A group of students at the University of California, Berkeley, has been awarded nearly $100,000 for developing new technology to remove arsenic from groundwater, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced recently.
The funding is part of the EPA's annual People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) research-grant competition, the agency states in the April 11 announcement. The two-phase competition asks college and university students to create sustainable solutions for real-world environmental challenges.
“Congratulations to these students for their hard work and innovative ideas to solve urgent environmental challenges,” Maureen Gwinn, Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Research and Development, said in the announcement. “These students are leading the way with their environmental solutions to move us toward a more sustainable future.”
The UC-Berkeley students will receive $99,998 for creating the arsenic-remediation technology, the EPA reports. The technology is currently being field-tested in partnership with a Central Valley community, according to the report.
"In the long-term, this technology can reduce the number of arsenic-related diseases and increase economic prosperity in communities that currently rely on arsenic-contaminated groundwater," EPA stated in the announcement. "Arsenic is a known carcinogen and drinking high levels over many years can increase the chance of lung, bladder, and skin cancers, as well as heart disease, diabetes, and neurological damage."
The UC-Berkeley team previously completed the Phase I "proof of concept" part of the P3 competition, which awarded a one-year, $25,000 grant for design development; Phase II funding allows the teams to test their designs in a real-world application. Student teams from Michigan State University, East Lansing and the University of Cincinnati also received P3 Phase II awards, the EPA reports.
“Arsenic is a naturally occurring mineral found in groundwater throughout the Western United States,” EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman said in the announcement. “I applaud the students at UC Berkeley for finding an innovative solution for removing high levels of arsenic from groundwater. Everyone should have access to safe and clean drinking water.”
