A novel point-of-use water treatment method by antimicrobial nanosilver textile material. J Water Health. 2014 Dec;12(4):670-7. doi: 10.2166/wh.2014.197.
Liu H1, Tang X2, Liu Q3. Author information: 1Key Laboratory of Natural Medicine and Immuno-Engineering of Henan Province, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, China E-mail: hjliu@henu.edu.cn; AGplus Technologies Pte Ltd, 10 Jalan Besar #10-06 Sim Lim Tower, Singapore 208787.
2AGplus Technologies Pte Ltd, 10 Jalan Besar #10-06 Sim Lim Tower, Singapore 208787.
3School of Architecture and the Built Environment, Singapore Polytechnic, 500 Dover Road, Singapore 139651.
Pathogenic bacteria are one of the main reasons for worldwide water-borne disease causing a big threat to public health, hence there is an urgent need to develop cost-effective water treatment technologies. Nano-materials in point-of-use systems have recently attracted considerable research and commercial interests as they can overcome the drawbacks of traditional water treatment techniques. We have developed a new point-of-use water disinfection kit with nanosilver textile material. The silver nanoparticles were in-situ generated and immobilized onto cotton textile, followed by fixing to a plastic tube to make a water disinfection kit. By soaking and stirring the kit in water, pathogenic bacteria have been killed within minutes. The silver leaching from the kit was insignificant, with values <100 ppb – the current US EPA and WHO limit for silver level in drinking water. Herein, the nanosilver textile water disinfection kit could be a new, efficient and cost-effective point-of-use water treatment method for rural areas and emergency preparedness.
