The disaster that has unfolded over the past year in all over the world reminds us of the power of water to both give life and take it away. As the death toll rises from the disaster, efforts to provide all manner of aid are picking up speed and urgency. Among the most urgent needs are clean water and adequate sanitation. Without basic water services, outbreaks of cholera, dysentery, typhoid and other water-related diseases are inevitable and will increase the death toll. Aid agencies, governments, corporations and individuals are rushing bottled water, filters and chemical purification systems to help with these short-term urgencies. It is been known that scientists compete to create innovation for clean water solution and research how to get clean water with simple process. Based on recent disaster that happened in Indonesia, Mount Kelud eruption, we trying to utilize the volcanic ash soils for water filtering material. It has been proved by the research that volcanic ash soils contained by allophane which has excellent ability to filters of heavy metal and pathogen. Allophane itself is a poorly crystalline aluminosilicate mineral consisting of hollow and spherical particles with diameters of 3.5-5 nm and with a molar Si/Al ratio of approximately 1:2 to 1:1 and is commonly present in andisols and spodosols[1]. In this projects, we are trying to make water filtration with a plug and play process included. For the filtering system itself, we divide the process in three layers as described in pictures below.
Based on the design, we are using bamboo for this filtration system as the utilization of local wisdom or we can use pipe if we can not get the ideal size for the bamboo or if it’s difficult to find. So did the partition gap between layers, plaited mats, also made from bamboos. Before the water go to first layer, we are using kassa as we filtering for some material so that it do not included in this water filtering. Here, kassa use for filter the materials which have more big size, such as leaves, sands, or other polluter. First layer is contained by fiber, on this process we use coconut fiber, it is been known that coconut fibers has structure in the form of coarse fibers that beneficial for water filtration. Beside that, coconut fibers easy to find. On the process of filtering, water which is passed on the filter tool, will be separated from trash and dirt that reduces clarity. Coconut fibers resist the trash and dirt on it in case not to follow the water flow. Through this process, water that already filtered will be free from the dirt and be clearer. However, usually the result of the water filtered by coconut fibers not that clear as we hope, that is why we are going down to second layer. The second layer contained by allophanic soils. As we already mentioned above, allophanic soils has excellent ability to filters of heavy metal and pathogen. Based on the research, allophanic soils could absorb arsenates in water content. Researchers from the Marine Laboratory in Woods Hole, Mass and Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth have found that drinking water with low levels of arsenic (10 ppb) can stimulate adverse health effects on pregnant mice and breastfeeding, as well as for their babies. Although the researcher said that experiments in mice do not always have the same effect on humans because it is physiologically different but Dr. Yosua Hamilton from Marine Biological Laboratory warned these animal experiments must be alert because it can be a prediction of how things will react in humans[2]. As a result of the filtration on the second layer is clean water with an arsenate-free. In the end, to complete this filtration and get clean water, we are going to third layer. This last layer is contained by activated carbon. Activated carbon has been used to remove taste and odor. Taste and odor, although undesirable, are generally not considered unhealthy. In recent years, however, activated carbon have been used to remove some of the contaminants that have been discovered in water supplies. Activated carbon is most effective at removing organic compounds such as volatile organic compounds, pesticides and benzene. It can also remove some metals, chlorine and radon. As with any treatment system, it cannot remove all possible drinking water contaminants. Activated carbon is a black solid substance resembling granular or powdered charcoal. It is extremely porous with a very large surface area. Certain contaminants accumulate on the surface of the activated carbon in a process called adsorption. The two main reasons that chemicals adsorb onto activated carbon are a "dislike" of the water, and attraction to the active carbon. Many organic compounds, such as chlorinated and non-chlorinated solvents, gasoline, pesticides and trihalomethanes can be adsorbed by activated carbon. Activated carbon is effective in removing chlorine and moderately effective in removing some heavy metals. Activated carbon will also remove metals that are bound to organic molecules. It is important to note that carbon is not necessarily the same as activated carbon. Activated carbon removes vastly more contaminants from water than does ordinary carbon. As already mentioned, activated carbon used to remove taste and odor of the water, that is why in this filtering process we get clean water with no taste and odor as the results. After going to process in the third layer filter, the clean water that been produce automatically fill the barrel. In conclusion, as already proceded above, we get clean water with the great purity that already can be used. Make sure the clean water that we get been tested on the laboratory so that we know that it is really safe to use. We can get the clean water for people in disaster area by this design easily, flexible, and in a simple way.
Source :
Arsenic in drinking water deemed 'safe' could harm mothers and children, study finds http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/06/01/arsenic-in-drinking-water-deemed-afe-could-harm-mothers-and-children-study/
Arsenate Adsorption Mechanisms at the Allophane-Water Interface by Yuji Arai, D. L Sparks, and J.AdavisY. United States Geological Survey, MS 465 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, and Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19717