Solar Energy Based Water Potabilization: Low-cost Technologies For Isolated Regions Of Latin America And The Caribbean

Abstract

Low-cost technologies, based on the use of solar energy, are proposed in the framework of the OAS/AE/141/2001 project to provide safe drinking water in isolated rural populations of Latin America and the Caribbean, with scarce hydric and economical resources. The offered technologies are Solar Disinfection in Individual Units (SODIS-DSAUI), Arsenic Removal by Solar Oxidation (SORAS-RAOS) and Solar Heterogeneous Photocatalysis with Titanium Dioxide (HP). It was found that DSAUI can be applied in all cases for disinfection, although HP can treat simultaneously bacterial and chemical contamination. RAOS is efficient in synthetic samples but the applicability to real waters is very dependent on the water matrix. All results are described and discussed together with actions to impulse the application by disseminating the methods and educating the population.428742879Litter, M.I., Mansilla, H., (2001) Digital Grafic, , http://www.cnea.gov.ar/xxi/ambiental/aguapura/default.htm, Solar water disinfection in rural communities of Latin America, Project OEA/AE141. ISBN 987 43 6942 6, La PlataNavntoft, C., Dawidowski, L., Paladini, A., Blesa, M.A., Assessment of a simple UV radiation model for applications in photocatalytic systems in Argentina (2004) 12th SolarPACES Int. Symp., , Oaxaca, Mexico, OctoberWegelin, M., (2000) EAWAG News, 48. , 11-12, SeptemberWater & Sanitation in Developing Countries, , http:/www.sodis.ch, EAWAG-SANDECBlesa, M.A., Eliminación de contaminantes por fotocatálisis heterogénea (2001) CYTED VIII-G Network, , http://www.cnea.gov.ar/xxi/ambiental/CYTED/default.htm, Digital Grafic, La PlataHug, S., (2000) EAWAG News, 49. , 18-20, DecemberWegelin, M., Gechter, D., Hug, S., Mahmud, A., Motaleb, A., http://www.sandec.ch/WaterTreatment/Documents/SORAS.pdfLitter, M.I., (2002) Digital Grafic, , http://www.cnea.gov.ar/xxi/ambiental/aguapura/default.htm, Prospect of rural communities of Latin America for the application of low-cost technologies for water potabilization, Project OEA/AE141, La PlataIbáñez, J.A., Litter, M.I., Pizarro, R.A., (2003) J. Photochem. Photobiol. A: Chem., 157, p. 81Litter, M.I., Mansilla, H.D., (2003) Digital Grafic, , http://www.cnea.gov.ar/xxi/ambiental/aguapura/default.htm, Sunlight assisted arsenic removal in rural communities of Latin America, Project OEA/AE141, La PlataLitter, M.I., Jiménez González, A., (2004) Digital Grafic, , http://www.cnea.gov.ar/xxi/ambiental/agua-pura/default.htm, Advances in low-cost solar technologies for disinfection, decontamination and arsenic removal in waters of rural communities of Latin America (HP and RAOS methods), Project OEA/AE141, La PlataGarcía, M.G., D'hiriart, J., Giulitti, J., Lin, H., Custo, G., Del Hidalgo, M.V., Litter, M.I., Blesa, M.A., Solar light induced removal of arsenic from contaminated groundwater: The interplay of solar energy and chemical variables (2004) Solar Energy, 77, p. 60