Water Filtration Research Examples

Some water filtration research focuses on threats to public health posed by contamination of the water supply intended for human use, and other research focuses on larger problems with water pollutants in natural ecosystems. Different techniques for water filtration remove potential problems such as cigarette butts, algae toxins and parasites.

Cigarette Butts

• In one study, San Diego State University found that a low concentration of cigarette butts in the natural water supply is deadly to fish. The Cigarette Butt Advisory Group advocates that the government classify cigarette butts as hazardous waste and develop special requirements for butt disposal. Municipal water filtration systems are effective at removing solids such as cigarette butts during the filtration process before the water is returned to the natural environment.

Algae Toxins

• Microcystis is an algae that resides in rivers and lakes and oozes a toxin that damages the livers of humans and animals. A study at Ohio State University found that using both membrane filters and activated carbon could remove Microcystis toxins from the water. This technique was already in use as a water filtration technique for filtering herbicides and pesticides out of water for human consumption.

Giardia Intestinalis

• Wilkes University notes that Giardia intestinalis, a parasite, has been a problem in drinking water in the U.S. for at least fifteen years. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), this microscopic parasite causes a diarrheal illness in humans called giardiasis. The CDC explains that water filtration techniques in the home such as reverse osmosis can remove this parasite from household drinking water obtained from private wells.