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Institutional Affiliation: Escuela Politécnica Nacional
Region/Locale: South America
References: UNDP Special Unit for South-South Cooperation, SHARING INNOVATIVE EXPERIENCES, Volume 11
http://tcdc.undp.org/sie/experiences/vol11/content11new.asp
Published in partnership with:
Third World Network of Scientific Organizations (TWNSO)
The Academy of Sciences for The Developing World (TWAS)
Website: http://tcdc.undp.org/sie/experiences/vol11/Chpt_19.pdf
Description:
Papallacta Lake provides drinking water for the 1.2 million inhabitants of Quito, the capital city of Ecuador, as well as local communities. Lake water is also used by cattle and for a recently developed troutfarming industry.
The lake collects water from many sources, including volcanic and thermal springs. Recent geochemical studies have shown that most of the water from volcanic/thermal sources that feed Papallacta Lake carries dissolved arsenic. As a well-known toxin, many countries have introduced legislation that limits the concentration of arsenic in drinking water to a maximum of 50 microgrammes per litre (μg/l). (The World Health Organization, WHO, recommends a maximum limit of 10 μg/l.) Some of the hot springs that feed Papallacta Lake have very high arsenic concentrations; in some cases, concentrations of more than 10,000 μg/l (or 10 mg/l) have been detected. At present, water from Papallacta Lake receives conventional physical and chemical treatments to ensure that it is safe for human consumption and it arrives in Quito without detectable levels of arsenic. However, communities living around Papallacta Lake are exposed to this toxic element, which may affect not only themselves but also their cattle and trout-farming activities that rely on the lake’s water as a major resource.
This initiative proposes the treatment of water from hot springs with adsorption columns composed of a layer of iron oxides followed by a layer of activated carbon before the water is used locally for human consumption. The combined use of iron oxides and activated carbons that are specifically prepared to adsorb dissolved metals assures the removal of arsenic. In addition, activated carbons have the capability of removing other metals and organic contaminants that may be present in solution. Important objectives of this initiative are the design of a mobile system that may be used on site and the development of awareness in the local communities of the fact that, in order to avoid health problems, arsenic contaminated water must be treated before it is suitable for human and animal consumption.
Contact Information:
Alfonso Espinosa
Departamento de Metalurgia Extractiva, Escuela Politécnica Nacional
Pasaje Andalucía134 E12A y Alfredo Mena Caamaño, Quito, Ecuador
Tel.: (+593) 2 223 6562
Fax: (+593) 2 223 6562
E-mail: gustavo@interactive.net.ec
This Solution is classified within these Core Themes:
Health and Environment
Latin America and the Caribbean
Regional (Subnational)
Health
Water and Sanitation
This Solution is directly associated with the following:
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PUBLICATIONS
Selections from Sharing Innovative Experiences (2005)
UNDP Special Unit for South-South Cooperation, The Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS), The Third World Network of Scientific Organizations (TWNSO), The Global Environmental Facility (GEF)
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