Grantee Research Project Results

Final Report: Containment of Highly Concentrated Arsenic-laden Spent Regenerant on the Indian Subcontinent

EPA Grant Number: SU833759
Title: Containment of Highly Concentrated Arsenic-laden Spent Regenerant on the Indian Subcontinent
Investigators: Sengupta, Arup K. , Lin, Jin Cheng , Blaney, Lee M. , Gupta, Anirban , Ghosh, Debabrata , Freedman, Elliot , Greenleaf, John , Alam, Morshed , Chatterjee, Prasun , Smith, Ryan , Sarkar, Sudipta
Institution: Lehigh University , Bengal Engineering & Science University
EPA Project Officer: Page, Angela
Phase: II
Project Period: September 1, 2007 through May 31, 2009
Project Amount: $75,000
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet - Phase 2 (2007) Recipients Lists
Research Category: Nanotechnology , Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , P3 Awards , P3 Challenge Area - Safe and Sustainable Water Resources , Sustainable and Healthy Communities

Objective:

Wide-scale arsenic poisoning in drinking water of a large number of people living in the Indian Subcontinent is a cause for deep concern. There have been numerous successful researches for developing arsenic selective adsorbent media and many of them are at place providing people with arsenic safe water as a relief from arsenic contamination and related sufferings. However, in terms of sustainable development, the major environmental challenge lies in both removing dissolved arsenic from contaminated groundwater and attaining safe, long-term disposal of arsenic-laden water treatment residuals. Safe disposal and containment of wastes would reduce the amount of toxic waste generated, prevent leaching of arsenic into soil and groundwater supplies, and allow for a more secure public. The project aimed at providing people with a sustainable arsenic removal technology which not only provides arsenic-safe drinking water for the present generation but also ensures minimization of further contamination resulting from the wastes generated by the process, thereby making the process sustainable also for the future generations. At the same time, the project also aimed at community participation new employment opportunities in sustaining the arsenic removal units over a long period of time.

Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):

Specific accomplishments of the project are summarized as follows:

1. Sustaining day-to-day operation of the Arsenic Removal Units (ARUs) through a villagers’ committee responsible for collection of monthly tariff from participating families;
2. Preparing a step-wise recipe for regeneration and reuse of arsenic-selective adsorbent in the central regeneration facility by a group of trained villagers, thus reducing the cost of treated water;
3. Disposal of arsenic-laden sludge in an aerated sand filter with minimal arsenic leaching;
4. Creating partial employment for trained operators with tariffs paid by participating villagers;
5. Equipping a central laboratory facility with instruments for analyzing arsenic, iron, hardness as needed for quality control;
6. Developing similar sustainable projects in other affected countries, namely, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos in the Southeast Asia.

Conclusions:

The community based technology at village level can be sustained using a regenerable arsenic-selective adsorbent without any adverse ecological impact. The success of the project has amply demonstrated that arsenic crisis in remote areas of many developing countries can be transformed into a stimulus for economic growth and human resource development.

Journal Articles on this Report : 1 Displayed | Download in RIS Format

Publications Views

Other project views:	All 2 publications	1 publications in selected types	All 1 journal articles

Publications

Type	Citation	Project	Document Sources
Journal Article	Sarkar S, Greenleaf JE, Gupta A, Ghosh D, Blaney LM, Bandyopadhyay P, Biswas RK, Dutta AK, SenGupta AK. Evolution of community-based arsenic removal systems in remote villages in West Bengal, India: assessment of decade-long operation. Water Research 2010;44(19):5813-5822.	SU833759 (Final) SU834717 (Final)	Abstract from PubMed Full-text: Science Direct-Full Text HTML Exit Abstract: Science Direct-Abstract Exit Other: Science Direct-Full Text PDF Exit

Supplemental Keywords:

Arsenic poisoning, Contaminated groundwater, arsenic-selective adsorbent, hybrid anion exchanger, community based treatment,

Progress and Final Reports:

Original Abstract

2008 Progress Report

P3 Phase I:

Containment of Highly Concentrated Arsenic-laden Spent Regenerant on the Indian Subcontinent  | Final Report