A solar radiation and biosand filtration system for cooking and water treatment

A significant portion of the world’s rural population does not have access to adequate sources of electricity and fuel to produce healthy food and clean water. Many rural areas, however, have an abundance of solar radiation which can be harnessed for cooking and water treatment. This paper presents the design and testing of a solar radiation and biosand filtration system that can provide cooking and water treatment capabilities. The proposed system addresses a need for a solar cooker that is durable, theft resistant, and efficient for use by an entire village. Thermal pasteurization is used for water treatment in the proposed system, and a built prototype is analyzed for heat transfer and water treatment efficiency. Water treatment is assessed through turbidity testing and Escherichia coli + other coliform counts. Given proper sunlight exposure, the proposed system reaches adequate temperatures to pasteurize water as documented with thermocouples, but testing in central Pennsylvania is difficult because of relatively low direct normal irradiance. A decrease in Escherichia coli and other coliform counts has been observed for post-treatment versus pretreatment water samples, but the counts are not sufficient to meet the Environmental Protection Agency drinking water standards. This correlates with the inability to maintain the warmer temperatures in central Pennsylvania during the cooler nights.

This version of the article has been accepted for publication, after peer review (when applicable) and is subject to Springer Nature’s AM terms of use, but is not the Version of Record and does not reflect post-acceptance improvements, or any corrections. The Version of Record is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13762-022-04391-6

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Work Title A solar radiation and biosand filtration system for cooking and water treatment
Access
Open Access
Creators
  1. Hans Shollenberger
  2. G. Mathews IV
  3. Michael Young
  4. Shirley Clark
  5. Y. Chen
Keyword
  1. Biosand filtration
  2. Solar energy
  3. Solar water disinfection
  4. Water treatment
License In Copyright (Rights Reserved)
Work Type Article
Publisher
  1. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology
Publication Date July 23, 2022
Publisher Identifier (DOI)
  1. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-022-04391-6
Deposited May 13, 2024

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Version 1
published

  • Created
  • Added Revised_Manuscript-1.docx
  • Added Creator Hans Shollenberger
  • Added Creator Grady Matthews
  • Added Creator G. Mathews
  • Added Creator Michael Young
  • Added Creator Shirley E Clark
  • Added Creator Yen-Chih Chen
  • Added Creator I Abu-Mahfouz
  • Published
  • Updated
  • Updated Keyword Show Changes
    Keyword
    • Biosand filtration, Solar energy, Solar water disinfection, Water treatment
  • Deleted Creator Grady Matthews
  • Deleted Creator I Abu-Mahfouz
  • Renamed Creator G. Mathews IV Show Changes
    • G. Mathews
    • G. Mathews IV
  • Updated Creator Michael Young
  • Renamed Creator Shirley Clark Show Changes
    • Shirley E Clark
    • Shirley Clark
  • Renamed Creator Y. Chen Show Changes
    • Yen-Chih Chen
    • Y. Chen