�A solution to the world's worst case of ongoing mass poisoning, linked to rising cancer rates in Southern Asia, has been developed by researchers from Queen's University Belfast.
Currently over 70 million the great unwashed in Eastern India and Bangladesh, go through involuntary atomic number 33 exposure from consuming h2O and rice; the primary staple nutrient in the region. This includes farmers who receive to use contaminated groundwater from venial irrigation schemes.
It is estimated that for every random sample of 100 people in the Bengal Delta, at least one person will be near death as a result of arsenic intoxication, while basketball team in hundred will be experiencing other symptoms.
Now, researchers at the Belfast-based University have created new low-cost technology to provide arsenic-free water to millions of people in South Asia currently uncovered to high levels of the poison in groundwater.
Leading an international team, Queen's researchers feature developed a trial plant in Kasimpore, near Calcutta, which offers chemical-free groundwater treatment technology to rural communities for all their drinking and farming needs.
The technology is based on recharging a part of the groundwater, after aeration, into a subterranean aquifer (permeable rock) able to hold water. Increased levels of oxygen in the groundwater slow down the arsenic passing from the soil. At higher dissolved oxygen levels, soil micro organisms, as well as iron and manganese, come down the dissolved arsenic level significantly.
Dr Bhaskar Sen Gupta of Queen's, co-ordinator of the project said: "Arsenic poisoning is behind many instances of ill-health in Southern Asia, including a rising number of cancer cases. Developing a low cost method of decontaminating ground piddle that is laced with high levels of arsenous oxide is a key challenge for sustainable agriculture there.
"While there ar some techniques available for treating relatively small quantities of water, there has, until now, been no viable applied science available for decontaminating groundwater on a large scale that canful ensure good irrigation and potable piss supply.
"This project developed by Queen's is the entirely method which is eco-friendly, easy to use and deliverable to the rural community drug user at an affordable cost."
The project is part of the EU-funded Asia Pro Eco Programme which is dedicated to the betterment of environmental performance in Asian economic sectors. Known as TiPOT (Technology for in-situ intervention of groundwater for drink and irrigation purposes), a key part of the project is the establishment of sustainable technology partnerships.
Explaining further, Dr Sen Gupta said: "From its origin we cause had the vital support of Indian-based stakeholders, such as village councils and local fiscal institutions. This has been vital as they are the regime who proctor the piss supply and distribution in rural areas and bring home the bacon micro-credit to the local farmers.
"With their help, we now have a solution which is transferable to many areas in want across Asia."
The new plant will be maintained and operated by local village technicians. To help apply the engineering to former areas in the South Asian neighborhood, the World Bank has given a grant of $200,000 to the TIPOT pool to set up captain Hicks more subterraneous water handling plants in the Gangetic plains of West Bengal.
In June 2008, Queen's along with the Indian partners BESU and IEMS won the honored DELPHE laurels of the British Council (http://www.britishcouncil.org/delphe.htm) to set up another intervention plant and run knowingness programmes for arsenic toxic condition in India.
Further information on the project can be found at http://www.qub.ac.uk/sites/TiPOT/
Notes
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has cited the scale of this environmental catastrophe as greater than any seen earlier: "It is beyond the accidents at Bhopal, India, in 1984 and Chernobyl, Ukraine, in 1986."
In its written report Arsenic in Drinking Water and resulting Arsenic Toxicity in India and Bangladesh, the WHO stated "Arsenic in crapulence water is a major public health hazard and should be dealt with as an emergency."
Arsenic is a semi-metallic naturally occurring chemical. It is stage in the environment and we are regularly open to small doses. It is difficult to notice as it is in the main odourless and flavourless.
Other partners in the project include National Metallurgic Laboratory (NML), Jamshedpur, India; Institut f�r Siedlungswasserbau, Wasserg�te- und Abfallwirtschaft (USWA) Stuttgart, Germany; Universitas Miguel Hernandez (UMH) Alicante, Spain; Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML) Leiden University, The Netherlands and the Institure of Environmental Management and Studies (IEMS), Jamshedpur, India.
Source: Lisa Mitchell
Queen's University Belfast
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