Evaluation of a Silver-Embedded Ceramic Tablet as a Primary and Secondary Point-of-Use Water Purification Technology in Limpopo Province, S. Africa

被引:22
作者
Ehdaie, Beeta [1 ]
Rento, Chloe T. [1 ]
Son, Veronica [1 ]
Turner, Sydney S. [1 ]
Samie, Amidou [2 ]
Dillingham, Rebecca A. [3 ]
Smith, James A. [1 ]
机构
[1] Unviers Virginia, Dept Civil & Environm Engn, Charlottesville, VA 22903 USA
[2] Univ Venda, Dept Chem, Dept Microbiol, Thohoyandou, Limpopo Provinc, South Africa
[3] Univ Virginia, Dept Med, Charlottesville, VA USA
来源
PLOS ONE | 2017年 / 12卷 / 01期
基金
美国国家科学基金会;
关键词
ARTIBONITE VALLEY; CONTROLLED-TRIAL; FILTERS; SUSTAINABILITY; PERFORMANCE;
D O I
10.1371/journal.pone.0169502
中图分类号
O [数理科学和化学]; P [天文学、地球科学]; Q [生物科学]; N [自然科学总论];
学科分类号
07 ; 0710 ; 09 ;
摘要
The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes point-of-use water treatment (PoUWT) technologies as effective means to improve water quality. This paper investigates long-term performance and social acceptance of a novel PoUWT technology, a silver-infused ceramic tablet, in Limpopo Province, South Africa. When placed in a water storage container, the silver-embedded ceramic tablet releases silver ions into water, thereby disinfecting microbial pathogens and leaving the water safe for human consumption. As a result of its simplicity and efficiency, the silver-embedded ceramic tablet can serve as a stand-alone PoUWT method and as a secondary PoUWT to improve exisitng PoUWT methods, such as ceramic water filters. In this paper, three PoUWT interventions were conducted to evaluate the silver-embedded ceramic tablet: (1) the silver-embedded ceramic tablet as a stand-alone PoUWT method, (2) ceramic water filters stand-alone, and (3) a filter-tablet combination. The filter-tablet combination evaluates the silver-embedded ceramic tablet as a secondary PoUWT method when placed in the lower reservoir of the ceramic water filter system to provide residual disinfection post-filtration. Samples were collected from 79 households over one year and analyzed for turbidity, total silver levels and coliform bacteria. Results show that the silver-embedded ceramic tablet effectively reduced total coliform bacteria (TC) and E. coli when used as a stand-alone PoUWT method and when used in combination with ceramic water filters. The silver-embedded ceramic tablet's performance as a stand-alone PoUWT method was comparable to current inexpensive, single-use PoUWT methods, demonstrating 100% and 75% median reduction in E. coli and TC, respectively, after two months of use. Overall, the the filter-tablet combination performed the best of the three interventions, providing a 100% average percent reduction in E. coli over one year. User surveys were also conducted and indicated that the silver-embedded ceramic tablet was simple to use and culturally appropriate. Also, silver levels in all treated water samples remained below 20 mu g/L, significantly lower than the drinking water standard of 100 mu g/L, making it safe for consumption. Long-term data demonstrates that the silver-embedded ceramic tablet has beneficial effects even after one year of use. This study demonstrates that the silver-embedded ceramic tablet can effectively improve water quality when used alone, or with ceramic water filters, to reduce rates of recontamination. Therefore, the tablet has the potential to provide a low-cost means to purify water in resource-limited settings.
引用
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页数:20
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