JP2005040704A - Purification sterilization method for drinking water, and purification sterilization vessel for drinking water - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method of effectively activating the adsorption action, photocatalytic action, and sterilization action characteristic of the fired material of a mixture of a photocatalytic material and a clay mineral for drinking water which is directly taken in by humans. <P>SOLUTION: As regards the purification sterilization vessel for drinking water, at the inside of a vessel for a liquid, a porous composite material obtained by firing a mixed raw material at least containing a clay mineral and a photocatalytic material is held to the part in contact with drinking water such as city water and highly purified drinking water stored in the vessel. In the method, city water and drinking water having a high cleaning degree is purified and sterilized using the purification sterilization vessel. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a drinking water purification sterilization method and a drinking water purification sterilization container. More specifically, a chlorinated compound for sterilization contained in drinking water such as tap water is removed by a simple means, or a plastic container. The present invention relates to a purification sterilization method and a purification sterilization container that remove harmful components that can be eluted from the container wall with respect to drinking water being stored therein and maintain the sterilized state of the drinking water at the same time.

  In recent years, porous composite materials obtained by mixing and baking titanium oxide or other photocatalytic materials and clay minerals or other adsorbing materials have attracted attention. Such porous composite materials are often used for purification of air and indoor air, purification of domestic wastewater and industrial wastewater, etc., by adsorption of harmful components by adsorbent materials and by photocatalytic materials of adsorbed harmful components. This is a synergistic expectation of decomposition.

JP, 10-46512, A In the above-mentioned patent documents 1, in the nitrogen oxide purification block for paving which has the surface layer which consists of cement, titanium oxide powder, and sand on the concrete base layer, with respect to the constituent material of the surface layer The thing which mix | blended adsorption components, such as clay, with a fixed ratio is disclosed. In this nitrogen oxide purification block for paving, in addition to the adsorption action of nitrogen oxides by the adsorbing component, the decomposition action of nitrogen oxides by the photocatalyst occurs, so that more effective photocatalytic action can be expected.

In JP-A-2001-198475, in the above-mentioned patent document 2, titanium dioxide powder is adsorbed to the porous portion of a ball-shaped porous ceramic body formed by sintering clay and sintered integrally. A titanium dioxide base bed for a photocatalyst is disclosed. In addition, in this titanium dioxide base bed for photocatalyst, in addition to the action of adsorbing harmful components by the porous ceramic ball, the action of decomposing harmful components by the photocatalyst occurs, so that more effective photocatalytic action can be expected. .

  Conventionally, porous composite materials obtained by mixing and baking such photocatalytic materials and clay minerals have been used exclusively for air purification, wastewater treatment, etc., as described above. I haven't heard much about the cases that have been applied to food and drink.

  The first reason is that the hygiene management for human food and drink has been remarkably improved in recent years. In other words, as a general rule, it is difficult to assume that harmful ingredients that should be adsorbed with an adsorbing material and decomposed / removed with a photocatalyst are originally contained in food and drink consumed by humans. is there.

  The second reason is that typical photocatalyst materials include materials that are very harmful to the human body, such as gallium arsenide and cadmium sulfide. It was because there was no idea to apply.

  However, there are significant exceptions to the first reason. That is, among tap foods that are directly consumed by human beings as nutrients, etc., tap water that is used in the largest amount is chlorinated compounds (such as sodium hypochlorite) as sterilized or bacteriostatic, as is well known. Used in. Of course, the concentration of the chlorinated compound in the tap water is adjusted to a range that does not substantially cause damage to the human body, but is still harmful.

  Therefore, for example, a water purifier filled with an adsorbent material or the like attached to a water faucet or the like is provided. However, if the chlorine compound in tap water is removed with such a water purifier or the like, the sterilization or bacteriostatic action of the chlorine compound is lost. Therefore, there is no problem when the tap water is immediately used for drinking or food cooking, but the tap water is used for various purposes (for example, storage for disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons) for a certain period of time. In the case of storage, on the contrary, it is dangerous because it causes the propagation of germs and mold.

  Furthermore, in recent years, various “clean drinking water” which is sold for its particularly high cleanliness is sold in containers such as PET bottles, and is gaining popularity. In many cases, the drinking water filled in these plastic bottles passes a considerable storage period from filling to drinking through the merchandise distribution process. Therefore, some harmful substances (anti-aging agent, polymerization catalyst, antioxidant, etc.) may be eluted from the container wall of the plastic container during the storage period. In addition, since sterilizing agents and bacteriostatic agents are often not used due to contact with “clean drinking water”, if the storage period is prolonged, there is a possibility of causing propagation of germs and mold.

  This inventor completed this invention in order to solve the above problems in specific kind of drinking water.

(Configuration of the first invention)
In order to solve the above problems, the first invention of the present application (the invention described in claim 1) is a mixture of drinking water sterilized with a chlorinated compound containing at least a clay mineral and a photocatalytic material that is harmless to the human body. It is a method for purifying and sterilizing drinking water by storing the raw material in contact with a porous composite material obtained by firing, thereby removing the chlorine-based compounds in the drinking water and maintaining the sterilized state of the drinking water.

(Configuration of the second invention)
The structure of the second invention of the present application (the invention described in claim 2) for solving the above-described problem is that when storing drinking water in a plastic container, the drinking water is at least a clay mineral and a photocatalyst that is harmless to the human body. By storing the mixed raw material containing the material in contact with a porous composite material obtained by firing, harmful components eluted in the drinking water from the plastic container are removed and the sterilized state of the drinking water is maintained. It is a method for purification and sterilization of drinking water.

(Configuration of the third invention)
The configuration of the third invention of the present application (the invention according to claim 3) for solving the above-mentioned problems is a drinking water purification and sterilization method in which the clay mineral according to the first invention or the second invention is a layered clay mineral. is there.

(Configuration of the fourth invention)
In order to solve the above problems, the fourth invention of the present invention (the invention described in claim 4) is the layered clay mineral according to any one of the first to third inventions, wherein kaolinite, halloysite, montmorillonite, illite. A method for purifying and sterilizing drinking water, which is at least one of smectite, vermiculite, synthetic mica and chlorite.

(Structure of the fifth invention)
The structure of the fifth invention of the present application (the invention according to claim 5) for solving the above problems is that the photocatalytic material according to any one of the first to fourth inventions comprises titanium oxide, zinc oxide, zirconium oxide, This is a method for purifying and sterilizing drinking water, which is at least one of iron oxide and tungsten oxide.

(Structure of the sixth invention)
The structure of the sixth invention of the present application (the invention according to claim 6) for solving the above-described problem is that the titanium oxide according to the fifth invention has anatase type and / or flaky shape. This is a method for purifying and sterilizing drinking water.

(Structure of the seventh invention)
The structure of the seventh invention of the present application (the invention according to claim 7) for solving the above-mentioned problem is a porous material obtained by firing a mixed raw material containing at least a clay mineral and a photocatalyst material inside a liquid container. A drinking water purification and sterilization container in which a composite material is held at a site in contact with drinking water contained in the container.

(Configuration of the eighth invention)
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, in the configuration of the eighth invention of the present application (the invention described in claim 8), the container according to the seventh invention has the following configurations (1) and / or (2). A drinking water purification and sterilization container.
(1) At least a part of the container wall is made of a light transmissive material.
(2) A light source for light irradiation with respect to the porous composite material is provided inside the container.

(Structure of the ninth invention)
The structure of the ninth invention of the present application (the invention according to claim 9) for solving the above-described problem is that the porous composite material according to the seventh invention or the eighth invention is provided with a water flow structure provided inside the container. This is a drinking water purification and sterilization container held by the holding member.

(Configuration of the tenth invention)
The structure of the tenth invention of the present application (the invention according to claim 10) for solving the above problems is that the porous composite material according to any one of the seventh to ninth inventions is powdery, granular, monolithic or A drinking water purification and sterilization container having a honeycomb shape.

(Effects of the first and second inventions)
A porous composite material obtained by firing a mixed raw material containing a clay mineral and a photocatalytic material can adsorb and eliminate harmful components in drinking water by an adsorption action based on the porous structure.

  Further, some adsorbed harmful components cannot be decomposed by the photocatalyst, but in many cases, they are decomposed by the photocatalytic component in the porous composite material. Therefore, the re-elution of the harmful component once adsorbed into the drinking water hardly occurs. Moreover, generally the harmful | toxic component in drinking water is a very small amount as an absolute amount. From the above points, even if the porous composite material is used for a long time or repeatedly for a large amount of drinking water, it is difficult to think that harmful components exceed the adsorption capacity of the porous composite material.

  In the method for purifying and sterilizing drinking water according to the first aspect of the present invention, the chlorine-sterilized drinking water is brought into contact with a porous composite material obtained by firing a mixed raw material containing at least a clay mineral and a photocatalytic material that is harmless to the human body. Store in the condition that it was allowed to. In this case, the sterilizing chlorine compound, which is a harmful component in the drinking water, is adsorbed in the porous composite material or further decomposed by the photocatalytic component.

  However, it is known that the photocatalytic component in the porous composite material exhibits an antibacterial / antifungal action by generating radicals such as active hydroxyl groups. Accordingly, the sterilized state of the drinking water is maintained even though the sterilizing chlorine compound is removed. In the present invention, the term “sterilized state” refers to a state where propagation of germs and molds is suppressed to a level that is sufficiently acceptable for hygiene management.

  The important point in the first invention is that unlike ordinary air purification and wastewater treatment, chlorinated compounds that are harmful components in drinking water are not mere harmful impurities, but are necessary components for certain hygiene purposes. It is a point that it is intentionally added. Therefore, simply removing the chlorinated compound as in the case of removing a normal malodor / hazardous component causes a hygienic problem. In other words, there is a special circumstance that it is necessary to remove chlorine-based compounds and at the same time to take hygienic effective compensation measures. The first invention solves this difficult problem by simple means.

  In the method for purifying and sterilizing drinking water according to the second aspect of the invention, when drinking water (particularly preferably, drinking water with high cleanliness) is stored in a plastic container, the drinking water is harmless to at least clay minerals and the human body. The mixed raw material containing the photocatalytic material is stored in contact with a porous composite material obtained by firing. In this case, harmful components may be eluted in the drinking water from the container wall of the plastic container during the storage period, but such harmful components are adsorbed in the porous composite material or, if necessary, further decomposed by the photocatalytic component. Is done.

  Moreover, the sterilized state of the drinking water is maintained by the antibacterial / antifungal action similar to that of the first invention by the photocatalyst component in the porous composite material.

(Effect of the third invention)
In the third invention, the clay mineral as the raw material component of the porous composite material is a layered clay mineral. It is known that when a layered clay mineral is used, the porous structure in the porous composite material develops particularly well. Therefore, the adsorption capacity of the porous composite material with respect to harmful components in drinking water is particularly high.

(Effect of the fourth invention)
In the fourth invention, the layered clay mineral as a raw material component of the porous composite material is at least one of kaolinite, halloysite, montmorillonite, illite, smectite, vermiculite, synthetic mica, or chlorite. When one or more of these layered clay minerals are used, the porous structure in the porous composite material develops particularly well.

(Effect of the fifth invention)
In the fifth invention, the photocatalytic material that is a raw material component of the porous composite material is at least one of titanium oxide, zinc oxide, zirconium oxide, iron oxide, and tungsten oxide. These photocatalytic materials are harmless to the human body and can exhibit a good photocatalytic action.

(Effect of the sixth invention)
In the sixth invention, the titanium oxide as a raw material component of the porous composite material is anatase-type titanium oxide, titanium oxide having a flaky shape, or titanium oxide having an anatase-type and flaky shape.

  Anatase-type titanium oxide is known to exhibit particularly good photocatalytic action. When titanium oxide having a flaky shape is used, the porous structure in the porous composite material develops particularly well.

(Effect of the seventh invention)
In the drinking water purification and sterilization container according to the seventh aspect of the invention, the drinking water in which the porous composite material formed by firing a mixed raw material containing at least a clay mineral and a photocatalyst is contained in the liquid container. It is held at the site where it comes into contact.

  Therefore, if the purified sterilization container contains and sterilized drinking water and particularly clean drinking water to be sold, the effects of the first invention or the second invention can be easily obtained. Secured.

(Effect of the eighth invention)
As in the eighth invention, when the sterilization container is made of a light transmissive material, at least part of the container wall is porous by natural light incident from the outside of the container or light from various artificial light sources The photocatalytic component in the composite material is excited, and the photocatalytic action is efficiently exhibited.

  If the sterilization container is equipped with a light source for irradiating light to the porous composite material inside the container, the sterilization container should be stored in the dark or in the absence of illumination by an external artificial light source at night. Even in such a case, the photocatalytic component can be excited to exhibit a photocatalytic action.

(Effect of the ninth invention)
In the ninth invention, the porous composite material is held by a holding member having a water flow structure provided inside the purification sterilization container. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the powdery porous composite material from being dispersed in the drinking water.

  In addition, even if the purified sterilization container is held in an inverted state in order to pour drinking water from the purified sterilization container, it is possible to prevent the porous composite material from coming out of the container along with the drinking water. Furthermore, when the purification sterilization container is transported or moved, the porous composite material can be prevented from being shaken or rolled, thereby preventing the porous composite material from being damaged.

(Effect of the tenth invention)
The shape of the porous composite material held inside the purification sterilization container is not limited, but for example, as in the tenth aspect, it is preferable to have a powdery, granular, monolithic or honeycomb shape.

  Next, modes for carrying out the first invention to the tenth invention of the present application will be described including the best mode. In the following, the term “present invention” refers to each invention of the present application collectively.

[Purification and sterilization of drinking water]
The method for purifying and sterilizing drinking water according to the present invention is, in short, contacting the target drinking water with a porous composite material obtained by firing a mixed raw material containing at least a clay mineral and a photocatalytic material that is harmless to the human body. It is a method of storing in a state.

  The kind of the drinking water used as object is not specifically limited. However, drinking water (eg, tap water) sterilized with a chlorinated compound is preferably exemplified. Moreover, the drinking water with which it fills and sells a plastic container (especially the drinking water which sells that a cleanliness is high) is illustrated preferably. In the former case, the effect of the first invention can be expected, and in the latter case, the effect of the second invention can be expected.

[Porous composite materials]
The porous composite material is obtained by firing a mixed raw material containing at least a clay mineral and a photocatalytic material harmless to the human body in an arbitrary shape. Preferable examples of the shape of the porous composite material include powder, granule, monolith, and honeycomb.

  As a usage form of the porous composite material, the porous composite material can be brought into contact with the target drinking water as it is, or the porous composite material is held or enclosed by a frame-like or mesh-like holding member having a water flow structure. It can also be brought into contact with the target drinking water in the finished state. The former use form is suitable for a monolithic or honeycomb porous composite material, and the latter use form is suitable for a powdery or granular porous composite material.

  In the monolithic or honeycomb-like porous composite material, the shape thereof can be any shape such as a rod shape, a cylindrical shape or a plate shape. The “honeycomb shape” means that the porous composite material has a structure having a large number of water passage holes that are significantly larger than the micropores.

  When firing the porous composite material, a mixed raw material containing at least a clay mineral and a photocatalytic material that is harmless to the human body and further added with optional subcomponents as necessary is prepared based on an appropriate composition ratio. After being shaped and dried into a desired shape if necessary, it is fired under appropriate firing conditions. Examples of subcomponents include water, organic binders, and activated carbon. The mixing ratio of the above clay mineral and the photocatalytic material can be arbitrarily set. For example, it is preferable that the weight ratio of clay mineral: photocatalytic material is about 6: 4.

  The firing conditions of the porous composite material must be determined by comprehensively considering the type of clay mineral, the type of photocatalyst material, the mixing ratio of both, the adsorption capacity and photocatalytic capacity of the fired porous composite material, etc. There is no uniform limitation.

  In general, if the firing temperature is excessively high, the porous structure in the porous composite material tends to be crushed and the photocatalytic ability may be reduced. Conversely, if the firing temperature is excessively low, the physical strength of the porous composite material may be insufficient. From such a point, for example, when the clay mineral is kaolinite or a clay (so-called kibushi clay or the like) containing this as a main component and the photocatalytic material is titania, the temperature is generally 600 ° C. to 900 °. C. It is appropriate to bake at a degree.

[Clay mineral]
The kind of clay mineral used as a raw material component of the porous composite material is not limited, and one kind of various layered clay minerals, needle-like clay minerals, and fibrous clay minerals are used alone, or two or more kinds thereof are used in combination. be able to.

  The use of a layered clay mineral is particularly preferred because the porous structure in the porous composite material develops well. As the layered clay mineral, for example, any one of kaolinite, halloysite, montmorillonite, illite, smectite, vermiculite, synthetic mica or chlorite, or two or more thereof can be preferably used.

[Photocatalytic material]
The type of the photocatalytic material used as the raw material component of the porous composite material is not limited as long as it is harmless to the human body. For example, any one of titanium oxide, zinc oxide, zirconium oxide, iron oxide, or tungsten oxide, Alternatively, two or more of them can be preferably used.

  From the viewpoint of excellent photocatalytic action and sterilization action, anatase type titanium oxide is particularly preferable. From the viewpoint of improving the adsorption capacity of the porous composite material, titanium oxide having a flaky shape is particularly preferable. Titanium oxide having a flaky shape is disclosed in JP-A-9-67124. Titanium oxide having anatase type and flaky morphology is particularly preferred.

[Purification and sterilization containers for drinking water]
In the drinking water purification and sterilization container according to the present invention, a beverage in which a porous composite material obtained by baking a mixed raw material containing at least a clay mineral and a photocatalytic material is contained in the liquid container. It is held at a site that comes into contact with water. The constituent material of the liquid container in the purification and sterilization container is not limited, and may be a glass container, a metal container, a plastic container, or the like.

  When drinking water is stored in these containers for a long time, soluble components in the container wall may be eluted in a minute amount in the drinking water. Such a fear is particularly great in the case of plastic containers. However, such an elution component is adsorbed by the porous composite material, and depending on the type of the elution component, it is further decomposed by the photocatalytic component in the porous composite material.

  When the drinking water is sterilized with a chlorinated compound such as tap water, the chlorinated compound is adsorbed by the porous composite material and further decomposed by the photocatalytic component in the porous composite material. On the other hand, even after the chlorine-based compound is removed from the drinking water by adsorption, the propagation of germs and molds in the drinking water is effectively suppressed by the sterilization action based on the photocatalytic component in the porous composite material.

  The shape, size, etc. of the liquid container in the purification sterilization container are not limited. For example, a bottle shape with a capacity of about 100 to 1000 mL, a portable tank shape with a capacity of about 500 mL to 30 L, a household tank shape with a capacity of several tens of liters to several tens of tons, a stationary tank shape for buildings or apartment buildings, etc. Can be illustrated.

  In the drinking water purification and sterilization container, preferably, at least a part of the container wall is made of a light-transmitting material. Preferably, a light source for irradiating light to the porous composite material is provided inside the container. With these constitutions, the decomposition action of harmful components by the photocatalytic component of the porous composite material and the sterilization action against germs and molds are always ensured.

[Holding member]
The water-permeable holding member provided in the sterilization container is not an essential component of the sterilization container. In short, the “water-permeable structure” means a structure that can hold the porous composite material in an arbitrary form and allow the drinking water to flow inside. If the porous composite material is held by holding members of various forms, the following advantages can be expected.

  1) The porous composite material is positioned inside the container, and the porous composite material is unlikely to roll or shake when the purification sterilization container is moved or transported.

  2) When the porous composite material is in the form of powder or granules, the porous composite material is accommodated or enclosed in a holding member having a water-permeable structure, so that the function of the porous composite material is ensured and the Can be prevented from being dispersed.

  3) If the holding member is suspended from the water injection port of the sterilization container, it is convenient because the porous composite material can be easily taken out together with the holding member when replacing the porous composite material in the sterilization container. .

  Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Needless to say, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited by this embodiment.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing components of a purification sterilization container 1 according to the present embodiment separately from each other, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a use state of the purification sterilization container 1.

  The liquid container 2 of the sterilization container 1 is a 1.8 liter transparent PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottle, and includes a container main body 3 and a bottle neck 4 serving as a water inlet. A male thread 5 is formed on the bottle neck 4, and a cap 6 having a female thread on the inner periphery thereof is screwed to the bottle neck 4.

  The holding member 7 is made of a suitable transparent material such as a plastic material, and is a cylindrical body having a predetermined length with a bottom and an upper end opened. In the holding member 7, a plurality of slits 8 for allowing liquid to freely enter and exit are formed in the cylindrical wall portion, and a flange 9 extended to the outer peripheral side is formed in the opening at the upper end.

  The porous composite material 10 is a rod-like inorganic fired body having a length and a thickness that can be accommodated in the cylindrical portion of the holding member 7. The porous composite material 10 may be a cylindrical body having the same length and thickness as those illustrated. This porous composite material 10 is obtained by firing a raw material obtained by mixing about 60% by weight of kibushi clay mainly composed of kaolinite, which is a layered clay mineral, and about 40% by weight of titanium oxide, which is a photocatalytic material.

  Appropriate means such as blending of polystyrene foam as a porous material is applied to the mixed raw material, so that the porous composite material 10 is finished in a honeycomb structure with a large number of cell holes 11. And since the bubble hole 11 is what is called a communication type open cell hole, the liquid can distribute | circulate freely through the inside.

  In addition, since the porous composite material 10 is fired at about 700 ° C., the strength of the fired material is sufficient, while titanium oxide is anatase type and is a very small fine material based on the blend of Kibushi clay. The porous material is rich in pores (not shown). Accordingly, the ability to adsorb harmful components in drinking water is high, the ability to decompose the adsorbed harmful components based on the photocatalytic action is high, and the ability to suppress the propagation of germs and molds is also high.

  The purified sterilization container 1 configured in this manner is used as shown in FIG. That is, the porous composite material 10 is first accommodated in the cylindrical portion of the holding member 7. Then, the holding member 7 is inserted into the liquid container 2 from the bottleneck 4 of the liquid container 2 filled with the drinking water 12. At that time, the flange 9 of the holding member 7 is locked to the opening of the bottle neck 4, and the holding member 7 is suspended in the liquid container 2. Next, the liquid container 2 is sealed by screwing the cap 6 having the sealing material 13 inside into the bottle neck 4, and the purified sterilization container 1 is stored in this state.

  During storage of the drinking water 12 as described above, the drinking water 12 passes through the slit 8 of the holding member 7 and freely contacts the porous composite material 10. Furthermore, the inside of the porous composite material 10 having a honeycomb structure is freely distributed. Various kinds of external natural light and light from an artificial light source pass through the transparent liquid container 2 and the holding member 7 and are irradiated to the porous composite material 10.

  As a result, harmful components in the drinking water 12, for example, chlorinated compounds in tap water and elution components eluted into the drinking water 12 from the liquid container 2 made of PET are adsorbed by the porous composite material 10. In some cases, it is decomposed by the photocatalytic action of anatase-type titanium oxide contained in the porous composite material 10. On the other hand, in the drinking water 12 during storage, propagation of germs and molds is effectively suppressed by the sterilization action of anatase-type titanium oxide.

  The present invention provides beneficial drinking water purification and sterilization means capable of maintaining the sterilized state of drinking water at the same time while removing sterilizing chlorine compounds contained in drinking water such as tap water. it can.

It is a disassembled perspective view of the purification sterilization container which concerns on an Example.

It is sectional drawing which shows the use condition of the purification sterilization container which concerns on an Example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Purification sterilization container 2 Liquid container 4 Bottle neck 6 Cap 7 Holding member 8 Slit 10 Porous composite material 11 Bubble hole 12 Drinking water

Claims (10)

Drinking water sterilized with a chlorinated compound is stored in contact with a porous composite material obtained by firing a mixed raw material containing at least a clay mineral and a photocatalytic material that is harmless to the human body. A method for purifying and sterilizing drinking water, wherein the chlorinated compound is removed and the sterilized state of drinking water is maintained. When storing drinking water in a plastic container, the drinking water is stored in contact with a porous composite material obtained by firing a mixed raw material containing at least a clay mineral and a photocatalytic material that is harmless to the human body. In this way, a method for purifying and sterilizing drinking water, which removes harmful components eluted from the plastic container into the drinking water and maintains the sterilized state of the drinking water. The method for purifying and sterilizing drinking water according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the clay mineral is a layered clay mineral. The layered clay mineral is at least one of kaolinite, halloysite, montmorillonite, illite, smectite, vermiculite, synthetic mica or chlorite, according to any one of claims 1 to 3. Drinking water purification and sterilization method. The purification and sterilization of drinking water according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the photocatalytic material is at least one of titanium oxide, zinc oxide, zirconium oxide, iron oxide and tungsten oxide. Method. The method for purifying and sterilizing drinking water according to claim 5, wherein the titanium oxide is an anatase type and / or titanium oxide having a flaky shape. Inside the liquid container, a porous composite material formed by firing a mixed raw material containing at least a clay mineral and a photocatalytic material is held at a site in contact with drinking water stored in the container. Purifying and sterilizing containers for drinking water. The said container is equipped with the structure of following (1) and / or (2), The purification | cleaning sterilization container of the drinking water of Claim 7 characterized by the above-mentioned.
(1) At least a part of the container wall is made of a light transmissive material.
(2) A light source for light irradiation with respect to the porous composite material is provided inside the container. The drinking water purification and sterilization container according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the porous composite material is held by a holding member having a water flow structure provided inside the container. The drinking water purification and sterilization container according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the porous composite material has a powdery, granular, monolithic or honeycomb shape.

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