进行了中试规模的研究，以评估直接过滤法去除隐孢子虫卵囊的效果。本研究期间检查的关键水处理参数包括最佳金属混凝剂/有机聚合物组合、氯或臭氧预氧化、混凝pH值降低以及不同过滤速率下的双介质和三介质过滤。最初进行的研究旨在优化直接过滤，以去除浊度、颗粒物和需氧孢子形成菌。然后在优化的条件下，使用种子隐孢子虫卵囊进行过滤挑战。 在这些试验过滤条件下，明矾和三氯化铁处理的水均观察到超过3个对数种子卵囊去除。在优化的条件下，三氯化铁可以更好地去除浊度、颗粒物、好氧孢子和隐孢子虫卵囊。然而，三氯化铁的使用导致了更大的水头损失累积率，并需要更频繁的反洗。因此，明矾和三氯化铁处理过的水的过滤出水浊度和颗粒物水平在整个过滤过程中的平均值相似。

Pilot-scale studies were conducted to evaluate the removal of Cryptosporidium oocysts by direct filtration processes. Key water treatment parameters examined during this study included optimal metal coagulant/organic polymer combinations, pre-oxidation with either chlorine or ozone, coagulation pH depression and dual- and tri-media filtration at various filtration rates. Studies were initially conducted to optimize direct filtration for the removal of turbidity, particles, and aerobic spore-forming bacteria. Filter challenges were then conducted using seeded Cryptosporidium oocysts under optimized conditions. Under these test filtration conditions, >3 log seeded oocyst removals were observed with both alum and ferric chloride treated water. Greater removals of turbidity, particles, aerobic spores and Cryptosporidium oocysts could be achieved with ferric chloride under optimized conditions. However, the use of ferric chloride resulted in much greater rates of head loss accumulation and necessitated more frequent backwashing. As a result, filter effluent turbidity and particle levels, when averaged over the length of the filter run, were similar for alum and ferric chloride treated water.