Date of Award
1-1-2023
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Civil and Environmental Engineering
Department
Civil and Environmental Engineering
First Advisor
Vinka Oyanedel Craver
Abstract
The main objectives of this dissertation were to determine the underlying factors involved in the ceramic water filter (CWF) manufacturing and assist in quality control of the CWFs using peer reviewed articles, empirical models, and statistical procedures. First, the progress, bias and gaps in the ceramic filter research were identified based on the peer reviewed articles published after 2011. Second, flow rate (FR) and nominal pore diameter (NPD) values as parameters were used to predict the microbial removal of CWFs. Two empirical models (flow rate model, FRM, and nominal pore diameter model, NPDM) were developed based on the log removal values (LRVs) for total coliform obtained from the operation of CWFs manufactured under controlled conditions in the United States.
This research has contributed in two ways. First, by highlighting the progress, bias, and gaps in the CWF research, the future researchers could focus on the CWF research gaps to improve the CWF manufacturing process. Second, it provided an extra set of tools (models) that researchers and manufacturers could potentially use to reengineer the CWFs and quality control, respectively. The results of this study have the potential to improve the quality of CWFs produced, and therefore the water quality and related health impacts in the under-served communities.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Pokharel, Hem Kumar, "IMPROVING QUALITY: EXPLORING CERAMIC WATER FILTERS IN DEVELOPING COMMUNITIES" (2023). Open Access Dissertations. Paper 1532.
https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/oa_diss/1532