Arsenic removal: field testing the Kanchan Arsenic Filter in Cambodia

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is funding a Pilot and Demonstration Activity (PDA) to test the suitability of the Kanchan Arsenic Filter (KAF) for Cambodia’s rural areas.

The KAF is the product of 7 years of extensive testing in rural Nepal by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The filter is a low-cost household-level technology using simple materials such as gravel and iron nails, and requires neither external energy nor material input for its operation and maintenance. Testing is also ongoing in Bangladesh.

The KAF performance verification process in Cambodia consists of 3 phases: laboratory study, field technical research, and pilot demonstration. The laboratory study phase was completed in 2006 by the Institute of Technology of Cambodia (ITC) with support from the Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology (CAWST) and MIT. It showed that the KAF consistently removes over 90% of arsenic, total coliforms, and E.coli from arsenic-contaminated groundwater near Phnom Penh. The formation of red rust using small nails proved to be crucial for filter performance.

The PDA will support phases 2 and 3 of the KAF performance verification process.

[1] MIT - Kanchan Arsenic Filter Project. Contact: Susan Murcott, Senior Lecturer, IT, murcott@mit.edu

Contact: Davin Uy, Director of Research and Development, Institute of Technology of Cambodia, davinuy@itc.edu.kh

Source: ADB, Feb 2008

Keywords

• Water quality