Arsenic removal: SONO household water filter wins US$ 1 million award

The US National Academy of Engineering (NAE) has announced the winners of the 2007 Grainger Challenge Prize for Sustainability. The contest sought innovative solutions for removing arsenic from drinking water in developing countries

Abul Hussam, an associate professor at George Mason University, USA, will receive the Grainger Challenge Gold Award of US$ 1 million (EUR 761,000) for his SONO filter, a household water treatment system. This three bucket system was developed in 2001 with composite iron matrix (CIM) as the active arsenic removal component. The SONO filter is now manufactured and used in Bangladesh.

The Silver Award of US$ 200,000 (EUR 152,000) goes to a team led by Arup K. SenGupta for a community well-head arsenic removal unit serving about 300 households. The system uses an activated alumina or hybrid anion exchanger (HAIX) to remove the arsenic. The system has been used in 160 locations in West Bengal, India.

The Children's Safe Drinking Water Program at Procter & Gamble Co. (P&G), Cincinnati, will receive the Bronze Award of US$ 100,000 (EUR 76,000) for the PUR™ Purifier of Water coagulation and flocculation water treatment system.

Background information on the three filters, as well as other arsenic treatment technologies, is available on the Arsenic website project remediation page

Contact: Abul Hussam, Abul, Associate Professor, Chemistry & Biochemistry, College of Science, Gerorge Mason University, ahussam@gmu.edu, web page

Source: National Academy of Engineering, 1 Feb 2007

Keywords

• Water quality