Improving Solar Water Disinfection (SODIS) with a

Photoreactive TiO2/SWCNT Composite on Plastic

PET Bottles
Zizi Yu, Deborah Day, and Shannon Ciston
Presented by Noah Chotrow

Background
-This research was inspired by the 1.1 billion people in the world unable to access
clean water.
-SODIS has long been in use, but advancements help improve the availability and
efficiency of different methods.
-PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) is a common plastic that does not block UV
rays, and can be used for sterilizing water by setting out bottles in sunlight.
-UV SODIS has been recorded to be as much as 80% effective in removing pathogens
and diarrhea-causing parasites in water. It is not perfect.
-To improve on this method, these researchers tested TiO2/SWCNT coatings on water
bottles, used for standard SODIS methods.
-Titanium dioxide is a photocatalyst, creates hydroxyl radicals. -discovered by Akira
Fujishima

Method Pt. 1
Materials
-Water bottles
-Titanium (IV) oxide powder
-Single walled carbon nanotubes
-demineralized water
-sonication equipment
-SODIS box
Method
The two experimental coatings were prepared using suspension and sonication. The
titanium oxide and the composite coatings were added to 3 bottles each. 3 control
bottles, as well as all of the coated bottles, were filled with river water and used in
standard SODIS methods.

Method Pt. 2
Materials:
-dilution equipment
-agar plates
-incubation equipment
-spectrometer
Method:
Samples were taken from all bottles at 3 intervals; non diluted as well as
diluted (x10) samples were introduced to separate agar plates and incubated.
Each plate was studied with spectrometer to test absorbance.

note: EPA standard is 500cfu/mL

Findings
The data suggests that both the simple and composite coatings killed bacteria, while the
composite was most effective against regrowth.
Middle ground for temperature
-dopant possibilities

Costs & possibilities

Cost
SWNT
TiO2

- $280/gram
- $3-5/gram

(50mg used, comes out to be about $15)

(negligible)

About 15 dollars (about $7 per bottle) in material produced at least 96oz of clean water,
with potential reusability. Assuming 5 uses from each 32oz water bottle, this method
could provide water for 1 person for a year for approximately $1200 dollars. 10 uses
would cut the cost to $600 per year per individual, and so on. Recycling of materials
would also lower the cost.

Limitations