Visit from Lehigh's Dr. Arup SenGupta

Dr. Arup K. SenGupta of LeHigh University was on campus on Friday, April 12,  to lead a seminar and meet with students and faculty about his research for adsorption of geogenic contaminants. His passion for bettering the lives of the needy in the developing world is not only expressed in his research, but also in the non-profit that he founded, The Tagore-SenGupta Foundation. Award and prize money that is received from research recognition is generously given to this Foundation to fund its charitable work. 

An adsorption system in Cambodia reduces arsenic concentration from >600 ppb to 5 ppb

As the P.C. Rossin Professor in both the Departments of Civil and Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Dr. SenGupta applies fundamentals of ion exchange science and physical chemistry to develop sustainable environmental processes and materials, from sorbents to hybrid materials to membrane processes. To this end, Dr. SenGupta and colleagues have developed and commercialized an arsenic-selective hybrid nanosorbent, referred to as hybrid anion exchanger or HAIX, which is robust, mechanically strong and reusable. The HAIX material is now in use in five different countries and currently provides arsenic-safe water to over one million people in both the developed and the developing world.

Dr. Arup SenGupta is currently Professor at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, USA

Recently, anion exchangers dispersed with zirconium oxide nanoparticles have been synthesized and the new sorbent materials are robust, reusable and exhibit higher fluoride removal capacity that others currently in use. Field scale trials are currently being planned. 
 

An operating arsenic removal system in India, circa 2006

Research such as his show that extra-ordinary opportunities lie ahead in transforming arsenic- and fluoride-inflicted water crisis into sustainable solutions in impoverished regions of the world. Information about Dr. SenGupta's Foundation can be found here.