Abstract
Arsenic contamination in shallow tubewell water is a serious health issue in Bangladesh and other Southeast Asian countries. Rural and remote areas in these locations continue to face tremendous challenges in providing access to affordable and safe arsenic-free drinking water. In recent years, intensive efforts have been undertaken to identify appropriate technologies for arsenic removal. This study examines one approach by investigating the application of suitable membrane technologies, specifically air gap membrane distillation (AGMD), as a promising method for small-scale, low cost deployment. The objective of this study was to test an AGMD commercial prototype (nominal capacity of 2 L/hr) with three different feedstocks: arsenic-containing groundwater (medium concentration) and arsenic-spiked tap water (medium and high concentrations). Results show that the tested AGMD prototype is capable of achieving excellent separation efficiency, as all product water samples showed arsenic levels well below WHO accepted limits (10 µg/L) even for initial concentrations over 1800 µg/L. Parametric studies with focus on variation of coolant temperature illustrate the possibility of integrating AGMD in various thermal systems.
Highlights
Bangladesh is a densely populated country with over 75% of the population living in rural areas
This study examines one approach by investigating the application of suitable membrane technologies, air gap membrane distillation (AGMD), as a promising method for small-scale, low cost deployment
The groundwater of 50 districts out of a total of 64 districts contained arsenic higher than the country standard for shallow tubewell drinking water (50 μg/L), and in around 60 districts groundwater was contaminated with arsenic levels higher than WHO recommendations (10 μg/L) [3]
Summary
Bangladesh is a densely populated country with over 75% of the population living in rural areas. Like several developing Southeast Asian countries, Bangladeshi drinking water is contaminated with arsenic, and the country faces immeasurable health consequences as a result [1]. The groundwater of 50 districts out of a total of 64 districts contained arsenic higher than the country standard for shallow tubewell drinking water (50 μg/L), and in around 60 districts groundwater was contaminated with arsenic levels higher than WHO recommendations (10 μg/L) [3]. Several technologies have been tried for removal of high arsenic concentration arsenic from tubewell drinking water; see Table 1 for a summary. The commonly used conventional methods employ adsorption processes – coagulation and ion exchange [4] Incorporating such processes is viable economically only at a large scale in centralized water treatment plants, requiring heavy capital outlays and skilled staff in addition to the necessary distribution systems and their maintenance.
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