DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF A COST-EFFECTIVE AERATION-FILTRATION SOLAR DISINFECTION SYSTEM FOR WATER TREATMENT

Authors

  • E. J. Nwankwo Department of Civil Engineering, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4314/njt.v43i4.18

Keywords:

Continuous flow, Diarrhoea, E. coli, oxygenation, SODIS, turbidity

Abstract

Solar disinfection (SODIS) of drinking water involves storing water in small transparent containers and exposing it to sunlight, but it has not yet gained widespread use despite being simple and low-cost. This study aimed to improve the acceptability of SODIS by developing and evaluating the effectiveness of a pilot-scale, semi-continuous flow, aeration-filtration SODIS (AF-SODIS) system that combines aeration, filtration, and solar disinfection in a single process. Over two weeks, the system was tested with feed water of 100 NTU turbidity and over 1.1 × 10⁵ MPN/100 mL of pathogens. The results showed that the system effectively removed over 97% of turbidity and 99.99% of E. coli. When compared to previously developed flow SODIS systems, this new system is more affordable and scalable, which could encourage greater adoption and sustained use. However, responses from potential users suggested that a substantial promotional and educational initiative would be required to establish SODIS treatment as a regular practice in rural areas of developing countries.

References

[1] Keogh, M. B. et al., “Capability of 19-L polycarbonate plastic water cooler containers for efficient solar water disinfection (SODIS): Field case studies in India, Bahrain and Spain,” Sol. Energy, vol. 116, pp. 1–11, Jun. 2015, doi: 10.1016/J.SOLENER.2015.03.035.

[2] Polo-López, M. I. et al., “Microbiological Evaluation of 5 L- and 20 L-Transparent Polypropylene Buckets for Solar Water Disinfection (SODIS),” Molecules , vol. 24, no. 11. 2019, doi: 10.3390/molecules2411219 3.

[3] Luzi, S., Tobler, M., Suter, F., and Meierhofer, R. “SODIS Manual: Guidance on Solar Water Disinfection,” Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (SANDEC) Dübendorf, Switzerland, 2016. [Online]. Available: https://www.sodis.ch/.

[4] Meierhofer, R., and Wegelin, M. “Solar Water Disinfection: A Guide for the Application of SODIS,” Dübendorf, 2002. [Online]. Availabl e: www.sodis.ch.

[5] McGuigan, K. G., Conroy, R. M., Mosler, H. J., du Preez, M., Ubomba-Jaswa, E., and Fernandez-Ibañez, P. “Solar water disinfection (SODIS): A review from bench-top to roof-top,” J. Hazard. Mater., vol. 235–236, pp. 29–46, 2012, doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2012.07.053.

[6] Davies-Colley, R. J., Craggs, R. J., Park, J., Sukias, J. P. S., Nagels, J. W., and Stott, R. “Virus removal in a pilot-scale ‘advanced’ pond system as indicated by somatic and F-RNA bacteriophages,” Water Sci. Technol., vol. 51, no. 12, pp. 107–110, 2005.

[7] WHO, Combating waterborne disease at the household level/International Network to Promote Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage. Geneva, Switzerland, 2007.

[8] WHO, Safely managed drinking water - thematic report on drinking water 2017. Geneva, Switzerland, 2017.

[9] K. G. McGuigan, T. M. Joyce, R. M. Conroy, J. B. Gillespie, and M. Elmore-Meegan, “Solar disinfection of drinking water contained in transparent plastic bottles: Characterizing the bacterial inactivation process,” J. Appl. Microbiol., vol. 84, no. 6, pp. 1138–1148, 1998, doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2672.1998.00455.x.

[10] S. Samoili et al., “Predicting the bactericidal efficacy of solar disinfection (SODIS): from kinetic modeling of in vitro tests towards the in silico forecast of E. coli inactivation,” Chem. Eng. J., vol. 427, p. 130866, 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.cej.2021.130866.

[11] K. L. Nelson et al., “Sunlight-mediated inactivation of health-relevant microorganisms in water: a review of mechanisms and modeling approaches,” Environ. Sci. Process. Impacts, vol. 20, no. 8, pp. 1089–1122, 2018, doi: 10.1039/C8EM00047F.

[12] S. Pigeot-Rémy, F. Simonet, D. Atlan, J. C. Lazzaroni, and C. Guillard, “Bactericidal efficiency and mode of action: A comparative study of photochemistry and photocatalysis,” Water Res., vol. 46, no. 10, pp. 3208–3218, 2012, doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2012.03.019.

[13] R. P. Sinha and D. P. Häder, “UV-induced DNA damage and repair: A review,” Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., vol. 1, no. 4, pp. 225–236, 2002, doi: 10.1039/b201230h.

[14] R. H. Reed, S. K. Mani, and V. Meyer, “Solar photo-oxidative disinfection of drinking water: Preliminary field observations,” Lett. Appl. Microbiol., vol. 30, no. 6, pp. 432–436, 2000, doi: 10.1046/j.1472-765x.2000.00741.x.

[15] C. D. DeMoyer, E. L. Schierholz, J. S. Gulliver, and S. C. Wilhelms, “Impact of bubble and free surface oxygen transfer on diffused aeration systems,” Water Res., vol. 37, no. 8, pp. 1890–1904, 2003, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0043-1354(02)00566-3.

[16] T. Ahmed and M. J. Semmens, “Gas transfer from small spherical bubbles in natural and industrial systems,” J. Environ. Syst., vol. 29, no. 2, pp. 101–123, 2002, doi: 10.2190/9402-N69Y-KHGM-YE9N.

[17] H. Gómez-Couso, M. Fontán-Sainz, K. G. McGuigan, and E. Ares-Mazás, “Effect of the radiation intensity, water turbidity and exposure time on the survival of Cryptosporidium during simulated solar disinfection of drinking water,” Acta Trop., vol. 112, no. 1, pp. 43–48, 2009, doi: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2009.06.004.

[18] D. X. Flores-Cervantes, “Feasibility of semi-continuous solar disinfection system for developing countries at a household level,” Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2003.

[19] B. M. Loux, “Spirasol: improvements to semi-continuous solar disinfection water treatment systems.” Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2005.

[20] G. O. Rosa e Silva, H. O. Loureiro, L. G. Soares, L. H. de Andrade, and R. G. L. Santos, “Evaluation of an alternative household water treatment system based on slow filtration and solar disinfection,” J. Water Health, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 157–166, 2022, doi: 10.2166/wh.2021.211.

[21] J. M. Monteagudo, A. Durán, I. S. Martín, and A. M. Acevedo, “A novel combined solar pasteurizer/TiO2 continuous-flow reactor for decontamination and disinfection of drinking water,” Chemosphere, vol. 168, pp. 1447–1456, 2017, doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.11.142.

[22] B. J. M. Chaúque, A. D. Benetti, G. Corção, C. E. Silva, R. F. Gonçalves, and M. B. Rott, “A new continuous-flow solar water disinfection system inactivating cysts of Acanthamoeba castellanii, and bacteria,” Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 123–137, 2021, doi: 10.1007/s43630-020-00008-4.

[23] D. Whittington, A. Okorafor, A. Okore, and A. McPhail, “Strategy for cost recovery in the rural water sector: a case study of Nsukka District, Anambra State, Nigeria,” Water Resour. Res., vol. 26, no. 9, pp. 1899–1913, 1990, doi: 10.1029/WR026i009p01899.

[24] APHA, Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, 23rd ed. Washington DC, USA: American Public Health Association (APHA), 2017.

[25] WHO, Guidelines for drinking water quality: fourth edition incorporating the first and second addenda, 4th ed + 2. Geneva PP - Geneva: World Health Organization, 2022.

[26] A. Huq, B. Xu, M. A. Chowdhury, M. S. Islam, R. Montilla, and R. R. Colwell, “A simple filtration method to remove plankton-associated Vibrio cholerae in raw water supplies in developing countries,” Appl. Environ. Microbiol., vol. 62, no. 7, pp. 2508–2512, Jul. 1996, doi: 10.1128/aem.62.7.2508-2512.1996.

[27] A. Mustafa, M. Scholz, S. Khan, and A. Ghaffar, “Application of solar disinfection for treatment of contaminated public water supply in a developing country: Field observations,” J. Water Health, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 135–145, 2013, doi: 10.2166/wh.2012.119.

[28] E. Ubomba-Jaswa, P. Fernández-Ibáñez, and K. G. McGuigan, “A preliminary Ames fluctuation assay assessment of the genotoxicity of drinking water that has been solar disinfected in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles,” J. Water Health, vol. 8, no. 4, pp. 712–719, 2010, doi: 10.2166/wh.2010.136.

[29] P. O. Diez et al., “In vitro toxicity studies of novel solar water disinfection reactors using the E-screen bioassay and the Ames test,” H2Open J., vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 204–215, 2021, doi: 10.2166/h2oj.2021.108.

[30] P. Schmid, M. Kohler, R. Meierhofer, S. Luzi, and M. Wegelin, “Does the reuse of PET bottles during solar water disinfection pose a health risk due to the migration of plasticisers and other chemicals into the water?,” Water Res., vol. 42, no. 20, pp. 5054–60, 2008, doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2008.09.025.

Downloads

Published

2025-01-08

Issue

Section

Agricultural, Bioresources, Biomedical, Food, Environmental & Water Resources Engineering

How to Cite

DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF A COST-EFFECTIVE AERATION-FILTRATION SOLAR DISINFECTION SYSTEM FOR WATER TREATMENT. (2025). Nigerian Journal of Technology, 43(4), 779 – 787. https://doi.org/10.4314/njt.v43i4.18