Foam Filter to Provide Clean Water

Michigan State University researchers are looking to fill that critical need and provide safe drinking water to the most remote locations in the world with a new foam water filter that significantly reduces dangerous pathogens in drinking water

It is estimated that one in nine people globally lack access to safe water. Michigan State University researchers are looking to fill that critical need and provide safe drinking water to the most remote locations in the world with a new foam water filter that significantly reduces dangerous pathogens in drinking water.

''The foam filter is the first of its kind to address a wide range of the biological and economic factors that hinder development of remote water filtration systems,'' says Joan Rose, Homer Nowlin Chair in water research and author of the study. ''This filter is easier to use and more effective than traditional methods.''

Published in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene , the study examined a multi-barrier biofilm foam filter, designed and manufactured by Amway, as a low-cost alternative to existing household filtration methods.

''The foam filter combines existing water treatment principles and is evidence that conventional municipal water treatment processes can be reinvented into a small, light and portable system,'' Rose said.

The filter features a unique biological layer, which allows organisms within the foam to attack foreign pathogens as water passes through. Growth of 'friendly' microorganisms in this layer enable the filter to become more efficient at reducing protozoa, bacteria and viruses over time. The newly discovered material also has other advantages such as ease of use, maintenance and affordability.

Source: Domain-b.com

Read More Related Content On This Topic - Click Here

Media

Taxonomy

• Purification
• Filtration
• Research