JU installs plant to address arsenic issue

Kolkata: Jadavpur University (JU) has installed a Composite Ceramic Membrane-based Groundwater Treatment Plant at the Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya, Narendrapur to address the issue of arsenic and eliminate the presence of other heavy metals in drinking water. The unit has been developed by the Membrane Research Laboratory of the Chemical Engineering department of Jadavpur University.

The purified water project assumes significance in the backdrop of reports of arsenic contamination in some blocks of Sonarpur (under which Narendrapur comes) and Baruipur. Heavy metal removal through the membrane process can be done both through organic and ceramic technology. However, ceramic membrane technique is cost effective, durable and has a high life span. Most importantly, the unit can be scaled up easily with increase in demand. On the contrary, it is challenging to scale up an organic membrane unit and moreover it involves a high pressure filtration unit which is expensive.

According to a professor of the Chemical Engineering department, the nano materials’ effectiveness in absorbing arsenic along with the advantages of ceramic membrane has been integrated through a particular technique for developing the 50 litre capacity plant at Narendrapur. It is also effective in completely freeing the water from coliform bacteria.