Development of Ag/Ti3+/TiO2-Coated ceramic water filter for removing bacteria and organic pollutants

In this study, we developed an Ag/Ti3+/TiO2-coated ceramic water filter (ATTCF) designed for drinking water treatment. Firstly, Ag/Ti3+/TiO2 nanocomposites (ATTs) were synthesized as functional coating materials to modify ceramic water filters (CWFs). The ATTs exhibited excellent performance for removing carbamazepine (CBZ) under both dark and light conditions. The removal efficiency of CBZ was more than 90 % within 10 min. The reactive oxygen species during the degradation of CBZ were mainly •OH and •O2 −. Secondly, ATTs were coated on CWF with the assistance of sodium alginate and polypyrrole. On one hand, ATTs were embedded in calcium alginate layer which cross-linked with Ca2+. On the other hand, polypyrrole was grown in situ on the surface of the CWFs. Due to the interaction between calcium alginate and polypyrrole, ATTs were firmly coated on the surface of CWF to form ATTCF. The developed ATTCF was able to remove more than 80 % of CBZ during filtration and maintain satisfactory removal efficiency after regeneration. After seven cycles of filtration and regeneration, the CBZ removal efficiency was stable at about 80 %. The effects of environmental conditions on CBZ removal performance were also investigated. Although environmental pH and co-existing ions had slight impact on the catalytic activity of ATTs, several co-existing ions significantly affected the CBZ removal performance of ATTCF. Additionally, the antibacterial activity of the CWF was enhanced after coating with ATTs. Overall, the developed ATTCF has potential for removing organic pollutants and bacteria from contaminated water to provide safer drinking water.