The development of filter media using plant and marine waste for virus removal from drinking water

Two natural wastes, palm leaves and shrimp shells, were purified and tested for their efficiency in adsorbing enteroviruses from drinking water. The chemical modification of marine waste was evaluated to prepare carboxymethyl chitin, while O-carboxymethyl chitosan was prepared by deacetylation of the carboxymethyl chitin to improve the adsorption of viruses from drinking water. The role of the reaction parameters such as temperature, time, concentration of alkali and etherified agent, and the material-to-liquor ratio were examined. Also, the effect of pH on the adsorption efficiency of enteroviruses in modified waste was evaluated. The results showed that raw palm leaves and O-carboxymethyl chitosan prepared as filter matrix exhibited a better adsorption efficiency in a wide range of pH levels. They can be used to adsorb viruses directly from tap water at ambient pH values without having multivalent-containing salts or adjusting the pH of tap water.