BIOREMEDIATION

1
BIOREMEDIATION ensures clean water
Kamal Melvani, NEO SYNTHESIS RESEARCH CENTRE, SRI
LANKA
2
Modern Agriculture
Promotes land use that includes the

• intensive use of agrochemicals
• monoculture of a few crop
• species
• removal of other vegetation
• introduction of new crops
• many cropping cycles

• The impact on the
• immediate environment,
• specifically on ground
• and surface water
• resources has been
• negative.

3
Kalpitiya, Sri Lanka

• The Kalpitiya Peninsula is a low-lying sand
  peninsula located on the North West coast of Sri
  Lanka. Annual rainfall is lt 900 mm.
• The underlying Gyben-Herzberg lens of fresh water
  is extensively pumped for irrigation and potable
  water supply.
• . Ground water quality in the peninsula was good
  until massive amounts of inorganic fertilizer and
  chemical pesticides began to be used in
  agriculture.

This increased ground water concentrations of
nitrate, nitrite, chloride and potassium beyond
WHO drinking water standards. Nitrate n/l
concentrations exceed 10 mg/l.
4
Implications on human health

• Concentrations of nitrate in ground water from an
  intensively cultivated area range from 10-15 mg/1
  to 20-50mg/l while concentrations in
  non-cultivated areas are 0.2 mg/1
• Analyses of drinking water from 225 wells in 11
  areas indicated that over 49 of drinking water
  are contaminated.
• 64 of infants in the Peninsula have
  methaemeglobin levels above normal range (0-2).
• Statistics from Kalpitiya Hospital revealed that
  the occurrence of spontaneous abortions in 2002,
  2003 2004 was 188, 136 137 respectively.

Increased levels Of nitrates impact human
health and increases the incidence of
Methaemoglobinaemia (blue baby syndrome) and
gastro intestinal cancers.
5
Resolving the problem

• In 2001, the National Water Supply and Drainage
  Board
• contracted with NSRC to experiment with the use
  of
• bioremediation to reduce concentrations of
  nitrates and
• nitrites in ground water.

Bioremediation is the use of natural processes to
breakdown hazardous substances into less toxic
compounds. It includes both microbial
remediation and phytoremediation, the use of
plants.
6
the pilot initiative

1. Involved the restoration of the vegetation in the
   micro watershed around the drinking water well in
   Nawakkaduwa.

Restoration used analog forestry as its primary
tool where a tree dominant ecosystem similar in
architectural structure and ecological function
to the original climax vegetation was planted.
Increasing biodiversity
Increasing ecological maturity
7
2003
Dense planting round the well with deep rooted,
native trees forming a root mat below the
surface to uptake the contaminants.
8
Species used were Terminalia arjuna, Madhuca
longifolia, Manilkara hexandra, Diospyros
malabarica, Berrya cordifolia, Pandanus kaiida,
Pongamia pinnata, Thespepsea populnea, Moringa
oleifera etc
b) Evaluation of water quality

• 8 piesometers were established in the vegetation
  root mat around the model well.
• Water from the model well, piesometers and two
  control wells located on either side of the
  demonstration plot was tested monthly to assess

Physical properties (colour, odour, taste,
turbidity)
Chemical properties (pH, Electrical
Conductivity, Total Alkalinity, Total Hardness,
Chloride, Free Ammonia, Albuminoid Ammonia,
Nitrate, Nitrite Total Iron).
9
Nitrate Concentrations in Piesometers
Downward trend in nitrate concentration in
piesometers over time
Nitrate Concentrations in Models control wells
Continuous upward trend in nitrate concentrations
over time in water from Chootis well
10
Regenerative Agriculture
The surrounding area was developed into a
production area where both perennial
and annual crops were grown
organically. Papaya, Banana, Mango, Guava,
Orange, Pomegranate, Sapodilla, Anona, Lime,
Lemon, Mandarin, Grape, Acerola, Jak, Passion and
Avacado.
Vegetables were grown organically Snake gourd,
Bitter Gourd, Ridge gourd, Amaranthus,
Maize, Spinach, Ladies
Fingers, Cucumber,
Pumpkin, Long Bean,
Tomato, Spring Onions, Winged
Bean chillies.

11
Impact of Implemented Activity

• Improved Water Quality
• With the maturity of the
• vegetation, a decrease in nitrates
• And nitrites recorded within four
• years.
• In February, 2004 nitrate
• concentrations in well water
• Exceeded 58.5mg/l.
• By February 2008, the levels had
• dropped to 12.1 mg/l.
• Iron, chloride and electrical
• conductivity also decreased.

Maturity of Well Watershed 30 increase in
canopy closure in 3 years!
12
Impact of Implemented Activity, continued
Environmental Stability
Newly developed forest community provides
forest products and services like the
Indian Broad Billed roller
Calotes versicolor
production of clean water habitat for
biodiversity
Blue Mormon
Biodiversity Conservation The forest garden
provides habitat for birds, butterflies,
amphibians, lizards, snakes, dragonflies,
earthworms etc.

• Plant diversity fosters
• pest predator interplay
• reducing the need for pesticides

13

• Mitigating Climate Change

• Regenerative and organic practices
• increase carbon sequestration in soils
• building humic substances that remain
• as stable carbon compounds.

• Increased Food Security Poverty Alleviation
• The diversity of annual perennial crops grown
  organically generates income throughout the year
  while improving family nutrition food security.

14
Impact of Implemented Activity, continued

• Increased Water security
• since Bioremediation ensures clean and
  continuously safe water.

• Preferred Alternative
• The cost of this technology is
• negligible when compared to conventional water
• Treatment or expensive technologies
• like reverse
• osmosis or
• micro filtration
• to deal with
• water
• contaminated
• with nitrates.

Women now say that tea and lentils boil easily
15
Community Participation
Implementation with children from Kurignampitiya
Roman Catholic School
Planning with Community from Kalmunai
Planting around well with member of womens group
from Kalmunai
Maintaining vegetation -Kowyawadiya Muslim School
16
EXTENSION OF TECHNOLOGY Total beneficiaries in
Kalpitiya are 1,511,612

• 13 domestic wells that provide water for 65
  people
• 13 public wells serving 1,290 people

• 6 Church wells serving 1,501,053 people.
• 2 hospital wells serving 144 staff and patients.

Kowyawadiya Muslim School, Kalpitiya

• 18 school wells serving 9060 children and staff.

17
REPLICABILITY IN KALMUNAI
Total Number of wells 1001 Total number of
beneficiaries is 5005

• The demonstration
• was replicated in
• Wells in Kalmunai
• that were rendered
• saline contaminated
• With sewage from
• broken cess pits in the
• Tsunami of 2004.

18
OVERALL IMPACT

• Nitrate concentrations in water from experimental
  well decreased from 58.5mg/l in 2004 to 12.1 mg/l
  in 2008.
• The technology was applied to 1,053 drinking
  water wells and will deliver safe drinking water
  to 1,516,617 people.
• People are benefiting from the adoption of
  ecological farming by way of food, fuel wood,
  timber, medicine.
• The technology helps to re-create habitat for
  biodiversity.

• Climate change impacts can be
• mitigated through this technology.

• 23 farmer groups in Kalmunai
• 20 school environmental cadet
• teams were created. This will
• ensure maintenance.

19
SUSTAINABILITY

• Bioremediation is self sustaining this clean
  technology is simple and easily adopted by the
  community. It is affordable, requires minimum
  investment and no external energy input.
• The costs for ecosystem services provided by the
  well watershed are only maintenance and
  protection of the trees.
• Further, the re-creation of forested watersheds
  may be the last defense against global
  temperature increase and variability of rainfall.
  This technology offers a water secure future.

20
COMMITTMENT
a) Extend technology to drinking water wells in
other parts of Sri Lanka
b) Expand technology to include riparian zone of
surface water sources.

• c) Transfer
• technology through
• training and
• demonstration to
• Other countries.
• d) Lobby for policies
• prohibiting agro
• chemicals in close
• proximity to drinking
• water sources.

21

• THANK YOU!