10 research outputs found
Design strategies and preliminary prototype for a low-cost arsenic removal system for rural Bangladesh
Researchers have invented a material called ARUBA Arsenic
Removal Using Bottom Ash that
effectively and affordably removes arsenic from Bangladesh groundwater. Through analysis of studies
across a range of disciplines, observations, and informal interviews conducted over three trips to
Bangladesh, we have applied mechanical engineering design methodology to develop eight key design
strategies, which were used in the development of a lowcost,
communityscale
water treatment system
that uses ARUBA to remove arsenic from drinking water. We have constructed, tested, and analysed a
scale version of the system. Experiments have shown that the system is capable of reducing high levels of
arsenic (nearly 600 ppb) to below the Bangladesh standard of 50 ppb, while remaining affordable to
people living on less than US$2/day. The system could be sustainably implemented as a public-private
partnership in rural Bangladesh