Abstract
Efforts to provide safe water are challenged by recontamination and regrowth of pathogens in treated water during storage. This study evaluated the potential of metallic silver with a chemically etched surface to reduce recontamination risks during water storage in ceramic water filters. Batch experiments were conducted in the laboratory with water storage buckets containing three configurations of varying amounts of silver. Field trials in a rural area in Kenya assessed the effect of the same configurations in the storage buckets of locally produced ceramic pot filters without colloidal silver coating. The tests revealed that the etched silver slightly reduced microbiological recontamination risks during water storage despite the low diffusion of silver ions (<5 µg Ag/L). The effect was strongly influenced by water chemistry parameters. A statistically significant difference in the removal of E. coli (Δ Log Removal Value (LRV) = 0.6) and total coliforms (Δ LRV = 1.7) was found between households using a filter with silver in the water reservoir and those using a filter without silver. Multivariate regression of water handling factors and hygiene practices on filter performance revealed that the presence of silver in the reservoir and cleaning the filter element with a brush were associated with a better filter performance.
Highlights
IntroductionDiarrheal diseases pose a significant health risk, for children below the age of five
Diarrheal diseases pose a significant health risk, for children below the age of five.Major causes are inadequate sanitation, contaminated drinking water, and inadequate hygiene
Three modifications of water storage containers were tested in all settings under laboratory and field conditions: control C did not contain any silver, setup SR contained a piece of activated silver in the reservoir, and configuration SRT contained a piece of activated silver in the tap as well as in the reservoir
Summary
Diarrheal diseases pose a significant health risk, for children below the age of five. Major causes are inadequate sanitation, contaminated drinking water, and inadequate hygiene. In 2012, 842,000 diarrhea deaths were estimated to be caused by this cluster of risk factors, which amounts to. 1.5% of the total disease burden and to 58% of diarrheal diseases. In children under 5 years old, 361,000 deaths could have been prevented [1]. More than 700 million people do not have access to an improved source of drinking water [2], and Onda et al estimate that globally more than 1.8 billion people use water that is unsafe [3]. In Kenya, about 40% of the population has no access to safe drinking water [4]
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