- Abul Hussam
Abul Hussam is the inventor of the
Sono arsenic filter . He is a chemistry professor atGeorge Mason University (GMU) inFairfax ,Virginia .Born and raised in
Bangladesh , Hussam moved to theUnited States in 1978 for graduate studies. Later he received a doctorate in analytical chemistry and became a naturalized citizen of USA. TheCentreville, Virginia resident has spent much of this career trying to devise a solution to the problem ofarsenic contamination of groundwater in Eastern India and Bangladesh.Hussam started working on this problem since 1993.The Mason Gazette, [http://gazette.gmu.edu/articles/1002/ Hussam at Work to Curb Arsenic Poisoning in Bangladesh] , 16 Jun 1999.] His final innovation is a simple, maintenance-free system that uses sand, charcoal, bits of brick and shards of a type of cast iron. The filter removes almost every trace of arsenic from
well water . The wells brought freshgroundwater to farmers and others who previously had been drinking from bacteria- and virus-laced ponds and mudholes. [http://gazette.gmu.edu/articles/9780/ Professor Wins $1 Million Prize for Providing Clean Water, One Village at a Time] , Associated Press, 2/3/07. ]He also had to devise a way to find an accurate way to measure arsenic in water. This was achieved in the early to the mid 90's.
The
National Academy of Engineering announced on1 February 2007 that the 2007Grainger challenge Prize forSustainability would go to Hussam.National Academies [http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=02012007 Press Release] , accessed 5 Feb 2007.] Hussam's invention is already in use today, preventing serious health problems in residents of the professor's nativeBangladesh . This includes a $1 million engineering prize - and Hussam plans to use most of the money to distribute the filters to needy communities around the world.Hussam said he plans to use 70 percent of his prize so the filters can be distributed to needy communities. He said 25 percent will be used for more research, and 5 percent will be donated to GMU. ]
The 2007 sustainability prize is funded by the Grainger Foundation of Lake Forest,
Illinois , and the contest was set up to target the arsenic problem. Among the criteria for winning was an affordable, reliable and environmentally friendly solution to the arsenic problem that did not require electricity. ]References
He came to my house and he is Shareefs Dad External links
* [http://chemistry.gmu.edu/faculty/hussam/index.html Hussam's official site]
* [http://www.nae.edu/nae/grainger.nsf/weblinks/MKEZ-6XYR4U?OpenDocument 2007 Grainger Challenge Prize Gold Award Winner] National Academy of Engineering
* [http://chemistry.gmu.edu/faculty/hussam/handouts/AS_filtration.pdf Invention description at GMU website]*
National Academies [http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=02012007 Press Release] , accessed 5 Feb 2007.
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
