Arsenic contamination of surface and subsurface waters has been reported in many parts of the world; the problem is particularly severe in Bangladesh. In view of epidemiological problems of arsenic ingestion, it is imperative to look for an effective technology for removal of arsenic in drinking water. Column studies were conducted at the University of Regina using manganese greensand to remove arsenic from drinking water. Iron addition was found to be necessary to achieve effluent arsenic level of 25 μg/L in manganese greensand filtration system. In view of the possible regulatory requirement to achieve arsenic levels of less than 5 to 10 μg/L, further studies were conducted using iron oxide-coated sand (IOCS). Batch studies with IOCS showed that effluent arsenic level could be achieved below 5 to 10 μg/L levels. High adsorption capacity (136 μg/g) of the IOCS showed that the media could be effectively used for achieving less than 5 μg/L of effluent arsenic level in the treatment systems, particularly in small water utilities. A preliminary study was conducted to remove arsenic from drinking water using rusticles containing bacteria, and bacterial growth in arsenic solution was also studied.

An active strain of anaerobic thermophilic bacteria was isolated from the environment of the United Arab Emirates. This project studied the effect of temperature, salinity and oil concentration on biodegradation of crude oil. Oil weight loss, microbial growth and the changes of the crude oil asphaltene concentration are used to evaluate the oil degradation by this strain. A series of batch experiments was performed to study the effects of bacteria on the degradation of crude oil. The effects of oil concentration, bacteria concentration, temperature and salinity on the biodegradation were investigated. The temperatures of the studied systems were varied between 35 and 75°C and the salt concentrations were varied between 0 and 10%. Oil concentrations were ranged from 5 to 50% by volume. Experimental work showed the bacteria employed in this project were capable of surviving the harsh environment and degrading the crude oil at various conditions. Increasing the temperature increases the rate of oil degradation by bacteria. Increasing the oil concentration in general decreases the rate of bacteria oil degradation. Salinity plays a major role on the acceleration of biodegradation process of crude oil. An optimum salinity should be determined for every studied system. The finding of this project could be used in either the treatment of oil spill or in-situ stimulation of heavy oil wells.