Locally produced ceramic water filters (CWF) are an effective technology to treat pathogen-contaminated drinking water at the household level. CWF manufacturers apply silver to filters during production, although the silver type and concentration vary and evidence-based silver application guidelines have not been established. We evaluated the effects of three concentrations of two silver species on effluent silver concentration, E. coli removal, and viable bacteria retained on the surface and contained in the pores of ceramic disks manufactured with clay imported from three CWF factories using sawdust as the burn-out material. Additionally, we evaluated performance using water with three chemistry characteristics (Na+–NaCl, Ca2+–CaCl2, and humic acid as natural organic matter) of disks made from the different clays using either sawdust or rice husk as the burn-out material. Results showed the following: (1) Silver desorption from disks coated with silver nitrate (Ag+) was greater than desorption of silver nanoparticles (nAg) for all disks. (2) Effluent silver concentration, E. coli removal, and viable bacteria retention were dose-dependent on the amount of silver applied. (3) Nither water chemistry conditions (inorganic or organic compounds) nor burn-out material showed an effect on any of the parameters evaluated at the silver concentration tested. The recommendation for filter manufacturers to use only nAg and at a higher concentration than currently recommended is discussed.

Locally manufactured ceramic filters can improve drinking water quality and reduce diarrheal disease burden in developing countries; however, production methods and quality control protocols vary at the >50 factories. We manufactured filter disks with varied clay, burn-out material, burn-out material sieved with different mesh sizes, and burn-out material to clay ratios and calculated filter characteristics, including porosity, density, shrinkage, and flow rate. Water was run through filters daily for 4 weeks, and flow rate and Escherichia coli reduction, as measured by log reduction value (LRV), were tested twice weekly. Our results suggest: (1) the first and last LRV test results do not correlate strongly (R2 = 0.38, p < 0.010); (2) there is not a strong association between flow rate and first, average, or last LRV results (R2 = 0.17, p = 0.090; R2 = 0.30, p = 0.020; R2 = 0.24, p = 0.040); and (3) first and average LRV are associated with burn-out material (R2 = 0.68, p < 0.001; R2 = 0.60, p < 0.001), and last LRV is associated with burn-out material and mesh size (R2 = 0.54, p < 0.050). Recommendations for filter factories, are to: (1) verify filtration efficacy with repeated bacteria reduction tests when materials, processing, or filter characteristics vary; (2) carefully control production variables; and (3) continue flow rate testing each filter to evaluate within and across batch production consistency.

Background The Woman's Condom is a new female condom that uses a dissolvable polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) capsule to simplify vaginal insertion. This preclinical study assessed the feasibility to incorporate an antiviral drug, UC781, into the Woman's Condom capsule, offering a unique drug delivery platform. Study Design UC781 capsules were fabricated using methods from the development of the Woman's Condom capsules as well as those used in vaginal film development. Capsules were characterized to evaluate physical/chemical attributes, Lactobacillus compatibility, in vitro safety and bioactivity, and condom compatibility. Results Two UC781 capsule platforms were assessed. Capsule masses (mg; mean ± SD) for platforms 1 and 2 were 116.50 ± 18.22 and 93.80 ± 8.49, respectively. Thicknesses were 0.0034 ± 0.0004 in and 0.0033 ± 0.0004 in. Disintegration times were 11 ± 3 sec and 5 ± 1 sec. Puncture strengths were 21.72 ± 3.30 N and 4.02 ± 0.83 N. Water content measured 6.98 ± 1.17 % and 7.04 ± 1.92 %. UC781 content was 0.59 ± 0.05 mg and 0.77 ± 0.11 mg. Both platforms retained in vitro bioactivity and were non-toxic to TZM-bl cells and Lactobacillus. Short-term storage of UC781 capsules with the Woman's Condom pouch did not decrease condom mechanical integrity. Conclusions UC781 was loaded into a polymeric capsule similar to that of the Woman's Condom product. This study highlights the potential use of the Woman's Condom as a platform for vaginal delivery of drugs relevant to sexual/reproductive health, including those for short or long-acting HIV prevention.