berkeley lab civil and environmental engineering...

Susan E.A. Addy Ashok Gadgil

Case van Genuchten

with the Berkeley Arsenic Alleviation Group (BAAG), UC-Berkeley

http://arsenic.lbl.gov

BERKELEY LAB Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING University of California - Berkeley

•  The problem

•  Our approach

•  ECAR technology

•  Field work

•  Discussion

Berkeley Arsenic Alleviation Group (BAAG) 10/13/09 2

OUTLINE

The problem

Berkeley Arsenic Alleviation Group (BAAG) 10/13/09 3

10/13/09 Berkeley Arsenic Alleviation Group (BAAG)

Natural Arsenic in Groundwater

Millions drink from arsenic-contaminated tube wells Poisoning leads to

hand lesions, cancers, and death

4

Arsenic contamination is worldwide

… but Bangladesh & West Bengal (India) are hardest hit.

10/13/09 Berkeley Arsenic Alleviation Group (BAAG) 5

Our Approach

Berkeley Arsenic Alleviation Group (BAAG) 10/13/09 Berkeley Arsenic Alleviation Group (BAAG) 6


What has been tried?

•  Tubewell switching

•  Return to surface water

•  Rainwater harvesting

•  Point-of-Use arsenic removal

Some, but not enough success

Technical and social challenges

•  Dispersed, poor population with little infrastructure

•  Arsenic-contaminated tubewells convenient and free

•  Arsenic is colorless, tasteless, odorless –  No feedback for users

•  Disease latency high (5-20 years) –  Preventative medicine – harder to incentivize

•  Safe arsenic levels extremely low –  10 ppb = 10µg/L (WHO Recommendation)

–  Difficult to remove



- Community Scale -  2¢ for 10 Liters -  Modest profit Sustainability Andhra Pradesh, India


Andhra Pradesh, India, 2006

Water delivered door-to-door

ECAR Technology


Electrochemical Arsenic Remediation (ECAR)


ECAR in the lab Arsenic Removal from synthetic Bangladesh Groundwater


Arsenic-Laden Waste

•  Lab tests produce ~80 mg/L sludge

-  300g/person/year (assumes 10 Liters/ person/day)

-  300kg/year for 1000 people (200 families)

-  Safe for landfill disposal (US standards)

-  Can put in concrete

Advantages

•  Low maintenance

Challenges •  Requires (intermittent) electricity

•  Separation stage is long or coagulant required •  Low cost

Operating Costs estimated at < 0.38¢/person/day (assuming PV power)

•  Minimal supply chain ~200g of iron/person/year

•  Produces very little waste ~300g/person/year


Well-suited to WaterHealth Model

•  Extremely effective Final As < 10 ppb, with AsIII or AsV

Field Work


Bangladesh


Cambodia


Upcoming Field Work

•  (Fall 09) 100L/batch Prototype –  Site: Murshidabad district,

West Bengal, India –  Goals: run continuously for

weeks –  Assess: performance,

maintenance, reliability


•  (Fall 10) Pilot Project −  Longer operation −  Serve clean water −  Run with business partner

Mentors: •  Robert Kostecki, Venkat Srinivasan, Howdy Goudey, Lara Gundel,

Jerry Pugh, Jonathan Slack, Johanna Mathieu

Collaborators: •  Dr. Joyashree Roy, Jadavpur University, Kolkata •  Dr. Sampson, Resource Development International (RDI)

Sponsors: •  National Collegiate Innovators and Inventors Alliance (NCIIA) •  Haas Sustainable Products and Solutions (SPS) Program •  UC Berkeley Blum Center for Developing Economies •  UC Berkeley Big Ideas Marketplace/Bears Breaking Boundaries

Competition •  Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LDRD Funds) •  Ingénieurs du Monde •  Iqbal and Kamal Quadir •  J. W. Saxe Memorial Fund •  Schweizerische Studienstiftung •  USEPA P3 Award Phase I-II •  Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC)


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