Sustainable and Low-Cost Treatment of Water with Arsenic in Populations Living in Exposed Areas

Arsenic is a metal considered dangerous to human health because it causes gastrointestinal disorders, skin injuries and is strongly associated with cancer. Underground well water in Peru often has arsenic levels well above the permissible limits for human consumption. Unfortunately, this groundwater is being used by people in rural areas for irrigation and food preparation. Treating the water is possible, but the chemical process is expensive and unsustainable in a rural setting. The solution comes in the form of Crustaceans – animals that belong to the arthropods family, such as shrimp, lobsters and crabs, and that are abundant in Peruvian seas. One characteristic of Crustaceans is a thick and protective layer of chitin that covers their bodies. When chemically treated and combined with iron, it can trap arsenic, even in the harshest circumstances. This method is economically viable and easily transferable for use in affected areas, and thus sustainable. This project is funded under a collaborative agreement between CONCYTEC (Peru's National Council for Science, Technology and Technological Innovation) and Grand Challenges Canada (funded by the Government of Canada) to support Stars in Global Health innovators based in Peru.