A facile approach for the synthesis of ceramic filters for methyl orange, chromium and lead removal from water

The provision of safe drinking water is still a challenge in rural communities of low-income countries, partly due to the high cost of modern filtration systems. As a result, people often collect and use water without treatment, thereby compromising their health. Readily available material and waste products may provide a solution for drinking water challenges. Therefore, this study investigated the application of optimized ceramic filters for the removal of methyl orange, lead and chromium from water. The filter properties were fine-tuned by optimizing the compression pressure and content of macadamia nutshell (used as porogen) to obtain satisfactory flow rates and high pollutant removal. The raw material and resultant filters were characterized for chemical composition as well as filtration properties using various techniques. The best-performing filter had a flux of 289 L/m2h and removed methyl orange (40%), turbidity (95-98%), chromium (III) (40%) and lead (II) (71%). Improvement in filtration performance was attributed to an increase in filter porosity and hydrophilicity due to the presence of oxygen-rich functional groups. The proposed filter fabrication method is environmentally friendly, facile, cost-effective, less time-consuming and does not require expertise to reproduce. The performance of the filters is comparable to other filters reported in the literature and they are easy to maintain and are reusable.

Automated summary

The provision of safe drinking water is still a challenge in rural communities of low-income countries. This study investigated the application of optimized ceramic filters for the removal of methyl orange, lead, and chromium from water. The proposed filter fabrication method is environmentally friendly, facile, cost-effective, and does not require expertise to reproduce.