IN THE NUT SHELL

 Problem: Filtering water in rural areas.

 Idea: Using the filtering properties of bamboo.

 Difficulty: On-going project

 Price Range: Cheap and affordable

 Materials needed: 3 big containers/drums (best are non-reactive surfaces: plastic), sand and
gravel of different sizes, bamboo charcoal, reservoir, pipes for the flow of dirty water and clean
water, a tap if required.

 Geographic Area: Global

 How long does it take? On going project.

INTRODUCTION

About 74 per cent of India's total population, currently about 1.25 billion, live in rural areas. More
than one third of the water available to them is not potable. In a grim reminder that poor quality of
drinking water leads to serious health problems, India has admitted that about 180,000 rural populated
areas are afflicted by diseases which are caused due to impure, toxic organic and inorganic substances
including trihalomethane, chlorine etc. Some states have reported multiple contaminations in drinking
water and there is no doubt that the current water situation in India will get much, much worse unless
suitable solutions are sought. Most existing purification methods not only remove the impurities but
drain out the essential minerals as well. Moreover, they are expensive and require extensive
maintenance.

SOLUTION

We propose to design and build a natural filter comprising of bamboo, gravel, pebble and other locally
available natural adsorbents to carry out this purification.

Properties of bamboo charcoal such as its high porosity, mineral constituents, absorption rate,
existence of harmless microbes etc., make it perfect for its utilization in the purification of water.

During water purification processes, bamboo charcoal even dissolves its rich mineral contents into the
water, so the purified water becomes mineral-rich.

Apart from the use of bamboo, we also propose to use gravel and pebbles in various stages to aid
particle sedimentation and thus further purification. By exposure to sunlight, UV rays also play their
role in the filtering and purification with their capacity to kill pathogenic bacteria.

Uniquely, the process we propose is indigenous, eco-friendly, low cost and entails minimum
maintenance. It can purify 30 litres of water per hour by the application of batch process method
under maximum sunlight
 Inlet
DESIGN:

Storage

Sand

Pebbles

Bamboo charcoal

Gravel of
different sizes.

Reservoir
Outlet

Outlet
 Fig (1) Block diagram of the filter

DDED Diffusion basin

Thick sand Pebbles

Fine sand

Bamboo charcoal
Bamboo charcoal Small gravel

Big gravel
Reservoir

Fig (2) Primary design of the filter

To simplify, understand and to meet the required results of our project, our primary filter
configuration is explained in detail here. Our design makes use of three drums each with 30litre water
holding capacity.The first drum in the Fig (1) contains impure water that should be filtered. The
second drum comprises of a filter bed.The filter bed is made up of sand, bamboo charcoal and most
importantly different sizes of pebbles and gravel.

The structure of the 2nd drum Fig (2)

 1ST layer comprises of thick and fine sand.
 To avoid the sand to get out of the container some filter materials are placed below the sand
layer like a couple of inches of pebbles.
 A layer of gravel is added below it. The main purpose is to strengthen the filter material and
prevent sand mixed with the water you get from the filter.
 The water obtained may still contain harmful bacteria. So a layer of charcoal between the
gravel and sand is added. The charcoal used must be of fine gravel size or used in the
briquette form.
 Use of baffled pipes to collect the filtered water that reaches the bottom of the filter.
 Water is then forced up through the P.V.C pipes.

The entire set-up is exposed to UV rays.

Materials Required:

Sand
Sand either fine or course, is generally used as filter media. The filter sand should generally be
obtained from rocks like quartzite, and should contain the following properties:
 It should be free from dirt and other impurities.
 It should be uniform in nature and size.
 It should be hard and resistant.
 It should be such as not to lose more than 5% of its weight after being placed in hydrochloric
acid for 24 hours.
The top layer is generally kept of finer variety than that of the rest, which is generally kept uniform in
grain size of 0.15mm.However if different gradations of sand are used (though not necessary), then
the coarsest layer should be kept at the bottom, and the finest towards the top. The finer the sand used,
the purer will be the obtained water, as more impurities and bacteria will be removed.

Gravel
2 layers of gravels are usually employed: on the bottom approximately 5cm layer of 6 – 15mm gravel,
followed by a second 5cm layer of 1 – 6mm coarse sand. The first layer is sufficiently deep and
should be large enough to keep the openings in the filter bottom free for the flow of water out of the
filter, and the upper layer fine enough that the overlying filter sand will not sink into its pores. Note
that for this filter, due to the configuration of the outlet pipe, the size of the gravel around the outlet
needs to be greater than 15mm to prevent it clogging.

Bamboo charcoal
Bamboo charcoal, outcome of pyrolyzing bamboo, is a sort of porous material with excellent
Adsorption, electromagnetic shielding, and infrared emitting capacity.

Figure 1. Raw bamboo Figure 2. Bamboo briquette charcoal

charcoal

In accordance with the shape of raw material, bamboo charcoal can be divided into (1) raw bamboo
charcoal (Fig. 1) made of bamboo culms which were cut into a certain length and then loaded into a
kiln to dry, heat and pyrolyze under the condition of lacking or little oxygen and (2) bamboo briquette
charcoal (Fig. 2) made up of bamboo particles and processing residues which was broken, dried,
formed into briquette, and then pyrolyzed.

Briquette charcoal

Bamboo
Round charcoal
charcoal

Piece charcoal
Raw charcoal
Particle charcoal

Powder charcoal

Figure 3. Classification of bamboo

charcoal

Figure 5 Bamboo slice charcoal

Figure 4 Bamboo round charcoal

Figure 6 Bamboo powder Figure 7 Bamboo particle charcoal

charcoal
According to its shape, bamboo charcoal can be classified into round (Fig. 4), slice (Fig.5), particle
(Fig.7) and powder charcoal（Fig.6）According as its use, bamboo charcoal can be divided into
water depuration, humidity adjustment, odour adsorption, health care, agriculture, fuel of barbecue
etc.

Role of sand in water filtration

 Water is initially poured into the drum 1, containing several perforations at the bottom. This
basin is called as the diffusion basin as it slows down the rate of water into the sand filter
medium.
 There are 4 filtration processes. They occur in combination rather than in sequence. Together
they remove organic materials, worms, bacteria, protozoa and viruses.

 The water flows downwards through the sand filter media initially. The top few centimetres of
sand catch organic materials and organisms. Once caught they develop into intensely active
complex food chain that digest disease causing parasites and viruses. This area of filter is
known as biological layer.

 As water continues to flow down through the filter organisms becomes trapped in the fine
sand. This filtration process is called as mechanical trapping.

 The fine sand grains hold the static charge that causes some organisms to stick to the sand.
This process is called adsorption.

 The fourth filtration process is called natural death. As water travels down the sand there is
very little light or food and so diseases causing contaminants naturally die off because they
don't receive the nourishment's they need to survive.

Role of Bamboo Charcoal

Chemical Composition and Physical Structure
Bamboo charcoal’s chemical composition and physical structure both contribute heavily to its strength
as a water filter. It is 85-98% carbon--the same substance used in most modern filtration methods. Its
structure is very porous, so it can absorb and retain impurities easily.
Carbon Filtration
The same basic principles are used in bamboo charcoal filtration and contemporary carbon filtration
systems. Carbon readily absorbs odours and other impurities from water, including 2, 4-dichloro-
hydroxybenzene (a major harmful pollutant in drinking water), chlorine, and chloroform.
Minerals in Bamboo Charcoal
Bamboo charcoal is rich in a number of minerals including potassium, magnesium, sodium, and
calcium. As it filters your water, its minerals are dissolved and it enriches the water. For this reason,
you should not use bamboo charcoal to decrease the TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) in your water, nor
should you leave it in your water for prolonged periods of time
Microbial and Antibacterial Effects
Unlike modern carbon filters, bamboo charcoal has the added benefit of a built-in team of microbes
working to decompose toxic substances like trihalomethane and chlorine. These harmless microbes
can flourish in bamboo and bamboo charcoal, despite its inherent antibacterial effects, which are
unique to bamboo and referred to as "bamboo Kun." Bamboo Kun is an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal
bio-agent that naturally bonds to bamboo cellulose without killing its beneficial microbes. Thus water
is naturally cleared of toxic substances, bacteria, and fungi.
Far Infrared Rays
Bamboo charcoal releases a type of electromagnetic waves, called Far Infrared Waves (FIR), at
wavelengths ranging from 4 to 16 micrometers. It is absorbed by all organic material. The human
body absorbs its entire range and can absorb up to 50 micrometers’ ion wavelength. The rays produce
a warming effect on the body, similar to the rays of the sun, and (yay!) can improve circulation
substantially. You don’t get this effect from the water but from the presence of the charcoal itself.
Electromagnetic Wave Dissipation
Unlike the beneficial FIR, Electromagnetic Waves (EM) are harmful to the body in large amounts.
 They are produced by electrical appliances, including computers, microwave ovens, cell phones, and
televisions. Bamboo charcoal has been shown to dissipate EM waves.

Role of pebbles in water filtration

This prevents the filtering material from falling out of the bottle.
Role of gravel in water filtration
The primary role of the gravel in the filter is to prevent clogging of the PVC pipe with sand. The
highly spherical shape of uncrushed gravel promotes good flow and even distribution. Being low in
soluble impurities it will maintain the quality of treated water.

PREPARATION OF BAMBOO CHARCOAL:

o Bamboo pyrolysis can be divided into four stages according to temperature and
products situation in a kiln or a pyrolyzing kettle or a muffle furnace.
o First stage -drying: the temperature is below 120℃ and the speed of pyrolysis is very
slow in this stage. Because of adsorbing external to heat evaporates the water in
bamboo, the chemical composition of the bamboo is still intact. Consequently, this
stage is endothermic reaction and water is the major product in this stage.
o Second stage- pre-carbonization: the temperature is in the range of 120℃ to 260℃
and there is a distinct pyrolysis reaction in bamboo during this stage. The unstable
chemical compounds in bamboo (i.e. hemicellulose) begin to decompose into carbon
dioxide, carbon monoxide etc. This stage is also an endothermic reaction.
o Third stage- carbonization: the temperature is in the range of 260℃ to 450℃, and the
bamboo is rapidly decomposed. As lot of heat emits from bamboo, this stage is an
exothermic reaction.
o Fourth stage -calcinations (refining stage): the temperature is over 450℃
(approximately 800℃). The bamboo is becoming charcoal by the huge mass of heat
provided.

OPERATING THE FILTER

 The lid in removed.
 A bucket of water or other container is poured into the top of the filter.

 The diffusion plate slows the force of the water.

 Water then travels slowly into the biological layer at the top of the sand.

 Water continues slowly through the sand bed passing through the bamboo charcoal and
then through the gravel.

 After passing through both levels of gravel, the water is propelled up and out.

 Then treated water is collected in a clean container that is exposed to sunlight.

FEATURES OF THE FILTER

 Bamboo charcoal is best used with bottled water because it enhances the taste and adds the ‘fizz’
that tells you that the water has been cleaned and mineralized.
 Once you’re done filtering your water, you can reuse the bamboo charcoal by placing it out in
direct sunlight for three hours so that it can shed its impurities.
 Charcoal can be used all over again for up to a year in this fashion.
 Bamboo charcoal water purifiers are completely natural and eco-friendly.
 Gives your body the minerals it needs without you having to spend a lot of money for things like
vitamin supplements or expensive mineral/vitamin water.