An affordable bioadsorbent system to treat arsenic-contaminated drinking water in the developing world: Prototyping and economic assessment

The contamination of surface and groundwater with arsenic is an urgent problem in many countries where the population does not have any other water sources. A new renewable/recoverable sugarcane bagasse anion adsorbent (SBAA) for arsenic removal was prepared using a greener, cleaner, and sustainable synthesis method in a mini-pilot reactor. SBAA was prototyped for the treatment of arsenic-contaminated groundwater. Tests carried out with the prototype connected to household clay ceramic water filters showed that SBAA achieved 95 +/- 3% arsenic removal, reaching arsenic levels below the WHO's limit of 10 mu g L-1. SBAA obtained the NSF/ANSI 61-2016 safety certification, which allows its safe and commercial use. Comparing the performance of the SBAA with commercial materials demonstrates its potential to compete with other technologies in the market. The SBAA is efficient, even in the presence of interfering contaminants. The technology validation classified it at technology readiness level 4. The financial analysis of the proposed business model considered a total sale of 180,000 units in 5 y (semi-industrial process), 4% of the Latin American market, and a sales price of USD $6.95 per unit. A Net present value of USD $52,690.51, internal return rate of 28%, payback of 3.0 y, discounted payback of 3.4 y, and breakeven point of 1.6 y were obtained. The upscaling potential of the SBAA technology was demonstrated, considering technical and market aspects for the development of competitive renewable based technologies not yet available in the market for the treatment of water contaminated with arsenic.

Automated summary

This article introduces a new renewable/recoverable sugarcane bagasse anion adsorbent (SBAA) for the treatment of arsenic-contaminated groundwater. The experimental results show that SBAA can efficiently remove arsenic, reaching levels below the WHO's limit. SBAA has also obtained safety certification, indicating its potential for commercial use.