Overview

psipw5thwinnersteam 4web 4The team of Dr. Ashok Gadgil, Dr. Susan Addy, Case van Genuchten (University of California Berkley, USA ), Dr. Robert Kostecki (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) and Dr. Joyashree Roy (Jadavpur University, Kolkata).

The prize is awarded to this team of researchers for developing an innovative and effective method of treating the arsenic contamination of groundwater using electrocoagulation.

They have produced an exemplary work of fundamental and applied science which runs the complete course from initial research to functioning prototype, while addressing one of the most serious drinking water problems confronting the human population in developing countries.

Suffice it to say that 1 in 5 of all adult deaths in Bangladesh are presently due to chronic arsenic poisoning. About 100 million people in Bangladesh and in the nearby Indian state of West Bengal are exposed to very high levels of naturally occurring arsenic in groundwater, which is their main source of drinking water. The World Health Organization recommends a maximum contaminant limit (MCL) for arsenic in drinking water of 10 μg/liter; in some areas of Bangladesh arsenic levels are as high as 800 μg/liter. This has rightly been called the largest case of mass poisoning in world history.

Arsenic pollution of groundwater is a widespread problem in other deltaic sediments around the globe. Millions of people suffer from latent arsenic poisoning, culminating in many dangerous diseases, including cancer.  There has long been a need for a simple and inexpensive method of treating arsenic contaminated water, which will save millions of people from arsenic poisoning and related health problems.

The possible impact of the method developed by the group – the best and most cost-effective method available to date – is huge. Even though the group’s research draws on a previously known electrocoagulation process, its scientific and practical value is high.

It is not sufficient to just establish that electrochemical reactions can precipitate arsenic. It is equally important to establish the stability of the precipitate and its behaviour under different electrolysis conditions and with other ions present. The team has carried out this evaluation in a careful and comprehensive way using advanced synchrotron-based X-ray characterization techniques (EXAFS).

They have also considered the disposal of wastes. They have exhibited creativity by transforming this scientific knowledge successfully into an easy-to-understand and easy-to-operate, locally affordable technology.

Finally, the analysis of societal implementation is convincing, going for a community approach rather than an individual application in each household. This excludes errors in operation and guarantees achieving economies of scale. The required voltage of 3 V can be provided by photovoltaic cells. The estimated price of safe groundwater at 4 US cents per 10 litres is comparatively low and acceptable even for the very poor.

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