally produced ceramic filters for drinking water treatment in Cambodia

2009 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joe Brown ◽  
Mark D. Sobsey
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Treatment ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Drinking Water Treatment ◽  
Water Sources ◽  
Ceramic Filter ◽  
Ceramic Filters ◽  
Household Level ◽  
Drinking Water Sources ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations

Low-cost options for the treatment of drinking water at the household level are being explored by the Cambodian government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in Cambodia, where many lack access to improved drinking water sources and diarrhoeal diseases are the most prevalent cause of death in children under 5 years of age. The ceramic water purifier (CWP), a locally produced, low-cost ceramic filter, is now being implemented by several NGOs, and an estimated 100,000 + households in the country now use them for drinking water treatment. Two candidate filters were tested for the reduction of bacterial and viral surrogates for waterborne pathogens using representative Cambodian drinking water sources (rainwater and surface water) spiked with Escherichia coli and bacteriophage MS2. Results indicate that filters were capable of reducing key microbes in the laboratory with mean reductions of E. coli of approximately 99% and mean reduction of bacteriophages of 90–99% over >600 litres throughput. Increased effectiveness was not observed in filters with an AgNO3 amendment. At under US$10 per filter, locally produced ceramic filters may be a promising option for drinking water treatment and safe storage at the household level.

Occurrence and separation of Cryptosporidium oocysts in drinking water treatment

2000 ◽  
Vol 41 (7) ◽  
pp. 159-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Dolejš ◽  
O. Ditrich ◽  
T. Machula ◽  
N. Kalousková ◽  
G. Puzová
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Treatment ◽  
Removal Efficiency ◽  
Drinking Water Treatment ◽  
Water Sources ◽  
Mixing Conditions ◽  
Drinking Water Sources ◽  
Cryptosporidium Oocysts ◽  
Mixing Intensity ◽  
Treatment Train

The presence of Cryptosporidium sp. in Czech drinking water sources was monitored. High numbers of Cryptosporidium oocysts were found in the Slezska Harta reservoir after 1997 summer floods. The influence of iron (III) coagulant dose, mixing conditions and preozonation on the removal efficiency of Cryptosporidium oocysts was studied. Low mixing intensity produced flocs with poor settling features. The efficiency of sedimentation expressed as residual iron after sedimentation was proportional to removal efficiency of oocysts. Both underdosing or overdosing of iron (III) coagulant resulted in decrease of COD, turbidity and oocyst removal. Preozonation positively influenced removal efficiency of oocysts in the conventional drinking water treatment train studied.

scholarly journals Microbial Dynamics of Biosand Filters and Contributions of the Microbial Food Web to Effective Treatment of Wastewater-Impacted Water Sources

2019 ◽  
Vol 85 (17) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tara M. Webster ◽  
Noah Fierer
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Treatment ◽  
Food Web ◽  
Microbial Communities ◽  
Drinking Water Treatment ◽  
Water Source ◽  
Water Sources ◽  
Microbial Food Web ◽  
Household Level ◽  
Biosand Filters

ABSTRACTBiosand filtration systems are widely used for drinking water treatment, from household-level, intermittently operated filters to large-scale continuous municipal systems. While it is well-established that microbial activity within the filter is essential for the removal of potential pathogens and other contaminants, the microbial ecology of these systems and how microbial succession relates to their performance remain poorly resolved. We determined how different source waters influence the composition, temporal dynamics, and performance of microbial communities in intermittently operated biosand filters. We operated lab-scale biosand filters, adding daily inputs from two contrasting water sources with differing nutrient concentrations and found that total coliform removal increased and became less variable after 4 weeks, regardless of water source. Total effluent biomass was also lower than total influent biomass for both water sources. Bacterial community composition, assessed via cultivation-independent DNA sequencing, varied by water source, sample type (influent, effluent, or sand), and time. Despite these differences, we identified specific taxa that were consistently removed, including common aquatic and wastewater bacteria. In contrast, taxa consistently more abundant in the sand and effluent included predatory, intracellular, and symbiotic bacteria.IMPORTANCEAlthough microbial activities are known to contribute to the effectiveness of biosand filtration for drinking water treatment, we have a limited understanding of what microbial groups are most effectively removed, colonize the sand, or make it through the filter. This study tracked the microbial communities in the influent, sand, and effluent of lab-scale, intermittently operated biosand filters over 8 weeks. These results represent the most detailed and time-resolved investigation of the microbial communities in biosand filters typical of those implemented at the household level in many developing countries. We show the importance of the microbial food web in biosand filtration, and we identified taxa that are preferentially removed from wastewater-impacted water sources. We found consistent patterns in filter effectiveness from source waters with differing nutrient loads and, likewise, identified specific bacterial taxa that were consistently more abundant in effluent waters, taxa that are important targets for further study and posttreatment.

Orthophosphate removal from aqueous solutions using drinking-water treatment sludge

2013 ◽  
Vol 68 (8) ◽  
pp. 1757-1762 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krzysztof Piaskowski
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Treatment ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Drinking Water Treatment ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Underground Water ◽  
Iron Hydroxides ◽  
Water Treatment Sludge ◽  
Main Component ◽  
Static Conditions

Drinking-water treatment sludge (DWTS) is a by-product generated during the production of drinking water where iron hydroxides are the main component of the sludge. The aim of the study presented here was to determine the effectiveness of using ferric sludge from two underground water treatment stations to remove orthophosphates from a model solution. The analyses were performed in static conditions. The sludge was dosed in a dry and suspended form. Using sludge dried at room temperature and preparing the suspension again proved to be much less effective in orthophosphate removal than using a suspension brought directly from the station. An increase in process effectiveness with a decreasing pH was observed for all the analysed sludge. Due to the low cost and high capability, DWTS has the potential to be utilised for cost-effective removal of phosphate from wastewater.

A novel low-cost multi-barrier system for drinking water treatment in rural and suburban areas

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Siwila ◽  
Isobel C. Brink
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Treatment ◽  
Granular Media ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Water System ◽  
Drinking Water Treatment ◽  
Fecal Coliforms ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Suburban Areas ◽  
Novel Concept

Abstract A low-cost multi-barrier drinking water system incorporating geotextile fabric for pre-filtration, silver-coated ceramic granular media (SCCGM) for filtration and disinfection, granular activated carbon (GAC) as an adsorption media and a safe storage compartment for treated water has been developed and tested. The developed system offers a novel concept of point-of-use drinking water treatment in rural and suburban areas of developing countries. The system is primarily aimed at bacterial and aesthetic improvement and has been optimised to produce >99.99% E. coli and fecal coliforms removal. Although particular emphasis was placed on the elimination of bacteria, improvement of the acceptability aspects of water was also given high priority so that users are not motivated to use more appealing but potentially unsafe sources. This paper discusses key system features and contaminant removal performance. A system using SCCGM only was also tested alongside the multi-barrier system. Strengths and weaknesses of the system are also presented. Both the developed and SCCGM-only systems consistently provided >99.99% E. coli and fecal coliforms removal at an optimum flow of 2 L/h. The developed system significantly recorded improvements of aesthetic aspects (turbidity, color, taste and odor). Average turbidity removals were 99.2% and 90.2% by the multi-barrier and SCCGM-only systems respectively.

scholarly journals After the flood: an evaluation of in-home drinking water treatment with combined flocculent-disinfectant following Tropical Storm Jeanne — Gonaives, Haiti, 2004

2007 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 367-374 ◽  
Author(s):  
Romulo E. Colindres ◽  
Seema Jain ◽  
Anna Bowen ◽  
Eric Mintz ◽  
Polyana Domond
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Treatment ◽  
Drinking Water Treatment ◽  
Water Sources ◽  
Tropical Storm ◽  
Coliform Bacteria ◽  
Residual Chlorine ◽  
Household Water ◽  
Untreated Water ◽  
Local Leaders

Tropical Storm Jeanne struck Haiti in September 2004, causing widespread flooding which contaminated water sources, displaced thousands of families and killed approximately 2,800 people. Local leaders distributed PūR®, a flocculent-disinfectant product for household water treatment, to affected populations. We evaluated knowledge, attitudes, practices, and drinking water quality among a sample of PūR® recipients. We interviewed representatives of 100 households in three rural communities who received PūR® and PūR®-related education. Water sources were tested for fecal contamination and turbidity; stored household water was tested for residual chlorine. All households relied on untreated water sources (springs [66%], wells [15%], community taps [13%], and rivers [6%]). After distribution, PūR® was the most common in-home treatment method (58%) followed by chlorination (30%), plant-based flocculation (6%), boiling (5%), and filtration (1%). Seventy-eight percent of respondents correctly answered five questions about how to use PūR®; 81% reported PūR® easy to use; and 97% reported that PūR®-treated water appears, tastes, and smells better than untreated water. Although water sources tested appeared clear, fecal coliform bacteria were detected in all sources (range 1 – >200 cfu/100 ml). Chlorine was present in 10 (45%) of 22 stored drinking water samples in households using PūR®. PūR® was well-accepted and properly used in remote communities where local leaders helped with distribution and education. This highly effective water purification method can help protect disaster-affected communities from waterborne disease.

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