Grantee Research Project Results
2016 Progress Report: Development of an Affordable Solar Thermal Pasteurizer for Waterborne Diseases in Rural Guatemala
EPA Grant Number: SU835713Title: Development of an Affordable Solar Thermal Pasteurizer for Waterborne Diseases in Rural Guatemala
Investigators: Song, Ted , Green, Cassidy , Lopez, Ernesto , Haileyesus, Ethiopia , Desai, Ishant , Vance, Spencer
Current Investigators: Song, Ted , Green, Cassidy , Lopez, Ernesto , Haileyesus, Ethiopia , Desai, Ishant
Institution: John Brown University
EPA Project Officer: Page, Angela
Phase: I
Project Period: September 1, 2014 through August 31, 2015 (Extended to August 31, 2017)
Project Period Covered by this Report: September 1, 2015 through August 31,2016
Project Amount: $14,520
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (2014) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , P3 Challenge Area - Safe and Sustainable Water Resources , P3 Awards , Sustainable and Healthy Communities
Objective:
Most of the fresh water in the area of Escuintla, Guatemala is not apt for human consumption because it contains industrial waste, volcanic chemicals, viruses and bacteria coming from the surrounding regions. This contaminated water is distributed to the local residential area, and unfortunately, due to the low resources of the Guatemalans, people are not able to afford bottled water or any water treatment devices. Moreover, many of the rural areas are isolated from the urban power grid, which makes it difficult to have a reliable energy source that could power water treatment systems. The majority of Guatemalans who live in these regions have no option besides using the contaminated water for cooking, washing, and drinking. This situation causes the local people to get sick, to miss work or school, or even to die due to the bacteria it contains-such as coliform and cholera.
Our objective was to design a scalable, modular, and affordable water purification system that is viable for implementation in the department of Escuintla, Guatemala. The design we proposed was intended to purify water for a community of 400 people, with minimal usage complexity, cost, environmental impact, size, and maintenance required. The water treatment process we use is called pasteurization-using the heat from solar insolation to disinfect the contaminated water. In addition, the proposed system would use photovoltaic (PY) modules with an energy storage system to provide power to microprocessor controllers and other electrical components-which would be used for controlling the purification process-so that the water treatment system would not rely on the power grid.
The treatment process that is used within these designs is simple enough to be operated with minimal operating costs and maintenance. This was intended so that the local people would be able to operate it on their own after the installation. If the local residents have access to clean water, it will improve the lives of the people since there are adults and children who miss work and schools due to the sickness that comes from the contaminated water. Not missing work would help working residents to improve their income in the short term, and not missing school would help the children to become adults who would then be able to contribute to the development of the community in the future.
Progress Summary:
In order to determine the contaminants in the water in Escuintla, in 2014 December, a student and the faculty advisor visited Guatemala. Three water samples were taken from three local villages of Escuintla, Aldea el Rodeo, A Idea Obero, and Masagua. Based on the lab testing report, the team was able to divide the testing in three parts namely: sediment filtration, chemical filtration, and pasteurization process. The lab report had a clear sign of sediments of up to 192 mg/L of solids dissolved with total toughness of 138 mg/L. The most harmful chemicals found in the water were Nitrate and Nitrite at the level of 7 ppm (parts per million). In order to meet American EPA standards, the team decided to include benzene in the list of contaminated water. The 5 ppb level of benzene was included in the contaminated water replica as benzene is one of the most harmful toxic chemical found in surface water and has the tendency to travel further without any decrease in the level of concentration. The team concluded that if the system can remove/reduce the level of benzene to less than 4 ppb than it can successfully remove other chemicals as well. The report indicated the presence of total coli forms to be greater than 8.00, and fecal and escherichia coliforms level to be near 1.10.
After assembling the water purification system, as shown in Figure 1, a sample of contaminated water was introduced into the system in order to test its performance. The sample water was tested before and after the purification process. The tested results show that the amount of chemicals, sediments, and microorganisms were reduced to an amount that is safe for human consumption. Regarding the amount of water that can be purified, the current system operates at 50% of its potential. This number is lower than expected, and one of the reasons for this result was the relatively low temperature of the testing site in March. This result could be improved if the system is installed in Escuintla where the temperature is relatively high all year around.
With tested results, it was determined that solar pasteurization can successfully be implemented on the medium-sized scale. Solar pasteurization has regularly been used in small scale, for needs of less than five gallons a day. However, there was no record we could find of a medium-sized solar pasteurizer. Nevertheless, this project has proved that the concept of a solar pasteurizer on a medium scale is feasible. As this purification system could be improved in the future through additional modifications, the proposed solution could provide a novel and costeffective approach to supply clean water in areas where insolation is relatively high.
Since the inception, 4 undergraduate students participated in the investigation and the implementation of the proposed project.
Supplemental Keywords:
Solar thermal energy, pasteurization, microprocessor controllers, water purification, waterborne diseases, photovoltaics, renewable energy, Rural Guatemala.Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.