WITS WATER FILTER, Arsenic Removal Matrix
A Simple, Low Cost, And Effective Arsenic Removal Filter
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Preliminary
(The Useful Bit)
Introduction
(The Technical Bit)
Chemistry and general considerations
(The Science Bit)
Tests and performance
(The Boring Bit)
Operation and maintenance
(The Interesting Bit)
Future outlook
(The Last Bit)
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Introduction (The Technical Bit)
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Arsenic poisoning in drinking water is now identified as one of the worst natural disasters on Earth. It is estimated that of the over 25 million people of Argentina, between 8-12 million are drinking water containing more than 50 µg/L (50 ppb or 0.05 mg/L) maximum contamination level (MCL) from wells, streams and rivers contaminated with arsenic. The prolonged drinking of this water has caused serious illnesses in the form of hyperkeratosis on the palms and feet, fatigue symptoms of arsenicosis, and cancer of the bladder, skin and other organs. The only way to solve this crisis is to drink clean potable water free from arsenic and other toxic impurities. In this endeavour, we have developed an arsenic water filter and deployed it on a large scale. The filter has been thoroughly studied and passed through several environmental technologies verification programs for arsenic mitigation (ETVAM)projects and approved by the government of Bangladesh (GOB) for household use. Recently, the filtration technology has been given the highest award from the National Academy of Engineering-Grainger Challenge Prize for Sustainability after testing 15 other competitor technologies. NAE has recognized this innovative technology for its affordability, reliability, ease of maintenance, social acceptability, and environmental friendliness, which met or exceeded the local government’s guidelines for arsenic removal. |
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The arsenic measurement and mitigation research by the group started in 1997. Since then, key papers have been published on both measurement and mitigation. The ability to measure ppb level As(III) and As(V) allowed us to test the filtration technology with real groundwater in the field. The first mitigation technology paper was published in 2000. Since then, several other papers were published on improvement of the technology.
The technology is patented. About 30,000 WITS filters were deployed in 16 districts all over Bangladesh; about 825 WITS filters were installed for primary school children. With regular maintenance many of these filters have been in use for 3 years without a breakthrough. We estimate that more than a billion litres of clean drinking water was consumed from these filters and they continue to provide high-quality water for drinking and cooking. The following is a description of the WITS filter and its performance based on the data obtained from our research, development, and extensive participation in ETVAM.