Low Cost And Efficient Removal Of Pathogenic Microbes And Fluorides Using Ceramic Water Filter

Abstract

This Project Work Was Aimed To Develop A Low Cost And Efficient Ceramic Water Filter On Lab Scale By Using Locally Available Clay And Combustible Materials To Remove Pathogenic Microbes And Fluorides From Contaminated Ground Water Sources. Three Raw Soils And Two Combustibles Were Collected For This Project Purpose. These Three Soils Were Tested For Their Physical Properties And Characterized For Phase Identification, Elemental Chemical Composition And Thermal Stability By Using X-Ray Diffraction (Xrd), X-Ray Fluorescent Spectroscopy (Xrf) And Differential Thermogravimetry (Dtg) Analysis Techniques. The Two Soils Were Found To Be Suitable For Filter Production. Optimum Filter Processing Parameters Ranges Were Determined By Using Sample Test Bars And The Result Was Found To Be 70wt% To 80wt% Clay With 20wt% To 30wt% Combustible Mixing Ratio Range, 300 To 600??M Clay And 600 To 1200 ??M Combustible Particle Size Range, And 900??C To 1000 ??C Firing Temperature Ranges. Based On These Results Sample Laboratory Scale Ceramic Pot Water Filters (Cpwfs) Were Prepared And Their Performance Evaluated. The Experimental Result Revealed That, These Lab Scale Ceramic Pot Water Filters Achieved High Flow Rate (2 Up To 2.5 Liter/Hr) Performance Without Sacrifice Of The Microbial Removal Efficiency. If It Was Scaled Up To Large Scale, It Was Expected To Provide 25.5 ?�? 36 Liters Per A Day, Which Was Sufficient To Provide A Safe Drinking Water For An Average Five-Member Household. These Filters Have S Capability Of Removing More Than 99.3 To 100 % Of The Total Coliform Bacteria And 100% Of The Fecal Coliform From Influent Ground Water Samples. The Average Reduction Result Of Turbidity From 13 To 1.15 Ntu (I.E 91.15% Removal Efficiency), Free Residual Fluoride Ion From 3.4 To 0.053mg/100ml (I.E 99.81% Removal Efficiency), Total Dissolved Solids From 1245mg/L To 7.4 Mg/L (I.E 99.4% Removal Efficiency) And Ph From 8.9 To 8.4 Which Was Within Acceptable Range. From This Experimental Investigation Result, It Was Possible To Fabricate Ceramic Water Filter In Large Scale In Ethiopia And To Use It As One Of A Promising Future House Hold Water Treatment Technology For Microbial Removal And De Fluoridation Of Contaminated Drinking Water Sources.