[fsf60k] Dr. Meng Demonstration
- From: "George Pardo" <pardo123@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: fsf60k@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 15 Apr 2007 13:45:26 -0400
Hi All,
Just wanted to give you a quck synopses of how the meeting went yesterday.
First Dr. Meng gave us a powerpoint presentation of his work along with an
overview of the arsenic problem worlwide and technical explanations as to
how it is removed. The presentation was excellent and he has a great
personality. We then went to the lab and assembled a filter made of
household items such as buckets, playsand, readily available mesh and
various recyled plastic bottles. The key is a chemical mixture that he has
developed to precipitates the arsenic and includes chlorine to kill bacteria
also. After you assemble the filter, which stays assembled, you mix a very
small amount of the chemical into a five gallon bucket of contaminated
water, stir it and just pour the water into the filter. Clean water drips
out at the rate of about five gallons 1/2 hour. After a two weeks to a
month the sand gets cloged up and you have to wash the debris out of it.
This takes about 3 minutes and you are set to go. He estimates the the
amount of chemicals that a family in india needs is about $4.50 for a year.
I guess if you include water for animals it will increase but that is a very
reasonable rate. The cost of making the filter is probably under $20
depending on what type of components you use and where you buy them. We
took video and pictures. I will let you know when I post them. I am hoping
to write down instructions on how to put it together. It is quite simple
and adaptable to items on hand. When I get a little bit of time I will try
to make a filter to have on hand.
In the meantime Linda Morella is verifying that some of the hand pumps that
we saw being used, in Nicaragua, can be used with the high temperature
water. Hopefully that will happen this week. If so, Nuevo already has the
money (leftover form 2 years ago) to pay for a hand pump and filters if we
show them how to put it together. That solves the immediate problem and
gives us a bit more time to secure funds for the solar pump and determine if
we can install a community purification system that is appropriate for the
situation.
Best,
George
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