University researchers are looking to provide safe drinking water to the most remote locations in the world with a new foam water filter that significantly reduces dangerous pathogens in drinking water.

The multibarrier biofilm filter features a unique biological layer, which allows organisms within the foam to attack foreign pathogens as water passes through.

“Friendly” microorganisms grow in this layer which enables the filter to become more efficient at reducing protozoa, bacteria and viruses over time. This newly discovered material also has other advantages such as ease of use, maintenance and affordability.

“The foam filter is the first of its kind to address a wide range of the biological and economic factors that hinder development of remote water filtration systems,” says Doctor Joan Rose of Michigan State University.   Rose, who serves as the Homer Nowlin Chair in water research is the author of the study titled “This filter is easier to use and more effective than traditional methods.”

Published in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, the study examined a multibarrier biofilm foam filter, designed and manufactured by Amway, as a low-cost alternative to existing household filtration methods.

“The foam filter combines existing water treatment principles and is evidence that conventional municipal water treatment processes can be reinvented into a small, light and portable system,” Rose said.

Many existing filtration methods do not effectively reduce microbial levels and can be complex to use and tedious to maintain.

Next steps for the filter include field studies at the Crow Reservation in Montana, and in a small village outside of Tamale in Ghana.

Ongoing research on the foam filter will be conducted by a collaborative multi-institutional research team with members from Michigan State University, Montana State University, University of Arizona and University of North Carolina.

–Michigan State University