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Access to safe drinking water remains one of the most pressing global challenges, particularly in regions where drought and chronic scarcity undermine conventional treatment systems. This timely work offers a rigorous, interdisciplinary examination of point-of-use (POU) water filtration technologies as viable solutions for vulnerable communities, with a focus on Paraguay and Ecuador.
Drawing on collaboration between the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ), and Purdue University, Francisco Montalvo and Zhi Zhou integrate public health, environmental engineering, and field-based implementation. They provide a comparative analysis of activated carbon and reverse osmosis systems under real-world conditions, assessing microbial removal, metal reduction, and operational resilience in high-salinity environments. Beyond technical performance, the book addresses practical considerations such as cost, maintenance, and deployment strategies in remote health facilities.
By coupling laboratory findings with field evaluations, this work closes a critical knowledge gap between theoretical efficacy and contextual applicability. It is an indispensable resource for policymakers, NGOs, health professionals, and development practitioners, as well as researchers and graduate students in global health, sustainable infrastructure, and water systems engineering.
Francisco J. Montalvo is an engineer, educator, and researcher whose work advances sustainability, engineering, and education through global partnerships. He holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Purdue University. His interests include water quality, global engineering, experiential learning, and international research collaborations addressing sustainable development and engineering challenges.
Zhi Zhou is Associate Professor of the Lyles School of Civil and Construction Engineering and the School of Sustainability Engineering and Environmental Engineering at Purdue University, USA.
Chapter 1. Introduction; Francisco J. Montalvo
Chapter 2. Access to safe water in low-resource settings; Marcelo Korc
Chapter 3. An observational study of local water infrastructure in the El Chaco region; Francisco J. Montalvo and Marcelo Korc
Chapter 4. Water quality in tropical Andean agroecosystems; Adriana Huertas, Aracely Zambrano-Romero, Georgia Kayser, and Valeria Ochoa-Herrera
Chapter 5. Removal of microbial contaminants in drinking water by POU systems; Francisco J. Montalvo and Zhi Zhou
Chapter 6. Removal of metals from high-salinity water; Francisco J. Montalvo, Zhi Zhou, and Graham Singer
Chapter 7. Moving forward: Final conclusions and future work; Francisco J. Montalvo and Zhi Zhou