The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Research and Development has evaluated the performance of a Point-of-Use (POU) pour-through device designed for use in India, developing and emerging market (D&E) countries, and under emergency situations in the United States. In collaboration with the Unilever Research India, a series of microbial tests were conducted on a Unilever Pureit(~TM) microbiological purifier for household drinking water at the EPA's Test and Evaluation Facility in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Pureit(~TM) water treatment system is fed by gravity and combines the unit operations of physical filtration, chlorine disinfection, and carbon adsorption for treating drinking water.EPA evaluated the Pureit(~TM) device for removal of E. coli (as a surrogate for bacteria), and MS2 bacteriophage (as a surrogate for viruses). Results demonstrated that the Pureit(~TM) system achieved EPA requirements of a 6 log reduction of bacteria and a 4 log reduction of virus for a "Microbiological Purifier" throughout the design life of the device (~ 2250 liters). The final polisher of the unit was capable of reducing the residual chlorine concentration to less than the EPA's 2 mg/L maximum limit for tap water.
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