In 2007, we raised questions about the Sono filter's arsenic waste disposal method in Bangladesh, because the method is based on false data and against the proven and established scientific laws and principles of geological, hydrological, hydrogeological, geochemical, biological, toxicological, meteorological, environmental and medical sciences as well as USEPA's arsenic waste disposal regulation.

We contacted the National Academy of Engineering and Dr. Abul Hussam, and provided them with the relevant scientific data and evidence/information that disprove the Sono Filter's arsenic waste disposal method anywhere in the world. In 2008, we requested the National Academy of Engineering to reexamine the Sono Filter's arsenic waste disposal method. Dr. Hollander of NAE informed us to take this issue up with the Bangladesh govt. because NAE does not have resources to examine the Sono Filter's arsenic waste disposal method. As per Dr. Hollander's advise we are in the process of submitting the information to the Bangladesh govt., NAE,GMU and other organizations to correct the improper disposal of arsenic waste from the Sono filters in Bangladesh and other countries. We are expecting to submit this information within a few months.

Recently several scientists brought to our attention that Dr. Abul Hussam is still promoting his arsenic waste disposal method as a safe method to the public health, ecosystem and environment. In 2008, in his latest article entitled “Arsenic Filters For Groundwater in Bangladesh:Towards a Sustainable Solution” he again presented incorrect information about the Sono Filter's arsenic waste disposal method by misinterpreting his analytical data and the USEPA arsenic waste disposal regulations. In the article, “Management of Spent Materials”, he stated that:

“Spent materials from all filtration technologies, including the SONO filter, are contaminated with high concentrations of toxicants. Thus the process and complexity of waste disposal affect their technical viability, cost, and social acceptability. At present, the only way to identify toxic waste is to leach the solid material, under simulated conditions, to determine if the levels of toxic species released into the environment exceed regulatory limits.

In our case, the measurements on used sand and CIM, by total available leaching protocol (TALP), showed that the spent material was completely nontoxic, less than 5 ?g/L of arsenic in all forms; this is 100 times lower than the EPA limit (NAE, 2006). The procedure was repeated, with similar results, using Bangladeshi rainwater (adjusted to pH7) to test the system with the primary mode of transport of water-soluble species during the rainy season.

Similar results were obtained by ETVAM with the backwash of filter waste using EPA’s toxicity characterization leaching procedure (TCLP). Arsenic species in the used sand and CIM are present in oxidized form and firmly bound with insoluble-solid CIM, similar to a self-contained, naturally occurring compound in the Earth’s crust. Thus disposing of them is almost like putting soil on soil.

Most important, in NAE’s tests, the used CIM was characterized as “undetectable and nonhazardous (limit 0.50 mg/L)” by the TCLP (NAE, 2006). The EPA recommended limit for the land disposal of arsenic is 2 kilograms per hectare per year. This corresponds to arsenic from 10 million liters of water with a concentration of 200 mg/L (Khan, 2007). By this standard, the spent media from household filters used for 274 years at 100 liters per day could be disposed of on four square meters of land. Thus this iron-based arsenic filtration system appears to be benign and safe in terms of waste disposal.”

From the above information, it appears that Dr. Hussam either in order to establish his arsenic waste disposal method as a safe method is misinterpreting the USEPA arsenic waste disposal regulations and scientific data instead of providing him with factual scientific data and evidence that disprove his arsenic waste disposal method anywhere in the world, or he has difficulty in understanding the proven and established scientific laws and principles of geological, hydrological, hydrogeological, geochemical, biological, toxicological,meteorological, environmental and medical sciences and EPA arsenic waste disposal regulations.

We would like to request the scientific community, policymakers and the govt. of Bangladesh to take this issue seriously, because USEPA did not approve the Sono filter's arsenic waste disposal method in Bangladesh. The national Academy of Engineering is not a qualified organization to approve the Sono filter's arsenic waste disposal method against the USEPA regulations.

This is a huge scientific mistake done by NAE. In order to protect the people of Bangladesh from recontamination of arsenic waste from the Sono and other filters and treatment units, the scientists, engineers, policymakers, environmentalists should immediately reexamine and stop the Sono filter's indiscriminate arsenic waste in Bangladesh.

We think Dr. Abul Hussam should immediately present sound scientific data and evidence that support his arsenic waste disposal method in Bangladesh. If he fails to present data and evidence in support of his above mentioned “management of Spent materials” within a week, we will explain and provide him and others with EPA data and evidence that disprove Sono filter arsenic waste disposal method. We will explain to him how he has been misinterpreting scientific data and EPA regulations in support of his arsenic waste disposal method in Bangladesh and other countries.

It is important to note that the removal of arsenic by arsenic removal filters and treatment units is not really difficult, but it is very difficult and expensive to dispose the arsenic waste in the context of Bangladesh geological, hydrological, hydrogeological, geochemical and socio economic conditions. The following link will provide more information about the danger of Sono filter in Bangladesh.

http://www.newsfrombangladesh.net/view1.php?hidRecord=257901

Meer Husain,P.G.
Professional Geologist
Kansas,USA
Dr. Mahbub Alam
Irrigation Engineer
Kansas,USA
Dr. Miah Adel
Environmental Physicist
Arkansas,USA

E Mail : matribhumi_bd@yahoo.com