Heroes of environment: Abul Hussam

[Ashfaq]

It was indeed an honour for the Bangladeshi scientist Abul Hussam and other important personalities that Time international magazine devoted a special issue to them for their contribution towards the solution of an environmental hazard. The title of this special issue is: "Heroes of environment."

Bryan Walsh, senior environment writer of the magazine commented: "there are those ready with solutions, like Abul Hussam, a Bangladeshi chemist, who found a simple, life saving way to purify poisoned water," while the editor of the magazine, Michael Elliott, had this to say: "some of our heroes walk deserts and jungles; others do no less valuable work in corporate offices or university labs -- such as Abul Hussam whose SONO filter removes arsenic from drinking water."

This special issue includes, among others, a contribution by Al Gore, who received the Nobel Peace Prize this year for creating greater world- wide understanding of the measures that need to be adopted to combat global warming. Mikhail Gorbachev, former president of the Soviet Union, was credited by Time for transforming the closed and totalitarian Soviet society to democracy and openness, and creating greater ecological awareness.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel was presented for spearheading a mission to reduce emission by at least 20 percent by 2020 by the European Union, and she also worked doggedly for the signing of the Kyoto protocol on climate change.

It is worthwhile to note that Abul Hussam was awarded the prestigious Grainer Challenge for Sustainability gold medal, and one million dollars, in February this year by the National Academy of Engineering of the United States for his innovative, inexpensive method of filtering arsenic from well-water.

It was preceded by the establishing of Abul Foundation by George Mason University in Virginia in honour of Professor Abul Hussam, who has been teaching chemistry in that university.

To start with, an amount of thirty thousand Dollars was invested in this foundation, which is designed to conduct research, development and dissemination of practical solutions to supply clean water to the needy people around the world. In most developing and developed countries arsenic contaminated water poses a serious health hazard. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure sustained supply of pure drinking water.

This Foundation will act as a nucleus body to raise funds from individual, institutional, and international donors to implement practical solutions to the clean water crisis. Arsenic, as one of the most serious natural pollutants in water, has been traveling without passport, and its removal is a technical challenge. Clean water is fundamental to human existence. Without clean water, human beings will perish from this earth.

According to one statistic, 1.8 million children are embracing death every year due to water borne diseases; an estimated 500 million people are at risk of arsenicosis due to drinking arsenic contaminated waters for a long time, and about 25 million people in the United States alone are likely to be exposed to unsafe levels of arsenic from drinking water.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency has a list of six thousands contaminated arsenic sites, and the number could rise as the maximum contamination level of arsenic is lowered. One must remember that arsenic is just one toxic species; there are at least a dozen toxic species in water on the watch list. This is the reality in the present day world, and safe drinking water is the most important issue of our time.

Having this picture in mind, in addition to Abul Foundation, Professor Hussam has floated the idea of setting up a Center for Clean Water and Sustainable Technologies at George Mason University. The purpose of this new center will be to gather expertise and resources to address this health hazard in a sustainable manner through the application of science and technology.

Clean water has become a global crisis. Therefore, the center will focus on ways and means to obtain clean water through "a process of measurement, characterisation, and mitigation method developments."

Dr. Hussam's innovative development of an arsenic filter to purify ground-water in Bangladesh, India and Nepal is an example that a solution can be found to have clean water if existing knowledge is applied judiciously and in an appropriate manner. It is understood that the center, which has the approval of the George Mason University, will also focus on identifying problems and solving sustainability issues without jeopardising the environment.

The expenditure for this project will be borne by George Mason University, which has committed a contribution of two hundred twenty two thousand Dollars initially. Funds will also be available from the College of Science. The center has a plan to offer an education component to train budding scientists and researchers on the techniques of evolving means of filtering arsenic contaminated water to save millions of people around the world.

The Abul Foundation will carry out research work in collaboration with George Mason University. The research and development under this center will reach out to the public and scientific institutes through research journals. Another interesting development is the inclusion of the journal of Environmental Science and Health. This internationally reputed journal will be published under the banner of this center.

Presently it is published by the Chemistry and Bio-Chemistry Departments of George Mason University. This prestigious journal is widely read, and is distributed to more than one hundred countries. Dr. Shahamat Khan, one of the world's authorities on persistent pollutants, is the editor of this journal.

Dr. Hussam is the director of this new center. For the people who are affected by drinking arsenic contaminated waters, the Abul Foundation and Center for Clean Water and Sustainability Technologies will offer hope for a bright future. This is a project of Dr. Abul Hussam about which the people of Bangladesh should feel proud indeed. The center will promote excellence and undoubtedly promote the image of the College of Science and George Mason University.

[DarKsaInt]

Bossic

[Force_Recon]

now that he got his awards and medals he needs to do something worthwhile.