Media with germicidal properties

Abstract

Filtration media having germicidal for use in filtering particles and deactivating, removing and/or destroying microorganisms from a feed liquid passing through the media. The filtration media includes an effective amount of at least one germicidal agent associated to monomers polmerized and chemically grafted and covalently bonded to the surface of the media. The germicidal filter media is prepared by contacting the media with a grafting solution comprising one or more monomers, a catalyst, a surface agent, a curign agent, at least one graft initiator, and at least on germicide and subsequently curing the media at an elevated temperature to chemically graft the polmerizable monomers onto a surface of the media and associate at least one germicide thereto. Filter media suitable for use in the present invention include ceramic spheroids, hollow glass spheres, polmeric type meida, thermoset coated glass spheres, and crystalline microporous materials, such as zeolites. The germicidal filter media is effective for deactivating, destroying and/or removing from a feed liquid, such as water, escherichia coli, salmonella choleraesuis, staphylococcus, aspergsillus, klebisiella, listeria, clostridium, rotavirus, cysts and other microorganisms. Moreover, the filter media can be used repeatedly without a significant decrease in its germicidal effectiveness.