16 April 2009

Hey There!

I have been way to busy to blog, but today I have a bit of time to let you know that I am happy and healthy in Tarkwa. I have been in the lab almost everyday trying to develop some simple filtration units that may be able to help improve the water quality in the villages. The filters are created from fine sand and clays. Right now I am looking at pilot scale devices, but if they work to remove some pollutants from the water we can look at making the filters larger (bucket size) for homes. The sand and clay can be found easily and need little preparation to use. The sand is sieved through mosquito netting and the fines are washed and placed in a plastic bottle with holes in the bottom. The bottle is lined with cotton fabric to keep the sand in place. Clay soil is crushed and heated to several hundred degrees. The clay is then sieved through the mosquito net with the course material used in the filter. The clay pebbles are layered on the sand and more sand is placed on top to sandwich the clay between the sand. I have also been looking at the possibility of using bauxite, which is a mined in the area, as an adsorbent for the filter unit.

Here is a picture of the fine and course sand:

This is a picture of the clay pebbles:

Filter assembled in a 1.5 Liter water bottle:

I would love to tell you that I have been going to the beach every weekend or going out to dance clubs, but none of that would be true. Life has been pretty boring. Victoria and I go out from time to time to watch a soccer match at the UMaT clubhouse or at the clubhouse where Don Juan works. I spend weekends doing my laundry in the bucket and hoping that it will dry before it rains. The weather has not been as hot lately and I have been enjoying it!

Here is a picture of Victoria and a student in our shared office:

I am still hoping to take a trip up to the northern part of the country sometime in May, but I have not made any definite plans. The trip will make a much better blog…