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UDC 628.166

Ponomarev A. P., Podolets A. A., Makina O. A.

The use of aqueous extract of shungite mineral for the removal
of bacterial flora from water

Summary

Safe and high quality drinking water is the most important factor that is effecting the human health, rise in births, reduction of morta­lity, increased expectation of life. The objective of the present work was model developing of the method of removing bacterial flora from water with the use of shungite, unique natural mineral. The key point of using this mineral for water purification is in using crushed shungite not as a feed but for the production of aqueous extract of minerals. In the process of adding refined and concentrated shungite extract into drinking or other water the effect of active complexing of its organic component was defined. The process of ex­tracting minerals from crushed shungite will be most efficient in acidic aqueous media with pH 2–2.5; herewith macro- and microelements and rare-earth ultramicroelements – lanthanoids pass into water. To concentrate the extracted minerals water was evaporated by regular boiling to 1/10 of the original volume with pH 2–2.5. Removal macro- and microelements from extract with preserving lanthanoids was carried out in the process of de-acidification with sodium hydroxide solution with subsequent extract clarification by centrifuging. Addition of 1% shungite extract into raw water is accompanied by the formation of organic suspension that is removed during filtration, sedimentation or centrifuging. At that the mineral composition of water does not essentially change. The mechanism of removing bacterial flora from water is conditioned by the physical and chemical interaction of high-reactive cations of lanthanoids (+3 valence) with bacterial cells initiating their complexing. The phenomenon of selective coagulation of bacterial cells is caused by the reaction of lanthanoid cations complexing with nucleic acids of microorganisms. It is expected that the reaction of nucleic acid with metal is performed by phosphate groups.

Key words

membrane filter , bacteria , shungite mineral , aqueous extract , lanthanoids , de-acidification