Sono arsenic filter
Encyclopedia
The Sono arsenic filter was invented in 2006 by Abul Hussam
, who is a chemistry professor at George Mason University
(GMU) in Fairfax
, Virginia
. It was developed to deal with the problem of arsenic contamination of groundwater
. The filter is now in use in Hussam's native Bangladesh
.
from wells, whereas previously they had had to use ponds and mudholes which were contaminated with bacteria and viruses. However, the wells were also contaminated with naturally occurring high concentrations of poisonous arsenic
, causing skin ailments and cancers. Awareness of the problem developed through the 1990s.
Allan Smith, an epidemiologist at the University of California at Berkeley, observed that the arsenic problem affects millions of people worldwide:
Hassam developed his filter after years of testing hundreds of prototypes. The final version contains 20 pounds of shards of porous iron
, which bonds chemically with arsenic. It also includes charcoal, sand and bits of brick. It filters nearly all of the arsenic from the well water.
Prize for Sustainability
by the National Academy of Engineering
. Hussam plans to use 70% of the $1 million engineering prize to distribute filters to needy communities.
Abul Hussam
Abul Hussam is the inventor of the Sono arsenic filter. He is a chemistry Professor at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia and a member of advisory board at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology....
, who is a chemistry professor at George Mason University
George Mason University
George Mason University is a public university based in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, south of and adjacent to the city of Fairfax. Additional campuses are located nearby in Arlington County, Prince William County, and Loudoun County...
(GMU) in Fairfax
Fairfax, Virginia
The City of Fairfax is an independent city forming an enclave within the confines of Fairfax County, in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Although politically independent of the surrounding county, the City is nevertheless the county seat....
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. It was developed to deal with the problem of arsenic contamination of groundwater
Arsenic contamination of groundwater
Arsenic contamination of groundwater is a natural occurring high concentration of arsenic in deeper levels of groundwater, which became a high-profile problem in recent years due to the use of deep tubewells for water supply in the Ganges Delta, causing serious arsenic poisoning to large numbers of...
. The filter is now in use in Hussam's native Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
.
Development
Farmers had been drinking fresh groundwaterGroundwater
Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The depth at which soil pore spaces or fractures and voids in rock...
from wells, whereas previously they had had to use ponds and mudholes which were contaminated with bacteria and viruses. However, the wells were also contaminated with naturally occurring high concentrations of poisonous arsenic
Arsenic
Arsenic is a chemical element with the symbol As, atomic number 33 and relative atomic mass 74.92. Arsenic occurs in many minerals, usually in conjunction with sulfur and metals, and also as a pure elemental crystal. It was first documented by Albertus Magnus in 1250.Arsenic is a metalloid...
, causing skin ailments and cancers. Awareness of the problem developed through the 1990s.
Allan Smith, an epidemiologist at the University of California at Berkeley, observed that the arsenic problem affects millions of people worldwide:
Hassam developed his filter after years of testing hundreds of prototypes. The final version contains 20 pounds of shards of porous iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
, which bonds chemically with arsenic. It also includes charcoal, sand and bits of brick. It filters nearly all of the arsenic from the well water.
Awards
Hassam was awarded the 2007 Grainger challengeGrainger challenge
The Grainger challenge is a scientific competition to find an economical way to remove arsenic from arsenic-contaminated groundwater. This competition is being funded by the United States National Academy of Engineering and the Grainger Foundation and is meant to help provide safe drinking water to...
Prize for Sustainability
Sustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
by the National Academy of Engineering
National Academy of Engineering
The National Academy of Engineering is a government-created non-profit institution in the United States, that was founded in 1964 under the same congressional act that led to the founding of the National Academy of Sciences...
. Hussam plans to use 70% of the $1 million engineering prize to distribute filters to needy communities.
See also
- Backwashing
- Carbon filteringCarbon filteringCarbon filtering is a method of filtering that uses a piece of activated carbon to remove contaminants and impurities, utilizing chemical adsorption....
- DistillationDistillationDistillation is a method of separating mixtures based on differences in volatilities of components in a boiling liquid mixture. Distillation is a unit operation, or a physical separation process, and not a chemical reaction....
- FiltrationFiltrationFiltration is commonly the mechanical or physical operation which is used for the separation of solids from fluids by interposing a medium through which only the fluid can pass...
- Reverse osmosisReverse osmosisReverse osmosis is a membrane technical filtration method that removes many types of large molecules and ions from solutions by applying pressure to the solution when it is on one side of a selective membrane. The result is that the solute is retained on the pressurized side of the membrane and...
- Sand separatorSand separatorA hydrocyclone is a device to classify, separate or sort particles in a liquid suspension based on the ratio of their centripetal force to fluid resistance. This ratio is high for dense and coarse particles, and low for light and fine particles...
- Settling basinSettling basinA settling basin, settling pond or decant pond are devices used to treat turbidity in industrial wastewater. The basins are used to control water pollution in diverse industries such as agriculture, aquaculture, and mining....
- Water purificationWater purificationWater purification is the process of removing undesirable chemicals, materials, and biological contaminants from contaminated water. The goal is to produce water fit for a specific purpose...
External links
- A simple and effective arsenic filter based on composite iron matrix: Development and deployment studies forgroundwater of Bangladesh - (PDF file)
- DWC-Water: Arsenic filtration - description and test results.
- Invention description at GMU website
- Manob Sakti Unnayan Kendro (MSUK) - development and distribution.