Mille‐Feuille Filter Paper: High‐Performance Virus Removal Filter Paper for Drinking Water Purification (Global Challenges 7/2018)

In article number 1800031, Albert Mihranyan and co‐workers report a high‐performance filter paper for drinking water purification applications featuring high virus removal capacity, high flow rate, and high throughput. Viruses are the most difficult microorganisms to remove from water, as they possess the greatest infectivity and highest resistivity to disinfection. Filtration is attractive for water purification applications because it does not rely on heat, chemicals, or radiation, which inactivate but do not remove the pathogens from water. Yet, the combination of cost‐efficiency and high performance for filters still constitutes a great challenge. Here, the authors report 100% nanocellulose‐based virus removal filter paper from simulated waste water matrix, spiked with different surrogate particles, such as 30 nm fluorescent latex beads and ΦX174 bacteriophage at varying processing conditions, showing great promise for development of robust, affordable, and sustainable water purification systems for everyday use. [Image: see text]