ETV-AM Field Testing in Bangladesh

Quick Facts:

• Five arsenic removal technologies were tested at wells by independent third parties. The five technologies were Read-F, Sono 45-25, Sidko, Tetrahedron and MAGC/Alcan.
• Seven units of each of four technologies were tested (five units for the Sidko technology).
• Regions tested: five different regions of Bangladesh: Bera, Hajiganj, Nawabganj, Manikganj and Faridpur.
• As each technology has its own specific operating principles (amount of water that can be passed through it, water treatment ability, etc.), testing had to be tailored to the technology (i.e. the tests were technology specific).
• Solid and liquid wastes resulting from the technologies are toxicity tested using accepted international tests such as the Toxicity Characterization Leaching Protocol (TCLP) and technology proponents must meet the Bangladesh National Waste Management Protocol.

More details of ETV-AM Field Testing in Bangladesh

Testing included measuring the influent raw well water physical, chemical and bacteriological properties, the volume of water passed through the technology, the treated water physical, chemical and bacteriological properties, as well as collecting samples of the arsenic removal media for leaching analysis. Raw and treated water samples were also collected and shipped to an independent laboratory in Canada for Quality Assurance purposes. Local labs in Bangladesh were also instructed to use a Laboratory Quality Assurance Plan and submit Quality Control data with their results, which they complied with.

Technologies were tested to media "breakthrough" when the treated effluent arsenic was repeatedly above 50 parts per billion (ppb) arsenic or to the volume of water that the technology proponent claimed the technology would produce below 50 ppb. The data on arsenic removal, along with a full technology description, was the basis for whether proponents' performance claims could receive Provisional Verification. Data from the testing of the technology were statistically analysed to confirm media lifespan with at least 95% statistical significance.