Investigating the Quality of Groundwater and Its Purification Using Gravity Filtration and Natural Adsorbents

Abstract

The study of water quality in private wells within the Kyiv region has evaluated the feasibility of using a gravity-fed adsorption filter for producing potable water. The filter medium consists of a natural adsorbent, zeolite (clinoptilolite), along with two types of activated carbon: Filtrasorb 300 and biochar, the latter synthesized through an innovative process from renewable plant-based feedstock. Experimental results obtained under irregular household filtration dynamics demonstrate a significant influence of biosorption on water purification. The filter effectively controls water color and turbidity, and efficiently removes total organic carbon, as well as nitrogen and iron compounds, but has a limited effect on overall salt concentration. The operational lifespan of the dual-layer medium, comprising zeolite and activated carbon, ranges from three to four weeks and is governed by microbial activity and the formation of mineral-biological purification films within the filtration layers, which correspond to the composition of the influent water. The gravity-fed, non-pressurized filter is recommended for temporary individual or group use in field conditions, as well as for short-term periods when access to drinking water of sanitary quality is unavailable due to anthropogenic or other force majeure circumstances.