Evaluation of Household Arsenic Mitigation Technologies

Development of economical technologies/methods for treating arsenic contamination at household level was undertaken, considering the local conditions in Bangladesh. A number of technologies were evaluated in the laboratory and at pilot scale. The findings from this research study are presented in a recent paper.

An international workshop was held in Dhaka in collaboration with BUET (BUET-UNU, 2001), entitled "Technologies For Arsenic Removal From Drinking Water." This meeting undertook the following tasks: (i) evaluated different technologies that are currently available for arsenic treatment; (ii) identified critical directions for further research on these technologies; and (iii) included some scenario development for practical application of technologies, including an economic evaluation of various alternatives. It also provided a forum for various researchers, international organizations and vendors to present the latest developments in arsenic removal technologies.

Fate of Arsenic in the Environment

In a new joint research project with BUET, UNU focused on some of the key issues related to the fate of arsenic in the environment. The overall objectives of this research work were: (a) to estimate overall mass of arsenic extracted with groundwater each year; (b) to estimate the quantity of arsenic deposited in agricultural soils; and (c) to estimate the arsenic concentration in soil and selected crop/vegetable, both in some arsenic-affected and unaffected areas. This research also included an evaluation of the leaching characteristics of wastes generated from selected technologies. Findings from this study were presented at the BUET-UNU Symposium (9-10 January 2003).