A Jaipur-based doctor claims to have developed a technique to clean fluoride contaminated water
sunil k gupta, a paediatrician and neonatologist at the Jaipur-based Satellite Hospital, has developed a new filter-based defluoridation technique which he says can 'completely' clean fluoride contaminated water. The new method is known as the Krass technique. In addition, he has established that fluorosis can be cured, at least in children which is considered incurable. Gupta is working on a project to reverse dental and skeletal fluorosis. "My study and survey have shown that fluorosis can be reversed," he says.
While Gupta refuses to disclose the contents of the filter, as he has applied for a patent, he insists that chemicals have been replaced by inorganic substances which do not have any toxic effects. Approved by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research ( csir) , New Delhi, and tested by Rajasthan's chief chemist, the state government has now given Gupta permission to apply for a patent.
Gupta, who has been working in the fluorosis-affected districts of Rajasthan for the past 12 years, says: "My technique is simple and is designed keeping in mind the vast rural population who will use it." In this technique fluoride contaminated water passes through a bed of the filter media and produces fluoride-free water. "The filter prevents the passage of fluoride by physical/chemical absorption process," he says. The filter can be used for 40 cycles (one cycle means filtering as much water as can be stored in the filter container). Thereafter it can be recharged by exposing it to alum.
During a demonstration before the chief chemist of the state, it was found that the sample of 137 litres of water containing 26 mg per litre fluoride was cleaned to a level of fluoride content lower than the permissible limit. The test also showed that the aluminium content in the treated water was well below the permissible levels. It did not add to the total dissolved solids in the water.
The treated water was also tested by the Malviya Regional Engineering College for toxicity and the results showed that the treated water did not contain any toxic elements. The test results were so impressive that the csir has recommended this technique to the Rajiv Gandhi National Mission for Drinking Water to be adopted for mass use. n
Richard Mahapatra Jaipur
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