Chinese research team developed high-fluoride and high-hardness groundwater treatment equipment which is officially called IIM-DF to help Sri Lanka address drinking water safety, according to a kick off meeting held in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka this October.

This equipment was developed by KONG Lingtao and his team with Institute of Intelligent Machines under Hefei Institutes of Physical Science.

Long-term consumption of high-fluoride water brings irreversible effects on human body as well as put people at high risk of suffering from Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Etiology (or CKDu).

According to the data provided by Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of City Planning & Water Supply of Sri Lanka, the fluoride ion concentration in the groundwater of the Anuradhapura is as high as 1.5-3.5 ppm, indicating a typical high-fluoride water quality.

To address the problem, the research team has been trying to find a proper approach based on the defluoridation technology that they have been focused on for many years.

The team used sand filter and activated carbon filter as the inlet barrier to remove suspended matter, sediment, rust, organic matter, residual chlorine and other harmful substances in water, which prevented the device from fouling and also prolonged the service life of the adsorbent material.

Then they put the defluoridation material with high affinity at a role in cleaning fluoride ions from the water to optimize drinking water.

According to the team, the equipment is enabled to purify 40 tons water per day, so providing much safer drinking water for more than 1,200 people in just one village. And in fact, many villages in northern of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka are facing the serious issue of high-fluoride water.

This equipment was developed under the international collaboration framework between the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of City Planning & Water Supply of Sri Lanka to address the water quality of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. Earlier this month, Zhang Kaisheng and his colleagues who are the engineers of the developing team went to Sri Lanka to ensure installation and operation of the equipment.