New home water filters to remove arsenic from private wells
Novel filtration devices for iAs reduction
This project develops improved membrane filters to lower dangerous inorganic arsenic in private well water for families, especially those with children.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11261768 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Many people rely on private wells that can contain high levels of inorganic arsenic, which is linked to cancer, diabetes, and learning problems in children. Current household reverse osmosis (RO) systems remove some arsenic but struggle with the most hazardous form, As(III), and produce only a small fraction of usable water. The team is designing a novel membrane technology to better capture As(III) while increasing filtered water output compared with under‑sink RO units. The project will develop and test membrane materials and prototype filters with the goal of making them practical for home use.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants or users are people who get their drinking water from private wells in areas known for arsenic contamination, particularly households with young children.
Not a fit: People served by municipal treated water systems or those in areas without arsenic contamination are unlikely to benefit directly from these filters.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, families using private wells could have safer drinking water with lower arsenic levels and more usable filtered water from each system.
How similar studies have performed: Reverse osmosis and other filtration methods already reduce some arsenic but have trouble with As(III) and low water yield, so this is a novel membrane approach building on prior partial successes.
Where this research is happening
Chapel Hill, United States
- Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill — Chapel Hill, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Coronell Nieto, Orlando — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Coronell Nieto, Orlando
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.