Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Household Biosand Water Filters: Materials, Capacity, And Temperature Effects On Performance, Nathan B. Arnold

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

The household biosand filter (BSF) is one of the world’s most utilized point-of-use (POU) water treatment tools where drinking water is not reliably potable. The feasibility of using ferrocement for construction, the filter volume, and the effect of temperature on removal are unclear, however. The following field and laboratory research was carried out in Panama and at Michigan Technological University. Field testing of ferrocement biosand filters (FBSFs) in rural Panama yielded average coliform and E.coli removals that compared favorably to plastic and cement BSFs. Parallel testing of a larger-bodied FBSF and a conventionally-sized BSF revealed that the former is necessary …