High-Performance Virus Removal Filter Paper for Drinking Water Purification.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Environmental Science
• Water Treatment Technologies

Background:

• Access to safe drinking water is a critical global challenge.
• Wastewater contains various contaminants, including viruses, necessitating effective purification methods.
• Nanocellulose materials show potential for advanced filtration applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the virus removal efficiency of nanocellulose-based filter papers.
• To assess the performance of these filters in a simulated wastewater matrix.
• To determine the suitability of nanocellulose filters for drinking water purification.

Main Methods:

• Filtration experiments using simulated wastewater (SWW) with varying total suspended solids (TSS).
• Spiking tests with surrogate latex particles (30 nm) and bacteriophages (28 nm).
• Evaluation of nanocellulose filter papers (9 and 29 µm thickness) at different pressures (1 and 3 bar).

Main Results:

• Achieved high virus removal efficiency (99.9980-99.9995%) for small viruses.
• Demonstrated efficient filtration at industrially relevant flow rates (60-500 L m⁻² h⁻¹).
• Observed low fouling (Vmax > 10³-10⁴ L m⁻²), indicating filter durability.

Conclusions:

• 100% nanocellulose filter paper effectively removes viruses from wastewater.
• The developed filter paper shows promise for affordable and sustainable water purification systems.
• This technology offers a robust solution for improving global access to safe drinking water.