Suitability of Some Selected Clay Deposit from Edo, Ogun, Ondo and Ekiti State of Nigeria for Ceramic Water Filters Production

This study is designed to investigate the suitability of selected Nigeria clay deposit for clay based ceramic water filters (CWFs). Clay samples were taken from five randomly selected locations in Nigeria Namely: Okpella (Edo1) and Ojirami (Edo2) in Edo;Ikere in Ekiti state;FUTA in Ondo state and Onibode in Ogun to determine their suitability for clay based ceramic water filters (CWFs). Experimental analysis for linear shrinkage, water absorption, bulk density, compressive strength X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) was carried out on each of the clay samples. Test results reveal that all the clays contain high contents of alumina (Al2O3) and silica (SiO2) with minor contents of P2O5, Fe2O3, MgO, K2O, MnO and TiO2. The average crystal sizes of the clay were between 15 and 27 nm. Lattice structure indicates that the sample is Monoclinic and Anorthic. Ceramic water filters (CWFs) were made from a mixture of clay and sawdust at different volume ratios, and processed into test samples. Water absorption, linear shrinkage and compressive strength of the clay based ceramic filters (CWFs), reveal that as the volume ratio of sawdust increases these properties decrease. Flow rate analysis indicates that Edo and Ekiti ceramic water filters (CWFs) have higher flow rates. The research indicates that Edo and Ekiti Clay with specification of some industrial clays shows that the samples can be recommended for use in clay based ceramic water filters production.

Ceramic water filter for point-of-use water treatment in developing countries: Principles, challenges and opportunities

Drinking water source contamination poses a great threat to human health in developing countries.Point-of-use(POU)water treatment techniques,which improve drinking water quality at the household level,offer an affordable and convenient way to obtain safe drinking water and thus can reduce the outbreaks of waterbome diseases.Ceramic water filters(CWFs),fabricated from locally sourced materials and manufactured by local labor,are one of the most socially acceptable POU water treatment technologies because of their effectiveness,low-cost and ease of use.This review concisely summarizes the critical factors that influence the performance of CWFs,including(1)CWF manufacturing process(raw material selection,firing process,silver impregnation),and(2)source water quality.Then,an in-depth discussion is presented with emphasis on key research efforts to address two major challenges of conventional CWFs,including(1)simultaneous increase of filter flow rate and bacterial removal efficiency,and(2)removal of various concerning pollutants,such as viruses and metal(loid)s.To promote the application of CWFs,future research directions can focus on:(1)investigation of pore size distribution and pore structure to achieve higher flow rates and effective pathogen removal by elucidating pathogen transport in porous ceramic and adjusting manufacture parameters;and(2)exploration of new surface modification approaches with enhanced interaction between a variety of contaminants and ceramic surfaces.