Page 29 - Status Report

The Context

High levels of naturally occurring arsenic
poisons the drinking water of close to
200 million people worldwide. Arsenic
contaminated groundwater was first detected
in India in West Bengal in 1983. Since then,
arsenic contamination has been discovered in
groundwater sources in the states of Punjab,
Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Assam,
Manipur and Chhattisgarh. Chronic ingestion
of arsenic causes skin lesions, gangrene,
cancer, cardiovascular diseases, reduced IQ
in children, neuropathy and premature death.
Tackling this problem requires the invention of
a new, robust, efficient technology, coupled
with a successful business model for effective
social placement and local manufacturing that
takes into consideration the cultural needs of
the community.

The Initiative

This project adopts a systemic approach to identify a
sustainable solution and works on the scale-up and
demonstration of the patented Electro Chemical Arsenic
Remediation (ECAR) technology for Arsenic remediation and
commercial deployment. ECAR works by applying a small
voltage (<10 V) to iron plates (which function as electrodes)
suspended in arsenic contaminated water. The voltage
causes continuous dissolution of the positively charged
iron electrode leading to the formation of a particular kind
of rust in the water. Arsenic binds to these newly generated
rust nano-particles, which then coagulate, forming an easily
removable sludge that settles as a solid.

The Outcome

The analysis performed by UC Berkeley and two independent NABL accredited laboratories in
India confirm that the treated water meets all relevant drinking water standards (IS 10500:2012).
While raw water has arsenic at ~250 ppb, ECAR-treated water is well below 10 ppb. The team have
successfully designed, constructed, and commissioned a pilot plant in South 24 Parganas in the
outskirts of Kolkata, capable of producing 10,000 L/day of clean water meeting all IS 10500:2012
standards. Automated Distribution Units (ADU) have been setup at the plant site and these ADUs
delivers 200 ml of fresh ECAR water to each user when they place their plastic cards with an
embedded electronic chip on the ADU.
The group has also conducted social science research to study local willingness to pay to ensure
that the operation of similar plants can be fully commercially viable. The group has received
additional funding support from USAID and UGC.

Status Report 29