Atrapanieblas - fog as a drinking water resource [article]

Moritz Robin Scharnke, TUHH Universitätsbibliothek, TUHH Universitätsbibliothek
2010
Atrapanieblas, also known as fog collectors, present a technique for collecting water out of fog. Basically they consist of a mesh, suspended vertically between posts, which collects fog droplets out of the air and diverts the water to a drip rail running along the bottom of the mesh. Monthly measurements showed, that average daily amounts of over 40 liters water per squaremeter mesh have been collected by atrapanieblas. This technique is a very efficient method for collecting atmospheric
more » ... it is easy to construct and to maintain. Ideal climatic conditions for atrapanieblas can be found all around the world, in particular at the coastlines of the driest regions of the world due to trade inversions and monsoons existing in these regions. Research in Alto Patache, Chile showed, that the water collected in this region by atrapanieblas has no drinking water quality as given by the WHO standards. The reasons for this could be deposition of desert dust in the mesh, anthropogenic influence, and dimethylsulfide emissions of the Pacific Ocean. Through the treatment with calcium carbonate (CaCO3) the pH in the collected water can be easily raised above 6.5 and the arsenic concentration can be reduced. The implementation of a first flush system could also lower the concentrations of heavy metals in the collected water.
doi:10.15480/882.875 fatcat:7ejh7vtr65d2zmfr665dsih4du