Chemists can help solve various problems facing humanity, with their expertise in chromatography and separation chemistry. Adverse effects from chemicals can be encountered even when human beings are not responsible for them. Arsenic contamination of groundwater from Mother Earth is one such example, where about 200 million people have been affected worldwide, including the United States. In response to my worldwide appeal in 2003 in C&EN, a large number of chemists offered to help. With the help of small grants from ACS and IUPAC in 2005, we held a workshop in Bangladesh where this problem was affecting 100 million people. This was followed by symposia at the Atlanta ACS meeting. Following these discussions, potential solutions to the problem were published in <i>Science</i>. Unfortunately, the problem still plagues 20 million to 30 million people in Bangladesh. A study was designed for Chemists Without Borders to help educate students and, through them, the community, on the hazards of arsenic contamination. We found that water drunk by children at 2 out of 6 schools had high arsenic contents. We are in the process of remediating this situation and are looking for volunteers with innovative ideas who can help improve the current water purification systems. This can lead to profitable businesses and more employment. Some examples of our work will be discussed.

Solving problems of humanity with separation chemistry

252nd National Meeting (2016)

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