title: Efficiency of Silver Impregnated Porous Pot (SIPP) filters for production of clean potable water.
abstract: The Silver Impregnated Porous Pot (SIPP) filter is a product of the Tshwane University of Technology manufactured for the production of safe drinking water at a household (home) level. Two SIPP devices were assessed for the reduction efficiency of chemical contaminants such as calcium, magnesium, iron, arsenic, fluorides and total organic carbon (TOC) as well as microbial contaminants from environmental samples. Turbidity change after filtration, together with correlation between chlorophyll a in the feed water and SIPP's flow rates were also evaluated in order to give comprehensive guidelines on the quality of intake water that could be filtered through the filter without causing a significant decrease in flow rate. The SIPP filters removed contaminants from environmental water samples as follows: 70% to 92% iron, 36% to 68% calcium, 42% to 82% arsenic, 39% to 98% magnesium, 39% to 95% fluorides, 12% to 35% TOC and 45% to 82% turbidity. The SIPP filters had initial flow rates of 1 L/h to 4 L/h but the flow rates dropped to 0.5 L/h with an increase in cumulative volume of intake water as the filter was used. Turbidity and chemical contaminant reduction rates decreased with accumulating volume of intake water but the filter removed Ca, Fe and Mg to levels that comply with the South African National Standards (SANS 241) and the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline values. However, the SIPP filters cannot produce enough water to satisfy the daily drinking water requirement of a typical household (25 L/p·d). Chlorophyll a was associated with a decrease in the flow rate through the SIPP filters.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Technology, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 17011, Doornfontein 2028, South Africa. mahlanguoranso@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Oranso
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Mahlangu
authors.forename: Bhekie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mamba
authors.forename: Maggie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Momba
mesh_terms: D000538:Aluminum Silicates / Q000737:chemistry; D002516:Ceramics / Q000737:chemistry*; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000032:analysis; D000077194:Chlorophyll A; D000077215:Clay; D005374:Filtration / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry*; D013019:South Africa; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D014872:Water Movements; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D014881:Water Supply / Q000592:standards
chemical_list: D000538:Aluminum Silicates; D052638:Particulate Matter; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002734:Chlorophyll; D012834:Silver; D000077215:Clay; D000077194:Chlorophyll A