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DRDO Arsenic Removal Technology (DART)

Dr. P C Deb, Dr.Kshipra Misra, Alips

Shrivastava, MT Companywala & Sanskriti

NMRL , Ambernath & DIPAS , Delhi, DRDO

ISO:9001:2008

EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS

Desert LIC

On Sea

High Altitude

Closed Environment On

Air

Jungle

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ISO:9001:2008

MISSION OF LIFE SCIENCES LABS

To enhance the ability of soldiers for

Survivability

Efficiency

Lethality

Sustainability

ISO:9001:2008

PHYSIOLOGY PSYCHOLOGY

BIOENGINEERING HEALTH

FOOD AGRICULTURE

LIFE SCIENCE IN SERVICE OF THE SOLDIER

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ISO:9001:2008

“After All

IT IS THE MAN WHO MATTERS”

KSHITI JAL PAVAK GAGAN SAMEERA, PANCH RACHIT ATI ADHAM SHAREERA Sant Tulsidas AAPO DEVTA Rigveda 10/129/1 APSWANTARMRITAM ASTU BHESHJAM Rigveda 1/23/19

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IMPORTANCE OF PURE WATER

FOR CURING SEVERE DISEASES:

–DIABETES –BLOOD PRESSURE –MIGRAINE –ARTHRITIS –EYE AILMENTS –ACIDITY & ULCER –CANCER ETC.

“ It is uncanny thought that this lurking poison (arsenic) is everywhere about us,

ready to gain unsuspected entrance to our bodies from the food we eat, the water we

drink and the air we breathe.”

Karl Vogel, 1928

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ARSENIC CONTAMINATED GROUND WATER

GROUNDWATER ARSENIC CONTAMINATION IN ASIA

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ARSENIC AFFECTED AREAS

U TTAR PRADESH

ORISSA

ANDHRA PRADESH

CHATTISGARH

WEST BENGAL

UTTARANCHAL

BIHAR

KERALA

NEPAL

MAHARASHTRA

GROUNDWATER ARSENIC CONTAMINATION IN GANGA-MEGHNA-BRAHMAPUTRA (GMB) PLAIN

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SOURCES OF ARSENIC Main Sources:

• Geological (Natural): • Rock, Clay, Peat and Sand potential sources • Increased [As] due to desorption from iron oxides

• Change in pH, oxidation/reductions, and competing anions (PO4

3-, Silicate) • Excessive irrigation pumping in dry season with

carbon-caused mobilization

•Man-made: Industrial effluents, copper smelting, atmospheric deposition.

CARCINOMA

HYPERKERATOSIS

CONJUNCTIVITIS

BRONCHITIS

SEVERE SKIN CANCER

EFFECTS OF ARSENIC

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HEALTH RISKS • Arsenic poisoning appears after 10 years of

consumption as arsenicosis – Can lead to:

• Keratosis • Gangrene • Skin Cancer • Kidney Cancer • Bladder Cancer • Lung Cancer

HEALTH RISKS

•10 year old children are developing the arsenicosis

•Cancers appear after 20 years

•Huge epidemic expected in the near future

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SOLE OF ARSENIC AFFECTED PATIENT

PATIENT SUFFERING FROM FILARIA DUE TO ARSENIC

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REGULATORY DRINKING WATER STANDARDS - ARSENIC

USEPA 10 µg/L WHO 10 µg/L India 10 µg/L (difficult to achieve??) Bangladesh 50 µg/L

TWO PRIMARY VALENCE STATES IN WATER

Arsenic (III) H3AsO3

0-(predom) H2AsO3

-1

HAsO3-2

Arsenic (V) AsO4

0 H2AsO4

-1-(predom) HAsO4

-2-(predom)

AsO4

-3-(predom)

In natural waters, arsenic is mostly found in inorganic form as oxyanions of trivalent arsenite [As(III)] or pentavalent arsenate [As(V)].

As(III) is more toxic (40-60 times) than As(V)

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BACKGROUND • > 70 million population in India in west Bengal alone & >60 million population in

Bangladesh is exposed to arsenic poisoning

• Arsenic levels in drinking water range from 50 ppb TO 20 ppm (found in Bihar) as against 10ppb ( WHO & US EPA Standard)

• There is an urgent need for: – Immediate relief to those using drinking water with high arsenic concentration – A long - term solution based on scientific assessment of the contributing factors,

geographic spread and selection of treatment technologies

REMEDIATION OPTIONS

• MEASUREMENT OF EACH WELL

• USE OF SIMPLE PURIFICATION

METHODS

• USE OF DUG WELLS

• USE OF DEEP WELLS

• RETURN TO SURFACE WATER

• PHYTOREMEDIATION

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IMPORTED TECHNOLOGIES

1. SORAS (Solar Oxidation and Removal of Arsenic): Developed by Swiss Federal Institute for Environmental Science and Technology

2. UV FeOx: Developed by CRCWMPC, Australia, in collaboration with ANSTO

3. Solar Oxidation/Reduction, Coagulation and Filtration in Clay Pots: Developed by Integrated Quality and Environmental Management, Berlin

4. STAR Household co-precipitation filtration process: Developed by Stevens Institute of Technology, NewJersey, USA

DESIRED PROPERTIES OF REMEDIATION TECHNOLOGY

• Efficient in removal of both As (V) & As(III) • Robust • Cheap, reliable and low on maintenance • Should be made of locally available materials • Monitoring required should be less • Unskilled labour should be able to operate it

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OBJECTIVE

To develop a cost effective and environment - friendly

water filter to provide arsenic - free drinking water in

arsenic - contaminated areas

ARSENIC CONTAMINATED WATERFROM RESERVOIR

STEEL WASTE MATERIAL(Container Capacity: 7L for System I 16L for System II)

TREATED SAND (Container Capacity: 7L for System I 25L for System II)

ARSENIC FREE WATER (Container Capacity: 16L for System I 50L for System II)

FINE CLOTH FILTER

FINE CLOTH FILTER

ARSENIC REMOVAL FILTER

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SALIENT FEATURES

– No Power Requirement (electricity or battery) – Works on Gravity Flow – Sturdy and Maintenance free – Low Cost – Environment-friendly – User Friendly – Easy and usable waste containment

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WASTE DISPOSAL

Impermeable Cement matrix. No leaching of arsenic and iron found. To be used as building material.

COMPARISON OF NMRL KIT WITH EXISTING KITS

S.No. Organization Principle Advantages Disadvantages

1. Public health engineering department(PHED), W.B.

Oxidation of As(III) to As( V) followed by coagulation-sedimentation and filtration

Technically acceptable.

Multi-step process. Addition of chemicals. Community type. Not successful.

2. All India Institute of Hygiene and public Health (AIIHPH), W.B.

- do -

- do -

- do -

3. B.E. College Howrah

Adsorption through Al2O3 and hydrated iron oxide

Multi-step process. Expensive. Waste disposal problem. Community type. Not successful. Deterioration of Al2O3 after alkali washing. Leaching of aluminium in final water is expected.

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S.No. Organization

Principle Advantages Disadvantages

4. School of Environmental Studies with CSIR, Delhi

Use of iron tablet followed by stirring and filtration through filters made from clay, Fly ash and charcoal

Technically acceptable. House hold type.

Expensive. Cleaning of filter makes the process tedious and generates more arsenic contaminated water. Addition of more chemicals. Production of toxicAsH3 gas during waste disposal. Not Successful.

5. NMRL, DRDO, Ambernath

Co-precipitation with iron waste followed by filtration through treated river sand

Highly economical ( Rs. 2.30/ 1000 litres). Very simple. Easy waste disposal in the form of non -leachable concrete blocks used in building material. No addition of chemicals. No production of secondary pollutants.

Nothing adverse has been observed because of its cost effectiveness and simplicity which is the need of today as far as water filter for villagers is concerned.

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DOMESTIC ARSENIC REMOVAL FILTER DEVELOPED BY DRDO, INDIA

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VILLAGES

Tiwaritola ( Ballia, UP)

Rannuchak (Bhagalpur, Bihar),

Arbandi, Chandkuri,Sahebdangapur, Harinadi, Nrisinghapur and Lalmath ( Nadia, W.B.)

Tiwaritola ( Ballia District, UP)

Rannuchak (Bhagalpur District, Bihar)

VILLAGES UNDER STUDY

Uttar Pradesh

Bihar

W. Bangal

Arbandi, Chandkuri,

Sahebdangapur, Harinadi,

Nrisinghapur and Lalmath

( Nadia Districrt, W.B.)

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Door To Door Survey And Water Tasting

Implementation of Cost Effective Arsenic Remediation Technology in West Bengal, Bihar

and U.P. ( Under WTI project of DST )

By Save The Environment

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FILTER DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM (Bhagalpur, Bihar)

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Change of Reactant Material, Washing and Waste Disposal

Ars

enic

Con

cent

ratio

n (m

g/L)

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

1.4

1.6MinMax

Villages

Arband

i

Chand

kuri

Nrising

hapu

rRan

uchw

akSah

ebdan

gaTew

aritolla

Ram

Garh

Harina

di

0.02

0.02

0.02

0.02

0.02

0.02

0.020.

1

0.5

0.5

0.5

0.4

1.5

0.5

Arsenic Concentration (mg/l) in Water in Villages Under Study

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Volu

me

of w

ater

(lite

rs)

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

Total number of familiesAverage volume of water per family has been filtered in one year without any change in reactant material (liters)

Villages

Arbandi

Chandku

riNris

inghapur

Ranuch

wakSah

ebdan

gaTew

aritolla

Ram

Garh

Harinad

i

301

446

140 300

253

302

358

8750

7300

6940

6310

7640 82

90 8410

No. of Families and Average Volume of Water ( Lit) Used per Family in the Villages Under Study

EXPECTED LIFE OF THE FILTER

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PRESENT STATUS

• Laboratory and field trials successfully completed.

• Successfully operating for last nine years . • More than Four thousand filters are

already installed in different villages under funding provided by Department of Science and Technology, India (WTI programme )

• Process for producing potable water. Patent No.221708

• Filtering Device For the Removal of Arsenic from water :

Patent No. USA 0308,484; UK12065148; Vietnam (accepted)

TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY

• Save The Environment, Kolkata • M/s Shiva Engineering( Pvt) Ltd., Kolkata • M/s S B Equipments, New Delhi

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AWARDS

• Silver Medal for innovative Technology in Anveshan Competition on 29th June, 2003 at IIM, Ahmedabad

• WATI ( Women and Technology Innovation) National Award by

Bhartiya Stree Shakti for innovative Technology -2004

• DRDO Spin-off Technology Award- 2007 • Eminent Scientist Award -2009 by National Environment Science

academy

• NRDC, GOI –Social Innovation Award-2012

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Community Level Water Filter Installed in Tripura, India

( Capacity: ~100LPH)

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We wish to pay our sincere thanks to : Dr. A.K. Datta, our former CCR & D (M), DRDO Dr. S.K. Salwan, former Director, CEES, DRDO, Dr. J. Narayan Das, Former CCR&D ( NS M& HR) Director, NMRL, Ambernath and Dr. Lakshman Prasad, Former Adviser, DST Mr. Sanjay Bajpai, Director, DST Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi NRDC, New Delhi ( For recognizing our efforts)

&

All The team members from DRDO and Save The

Environment, Kolkata ( www.stenvironment .com)

Thank You