Doctoral Dissertations

Keywords and Phrases

Ceramic pot filter; Developing countries; Drinking water; Lifetime; Turbidity; Water treatment

Abstract

"Poor water quality is a major contributing factor to disease in developing countries. Ceramic pot filters (CPFs) represent an effective and sustainable technology for poor communities, but the characterization of CPF lifetimes is on-going, and the water production seems to be the limiting factor. This dissertation describes laboratory and field investigations conducted to characterize the parameters that impact CPF effectiveness and lifetime in terms of water production and treatment efficacy, both under controlled and real use conditions.

CPF initial flow rate is the most common quality control parameter, but it may not be representative of the long-term effectiveness of the CPF since other factors, as water quality and use practices, can have a significant impact on CPF lifetime. The experimental work demonstrated that, amongst the analyzed water parameters, turbidity is the principal indicator in determining CPF lifetime in term of water production. The relationship between turbidity and average flow rate was defined and followed a negative trend with a decreasing rate of 50mLh-1/NTU. A method that permits prediction of the average flow rate given the initial flow rate and the turbidity of the influent water, and determines the turbidity limit for a target average flow rate was established.

The field investigation showed that CPFs could maintain bacterial removal efficacies above standards during the first 14 months of use, and flow rates in the recommended range during the first 10 months; however, consumers were tolerant of the lower flow rates. In general, filters were well accepted by users who appreciated the aesthetic quality of the treated water, reported lower incidences of health problems, and expressed their preference of the CPFs over other household treatments"--Abstract, page iv.

Advisor(s)

Elmore, A. Curt

Committee Member(s)

Anderson, Neil L. (Neil Lennart), 1954-
Drake, Kenneth D.
Guggenberger, Joe D.
Reidmeyer, Mary R.

Department(s)

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering

Degree Name

Ph. D. in Geological Engineering

Publisher

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Publication Date

Summer 2016

Journal article titles appearing in thesis/dissertation

  • Assessment of the impact of water parameters on the flow rate of ceramic pot filters in a long-term experiment
  • Characterization of the relationship between ceramic pot filter water production and turbidity in source water
  • Ceramic pot filters lifetime study in coastal Guatemala

Pagination

xi, 82 pages

Note about bibliography

Includes bibliographic references.

Rights

© 2016 Carlo Salvinelli, All rights reserved.

Document Type

Dissertation - Open Access

File Type

text

Language

English

Subject Headings

Drinking water -- Purification -- ResearchCeramic materials -- Carbon contentFilters and filtrationTurbidity

Thesis Number

T 10979

Electronic OCLC #

958281058

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