This summer I was in Dhaka, Bangladesh and Kolkata, India, two major cities in an area where millions are threatened by groundwater contamination of arsenic. I learned Bengali, the language spoken in this area and met with researchers at six universities and three different non-governmental organizations who are working on arsenic mitigation projects in Bangladesh and India. I visited over 20 different installations of various arsenic removal technologies and was able to learn about the successes and remaining challenges. These experiences will help me as I pursue my Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering, researching a novel technology to remove arsenic from drinking water. I will now be able to direct my research towards questions that are relevant to field application in Bangladesh and India and collaborate with groups who are already active in arsenic mitigation.
Tara Clancy
