ARUBA

Developed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, ARUBA (Arsenic Removal Using Bottom Ash) is used to remove arsenic from contaminated drinking water in an efficient, affordable, and safe manner. Using simple chemistry, bottom ash from coal-fired power plants is coated with ferric hydroxide to create ARUBA, to which arsenic binds. Water treatment involves adding ARUBA to water, mixing, and filtering. In field experiments in Bangladesh, ARUBA treatment has been shown reduce arsenic concentrations from over 1000 ppb to 3 ppb (Bangladeshi drinking water standard is 50 ppb, World Health Organization standard is 10ppb). After use, spent ARUBA can be safely disposed of in landfills (EPA approved).

Expenses are minimal: the raw materials needed to produce enough ARUBA for one person for a YEAR cost about 5 U.S. cents! We estimate that total treated water costs would be $7 - $15 per person per year (assuming 10 liters of drinking water per person per day).

ARUBA is available for licensing from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Technology Transfer Division. Contact ttd@lbl.gov for more information on licensing ARUBA. You can also view ARUBA's patent.