Ceramic Water Filters Impregnated with Silver Nanoparticles for Point-of-Use Water Treatment: Results of Field Studies in Guatemala and South Africa

This work investigates the efficacy of ceramic filters treated with silver nanoparticles as a point-of-use water treatment intervention in two developing-world communities: San Mateo Ixtatan, Guatemala and Limpopo Province, S. Africa. In San Mateo Ixtatan, filter interventions were designed to evaluate the technological performance and social acceptance of the filter in 60 households. In Limpopo Province, an ongoing intervention is being studied for HIV-positive individuals with the goal of also evaluating health effects of the filters. This latter study recruited 66 individuals with about half receiving filters and the other half serving as a control group. Data for Guatemala show significant social acceptance of the filter and initial coliform bacteria and E. coli removal rates greater than 97%. Early data for the S. Africa study demonstrate a 69% reduction in the number of days of diarrhea per month in patients who received the filters compared to those who did not.