Effective and affordable water purification: An instrument for Chronic Kidney Disease patients in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

Abstract

Farmers in Anuradhapura, a rural area of Sri Lanka, are experiencing rising rates of Chronic Kidney Disease from uncertain Etiology (CKDu). Within Sri Lanka alone, CKDu infections have led to the deaths of over 20,000 rural inhabitants over the last decade, and have caused a serious public health crisis. A likely cause of CKDu is water that is polluted with contaminants such as Arsenic, Cadmium and Lead. Evaporative techniques, such as Warka Water and Watercone generate potable water in the Sub-Saharan regions of Africa and have been proven to be cost effective. In the proposed device we plan to accelerate the evaporative process via sunlight with the use of a solar focus lens. The device consists of a water storage container, transparent conical lid, condensation surface and a collector for the purified water. To reduce the manufacturing cost, we have opted for the use of a vertical tank with integrated valves as our container. The device has been designed also with an emphasis on user friendliness; CKDu patients are physically weak and can't reach out to their relatives daily. In the testing stage, the proposed device was able to generate a sufficient amount of potable water. We have used a mathematical model and CFD analysis to validate the working concept of the device. The efficiency of the device is still to be improved. Key steps of the humanitarian mission were identified and will be carried out during the next phase of the project.

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