Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2012, 9(11), 3806-3823; doi:10.3390/ijerph9113806
Article

Evaluation of the Impact of the Plastic BioSand Filter on Health and Drinking Water Quality in Rural Tamale, Ghana

Christine E. Stauber 1,* email, Byron Kominek 2 email, Kaida R. Liang 2 email, Mumuni K. Osman 3 email and Mark D. Sobsey 2 email
1 Institute of Public Health, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 3995, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA 2 Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Campus Box 7431, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7431, USA 3 Cowater International Inc., NORST, P.O. Box 1476, Tamale, Ghana
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 20 August 2012; in revised form: 16 October 2012 / Accepted: 16 October 2012 / Published: 24 October 2012
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Abstract: A randomized controlled trial of the plastic BioSand filter (BSF) was performed in rural communities in Tamale (Ghana) to assess reductions in diarrheal disease and improvements in household drinking water quality. Few studies of household water filters have been performed in this region, where high drinking water turbidity can be a challenge for other household water treatment technologies. During the study, the longitudinal prevalence ratio for diarrhea comparing households that received the plastic BSF to households that did not receive it was 0.40 (95% confidence interval: 0.05, 0.80), suggesting an overall diarrheal disease reduction of 60%. The plastic BSF achieved a geometric mean reduction of 97% and 67% for E. coli and turbidity, respectively. These results suggest the plastic BSF significantly improved drinking water quality and reduced diarrheal disease during the short trial in rural Tamale, Ghana. The results are similar to other trials of household drinking water treatment technologies.
Keywords: water quality; E. coli; diarrheal disease; water treatment; water filtration

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MDPI and ACS Style

Stauber, C.E.; Kominek, B.; Liang, K.R.; Osman, M.K.; Sobsey, M.D. Evaluation of the Impact of the Plastic BioSand Filter on Health and Drinking Water Quality in Rural Tamale, Ghana. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2012, 9, 3806-3823.

AMA Style

Stauber CE, Kominek B, Liang KR, Osman MK, Sobsey MD. Evaluation of the Impact of the Plastic BioSand Filter on Health and Drinking Water Quality in Rural Tamale, Ghana. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2012; 9(11):3806-3823.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Stauber, Christine E.; Kominek, Byron; Liang, Kaida R.; Osman, Mumuni K.; Sobsey, Mark D. 2012. "Evaluation of the Impact of the Plastic BioSand Filter on Health and Drinking Water Quality in Rural Tamale, Ghana." Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 9, no. 11: 3806-3823.

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