부산대학교 도서관

Freshwater resources remain scarce, and contaminated drinking water has become a global health crisis. In this study, a gravity-driven device has been developed for water disinfection that operates without the need for electrical power. The filter medium of this device consists of acid-functionalized activated carbon (AC) impregnated with metallic copper nanoparticle (Cu-NP). With a Cu loading of 0.8 wt%, this composite has demonstrated complete inactivation of 104CFU/mL E. colicells within 35 min of contact time in a batch setup. The performance of the composite was further assessed against elevated bacterial load (106CFU/mL) as well as broad spectrum of pH and dissolved solids. Additionally, in continuous flow experiments conducted with the gravity-driven device, the composite maintained consistent absence of live E. coliat the outlet for an uninterrupted run lasting over 8 days, during which 22.11 L of water was successfully decontaminated. Therefore, the designed device shows potential for utilization as a gravity-driven, point-of-use water disinfection system.