Evaluating Biological and Chemical Contaminant Removal and Recovery from Water using Capacitive Deionization

Enteric viruses and herbicides may pose a health and economic risk to populations worldwide at low environmental concentrations in source waters. Since the current concentration methods are expensive, time-consuming, and produce variable results, the efficacy of capacitive deionization (CDI) was examined as a novel method for concentrating biological and chemical contaminants from water. The ability of CDI to remove and recover a surrogate enteric virus model (MS2) and a representative herbicide 2,4-D were tested in buffered solutions, ground, surface and tap water. Both culture-based and molecular enumeration methods demonstrated the ability of CDI to remove MS2, though the removal varied based on water sample type and the enumeration method. CDI was also able to remove 2,4-D, although the removal varied based on the water type similar to MS2 results. Low recovery of both biological and chemical contaminants indicate potential degradation of both MS2 and 2,4-D by CDI.