Sirshendu De selected for Innovation Award 2016 for developing laterite based arsenic water filter

Prof. Sirshendu De, Head of the Chemical Engineering department of the IIT, Kharagpur on 4 March 2016 was selected for the Innovation Award 2016 given by the Indian Desalination Association (IDA), South Zone.
•    He was selected for the award for developing an ultra-low-cost eco-friendly laterite based arsenic water filter.
•    The cost-effective filter would provide safe drinking water in areas contaminated with arsenic. 
•    The indigenous filter, made from naturally occurring red laterite soil, is capable of absorbing arsenic to the extent of 32mg per gram.
•    This material has undergone chemical treatment to enhance its capabilities to adsorb arsenic. 
•    Ultra-low cost of the filter media compared to available such filters, appropriate for the socio-economic conditions of our country
•    Arsenic concentration of filtrate is always within the WHO drinking water permissible limit, independent of the ground water concentration
•    Extremely long life of the filters (about five years)
•    No power requirement for the household filter
•    Removal of arsenic (below 10 ppb), iron (below 0.3 ppm) and bacteriological contamination (more than 98%) together in a single unit
•    The capacity of domestic filter is in the range of 80-100 litres/day
•    Cost of the treated water is less than 3 paisa/litre