T´asdehe

Water purification system using acoustic energy to provide safe water free of microorganisms responsible for multiple pathologies to all rural and urban communities with scarce resources and lack of technology.

The main problem that I addressed with my proposal is the lack of drinking water, from rural to urban areas (where there are also inequalities in neighborhoods with informal settlements, low income and insufficient infrastructure), developing an affordable, economical and sustainable technology that eradicates pathological microorganisms, causing simple diseases (gastroenteritis) or serious (hepatitis, typhoid, dysentery or severe diarrhea). Currently, the technologies in use are reverse osmosis, ultraviolet light emission, ozone generator and the use of chlorine. With the exception of the use of chlorine, all of them require high-cost machinery with constant maintenance by trained personnel for their effective operation, which determines their low affordability in several areas. According to data from INEGI's Population and Housing Census, in 2010 11.8% of households in Mexico did not have access to drinking water and by 2022 this will increase to 22.4%. On the other hand, according to the study of the National Polytechnic Institute in 2019 in several purification plants in the country, 72.9% did not comply with the microbiological conditions dictated by official Mexican standards and 20.7% had the presence of fecal coliform microorganisms, which include species that are in human and animal feces and are the main indicators to evaluate the effectiveness of water purification treatments. These data are justified by the lack of maintenance of the machinery (no change of filters or lack of hygiene) by trained personnel in order to reduce production costs. On the other hand, according to the registry of the Coalition of Mexican Organizations for the Right to Water, in our country, 9 million people do not have access to drinking water and it is estimated that more than 13 million receive contaminated water. The most vulnerable in different regions are supplied, in the best of cases, with tanker trucks that do not have the desired microbiological quality due to lack of economic and technological resources.  Globally, according to WHO, an estimated 1.1 billion people lack access to any type of improved water source, resulting in 1.6 million deaths each year from diarrheal diseases (including cholera) attributable to lack of access to safe water.
Through my personal study in Ocpaco, Huachinango, Puebla, with a population of 1500 people, I identified that current technologies are not affordable in their applicability, cost and maintenance. Out of 50 water samples taken from the 4 existing water tanks, E. coli, C. freundii, Klebsiella and Salmonella were detected in all of them, making the water a vector of diseases that cause the high incidence rate of gastrointestinal and other diseases in the population. In general, chlorine is the most economical method used both in Huachinango and in the country, even as a complement to other technologies. However, it interferes in aspects of color and flavor. But an even more remarkable disadvantage that threatens health is that when it interacts with the nitrogen in the water, carcinogenic chloramines and other mutagenic substances are formed, such as trihalomethanes, which are produced when the water contains organic matter that reacts with chlorine.

My objective in initiating this project and realizing my current prototype model is to combat the disadvantages of the current methods of water purification, devising a sustainable technology with an innovative vision that considers the real environment of the communities. T'asdehe is a technology designed for the elimination of pathogenic microorganisms present in contaminated water using an acoustic wave emitter, therefore, it is based on a physical method. When passing through the connection tube, the contaminated water to be treated will receive acoustic energy at a certain frequency and other characteristics that modify the acoustic wave to cause the elimination of the colonies of microorganisms present. Currently, my device achieves a water decontamination flow of 2000 liters per hour. 

Both its application and maintenance does not require trained personnel or high costs, ensuring that people are able to handle it by themselves.  In addition, within its general characteristics that differentiate it from other technologies is its easy transportation, it has a low cost with a value of 130 dollars, long durability of about 1 year, maintains the organoleptic characteristics of water (colorless, tasteless and odorless) and does not require the addition of chemicals to achieve the microbiological quality indicated by the Mexican official standards that govern my project, which ensures safety and security for consumers. 
On the other hand, to make it more environmentally friendly, I have placed a sensor that will detect the flow of water present and based on that will turn the device on and off as needed, which will minimize the use of energy even if it is connected to a power source. 

Water is a natural resource of incalculable value, however, if it does not have the hygienic-sanitary quality required by sanitary regulations, it can become a causal agent of disease. As part of our natural environment, water contains millions of microorganisms. Although cities and towns have water treatment systems, even the most sophisticated ones are not completely safe from harmful pathogens. This may be due to lack of maintenance by trained personnel, failure to change filters, or simply the lack of infrastructure or financial resources necessary for the application of current water treatment technologies.  Therefore, the presence of pathogenic microorganisms in water leads to limit its use and impacts on public health in cities and rural areas around the world. This problem is not exclusive to one geographical area but is latent in many countries.
It should be noted that access to drinking water is a right for all human beings and, therefore, this is part of my commitment to the country and the world for its fulfillment. Contaminated water leads to an increase in the rate of comorbidities and mortality in the country, especially in vulnerable groups such as children, senior citizens and pregnant or breastfeeding women. Therefore, seeking efficient ways with social responsibility for water purification can translate into a reduction of health expenses, since they will be less likely to convalesce from diseases and incur in medical expenses, having a more economically productive population and with a better development in their quality of life. Therefore, the impact that I intend to carry out with T'asdehe does not intend to be limited to the health area once these points are mentioned in relation, but rather, I intend to offer an integral solution for social, economic, health and environmental benefit. Therefore, my goal is to reach all those water distributors who require an affordable method to make water drinkable with the highest standards of safety.
In order to reach more communities in need, I have started with the application of my device in the community of Ocpaco, Huachinango in the northern highlands of the State of Puebla. It has about 1500 inhabitants, there is a percentage of 98% of indigenous population, being 60% women and 40% men. According to the socioeconomic classification established under the criteria stipulated in my country, they belong to the class of high and very high marginalization. In Ocpaco there are a total of 149 households. Of these, 76 have dirt floors and some 17 consist of only one room. 124 of all homes have sanitary facilities, 133 are connected to public services, 146 have access to electricity.
The economic structure allows 0 households to have a computer, 0 to have a washing machine and 85 to have a single computer. The community has water distribution through rivers that accumulate in 4 central reservoirs of the community. Of the 4 reservoirs, 2 have chlorine disinfection carried out by the residents, without government support or funding. In these 4 reservoirs, 50 samples were taken of the water they contain, in all of which the presence of E. coli, C. freundii, Klebsiella, Salmonella, mainly, was detected, which justify the high incidence of gastrointestinal diseases that predominantly affect children and the elderly. There are no official records, as there are no hospital services in the community. 
In this context, my device proposes to help reduce the incidence rate of gastrointestinal diseases and others derived from the consumption of water contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms immediately once it is applied. Having potable water, not only translates into less illness, but also lower medical expenses, being in better conditions to remain economically productive and occupy the time of convalescence due to illness in other social, labor and recreational activities, in the case of the child population, a higher rate of school attendance will be generated, with the corresponding long-term benefits for both their development and growth.

I am Yissel Trujillo, a nutrition and food technology student at ISU University in Mexico. And my project advisor is Isaac Miranda, who is a biochemical engineer and has worked for more than 30 years in commercial food industries. We have both worked for more than a year on the T'azdehe project, following community support visits in the regions of Cuautotola and Amixtlán, which at the time the objective of support was different, but which served to observe more closely a hidden reality suffered by thousands of people.  Both of us were able to focus all our knowledge from different areas of science and academic and work preparation for a single purpose, which is to provide drinking water to all marginalized and unprotected communities for not having the support in resources or infrastructure to meet a basic human right. Personally, I have been close to the community of Miahuatlán since I was a child, as my entire maternal family is originally from there. Since I was a child I could observe a common pattern that generated various diseases, and that was drinking contaminated water from wells and rivers. And I even experienced it myself, until I moved to the city. Of course, at that time I did not have the knowledge or the tools to help, I was a child who only kept the hope of offering something in the future, and that moment came. I must point out that my vision was clear of what I needed in me to be able to carry out this project, such as leadership, communication skills, teamwork, technical and scientific knowledge, speaking another language, among many others. Since I was a child I have participated in project development competitions at Expociencias, which helped me to strengthen and improve my communication skills and project methodology. I worked on projects to help with clothing and food donations in rural communities, which in turn allowed me to personally know the shortages they live day to day and put their lives at risk. Each visit allowed me to talk to the residents about the diseases and learn about the causal factors, which were usually related to the lack of infrastructure for hygiene and water quality. It was little by little that I became involved in getting to know the context in which they lived. Every problem is always multifaceted, so the solution must be multifaceted. My advisor and I worked hard to test the hypothesis we had, until we were able to materialize it. This is how we worked with the Soamy cider producer by introducing T'asdehe in the water potabilization part for the production of ciders at a commercial level, where the owner obtained several economic benefits and in the quality and safety of the water for consumption. Subsequently, we worked closely in various commercial water distribution businesses in the region and DICONSA to establish comparisons with the use of our device and other current technologies. Establishing the advantages of our device over others, and gaining recognition at the commercial level. We continue working hard to allow the benefits of what we have created to reach as many people as possible for the social, health and environmental good that allows an optimal development of life as a human right that we all deserve. I must emphasize that our best tools to do this is to really approach these communities and see the reality through their perspective to make T'asdehe an optimal device for all areas. 

The beginning of the vision of this project took place during community visits in the highlands of Puebla (specifically in the communities of Cuautotola and Amixtlan) where I saw the urgent need for the population to have water purification systems that had basic characteristics for their acquisition, such as being economical, accessible and effective, due to the high incidence in these areas of diseases caused by the ingestion of water contaminated with fecal matter. In these communities I observed many children with white spots on their skin caused by pathogenic fungi in the water or severe cases of diarrhea and other gastrointestinal diseases. The reasons for my visits at that time were different, but they made me discover a hidden reality that claims thousands of lives.  A year ago this event happened, from then on, I decided to make different monthly visits to marginalized communities such as Miahuatlán, Ocpaco, Cuatotola and Amixtlan to study their water distribution systems and the microbiological results, both of which are detrimental to the life and health of the inhabitants. I consider that it is an integral problem that requires not only the technological and scientific part, but also a human thought that considers all the lives that are lost because of contaminated water. Thus, my initial vision was motivated in seeking to improve their quality of life and, therefore, their health through a vital element for life, which is water. Since then, the fulfillment of this premise has guided me in my research, integrating different branches of science to meet the present needs; but also to go into all the communities and to know the context of the communities. At this point, I realized that talking to the residents and knowing the problem through their eyes was my best tool to understand the problem and offer a suitable solution. But in addition, I also wanted to know the processes that are handled at the industrial level in the purification plants of the urbanization, so I was observing the processes in the cider factory "Soamy", water distribution centers in jugs in the city of Puebla and Tehuacan and in the governmental aid center DICONSA.  That is why, based on the context I studied, I formed my prototype thanks to the guidance of my advisor and teammate Isaac Miranda, who is a biochemical engineer, with all the characteristics of my study that would allow its applicability in any area and benefit as many people as possible. I have observed the process in a cider mill called "Soamy" and it was the first time I implemented my prototype at an industrial level. Thanks to this and the economic and production benefits that the owner obtained from my device, several companies in the State of Puebla have been interested in acquiring T'asdehe, and some even requested the device to reduce the microbial load legally allowed by Mexican law for the disposal of wastewater, product of their industrial processes, for the care of the environment. This added a new use to my device for the companies.  Thanks to this work and research, I won the UNITEC 2022 award at the national level. Part of the prize was to receive advice for a full week with different international experts to improve the scalability of my prototype. This guided me to further improve my current model, which I am currently working on.

In order to recognize the characteristics that make my device unique, it is necessary to recognize the characteristics of current technologies to establish a cost-benefit comparison and the degree of affordability in underserved communities. My initial vision was to combat the disadvantages of current methods that make it impossible to serve people with limited resources or who live in a geographic area with no infrastructure.

Currently, the technologies in place are reverse osmosis, ultraviolet light emission, ozone generator and the use of chlorine.  With the exception of chlorine, these technologies are characterized by requiring the acquisition of high-cost machinery with constant maintenance by trained personnel for their effective operation, which determines their low affordability in various areas of the country.

As for reverse osmosis, its advantages include obtaining high quality water while preserving its properties and without the intervention of chemical agents. However, its disadvantages include the separation of two water flows (the concentrate and the permeate) by means of a semi-permeable membrane, the former representing an excessive loss of water, since it contains the concentrated contaminants and is discarded. Approximately, a 2 to 1 ratio is established (2 liters of concentrated water go down the drain to obtain 1 liter of filtered water). On the other hand, it requires a whole system of annex to make use of that water, it can present possible clogging in the filter if not properly maintained by trained personnel and it is not a safe method for the elimination of bacteria causing a risk of contamination by leaks or deteriorated parts in the filters.

Another of those referred to is the use of ultraviolet light, which is considered the most effective technology in eliminating the presence of bacteria in the water without altering its quality due to the lack of induction of chemical agents. However, the lamps required for its emission are expensive and have a short life time, which means that its application is not feasible in several areas. In addition, although the basis of this technology is the inactivation of microorganisms by damaging their nucleic acids depending on the wavelength emitted, this can be interfered with by the presence of colored particles in the water because it interferes with the absorption of UV rays.

On the other hand, ozonation also requires high treatment costs, both for the installation of the equipment and its maintenance, since it requires high levels of energy because the principle of its operation is the dissociation of oxygen molecules by means of energy discharges for the formation of ozone on site. Although its efficiency is high and it does not provide any residue, it is a technology that is even more complex than ultraviolet light, so its handling and maintenance by trained personnel is essential. In addition, among the properties of ozone itself is to be highly oxidizing (requiring contact only with stainless materials such as stainless steel), unstable with a life span of 10 to 30 minutes and toxic, having to ensure that the exhaust gases are completely removed to avoid exposure to the personnel involved.

Finally, the most economical method is the use of chlorine, which is often used as a complement to the other technologies to increase efficiency. However, since it is a chemical, it can interfere with color and taste aspects of the water. In addition, since its principle is chemical interactions with microorganisms by forming free radicals that cause the breakdown of their molecules, there is also the risk that by interacting with the nitrogen present in the water, chloramines are formed, which have the property of being carcinogenic.

In view of this, I set out to combat the disadvantages of the current methods, devising a sustainable technology with an innovative vision that considers the real environment of the communities based on a physical method using acoustic energy that protects the quality of the water. Therefore, as I mentioned above, my device does not require trained personnel or high costs, ensuring that people are able to handle it by themselves.  In addition, within its general characteristics that differentiate it from other technologies is its easy transportation, it has a low cost with a value of 130 dollars, long durability of about 1 year, maintains the organoleptic characteristics of water (colorless, tasteless and odorless) and does not require the addition of chemicals to achieve the microbiological quality indicated by the Mexican official standards that govern my project, which ensures safety and security for consumers.

In addition, I have placed a sensor that will detect the flow of water present and based on that will turn on the device as needed, which will minimize the use of energy. In such a way that I want to address a broader market, in which access to drinking water is not a luxury that marginalizes a sector of the population, but a consolidated human right worldwide.

Thus, given its proven effectiveness and the modifications to the prototype to obtain the current model, I managed to expand the scope of its application to any area. This leads me to benefit as many people as possible for the social, health and environmental good.

My objective is to provide access to drinking water to all marginalized communities in both urban and rural areas as a human right that allows them to develop integrally and have better productivity. Since it is an integral problem, it represents a whole host of additional challenges and risks that need to be known, faced and managed by governments, institutions and civil organizations. That is why this year we will seek to establish relations with municipal and state governments to obtain access and permits for application in unprotected areas, explaining the integral benefits that would be obtained by means of an important natural resource such as water and the greater economic, health and social productivity that would be obtained in the population.

We will also seek to complete the legal and commercial permits for its sale, and we will start working with the list of companies interested in its acquisition in order to acquire greater economic sustainability and forge a real image in the market sector we want to work in.

The basis of T'asdehe is the device that emits acoustic energy, in which I have studied through various microbiological tests a series of specifications that the sound wave must have to achieve the total elimination of the colonies of pathogenic microorganisms and, consequently, be effective in making water potable. In this study, I tested its effectiveness with representative samples of contamination sources with an excessive presence of microbial colonies, such as the water coming from the toilet or the kitchen drain of my university, thus having the elimination of microorganisms through my T'asdehe device. On the other hand, other technologies that accompany it in the performance of its function is the water detection sensor and the connection tube, the latter, has the power to be exchanged for the most suitable material according to economic and structural needs. For example, in urban areas PVC or stainless steel connection pipes are usually used, while in Huauchinango Puebla copper pipes are used.

In order to reach more communities in need, I have started with the application of my device in the community of Ocpaco, Huachinango in the northern highlands of the State of Puebla. It has about 1500 inhabitants, there is a percentage of 98% of indigenous population, being 60% women and 40% men. According to the socioeconomic classification established under the criteria stipulated in my country, they belong to the class of high and very high marginalization. If we refer to the business level, we carried out the application in the cider factory "Soamy" for the production of cider at commercial level.

Based on this and getting the permits in process that we are working on, we would start working with the list of interested companies that are 10. For next year we intend to work hard to achieve financial sustainability and also strengthen ties with the municipal governments of Miahuatlán, Cuatotola, Amixtlan and other municipalities within the State of Puebla in order to benefit about 6,583,278 inhabitants through the application of T'asdehe. 

My initial vision is aimed at rural or low-income areas to ensure access to drinking water, however, this developed technology is applicable to any area that handles water distribution or use in order to reduce costs and ensure the effectiveness of the process. Even so, one of the main risks to reach highly marginalized areas would be the lack of access to them, either due to lack of roads, fixed roads or obstructions. In view of this, I received advice from the locals to access the towns of Miahuatlán, Ocpaco, Cuautotola and Amixtlan in the safest way. Having applied my device to all water distribution points to ensure access to these communities easily, I will, of course, continue to study the infrastructure and means of access in other regions. 

This brings me to another challenge which is to get the corresponding strategic alliances (governmental and/or private) and the means required to establish the application of the device in areas of high and very high marginalization where the need is urgent, especially in terms of being able to establish permits for modifications to the water distribution centers. This would fulfill the initial purpose for which it was designed.
On the other hand, given the innovative nature of my technology, my main risk consists mainly in obtaining all the distribution and commercialization permits in the commercial area that characterizes me, for which I am receiving legal advice to guide me. 
In addition, I want to secure the exclusive right of production of this technology through patent registration, which gives me protection against the market in which I will enter and prevent its commercialization by third parties. At this point, I have worked in agreement with my university and UNITEC (center that gave me the first place in the contest of technological and social development at national level in 2022) to work since 2 months ago with the patent process in the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property.

As I mentioned before, my advisor and I worked hard to test the hypothesis we had, until we were able to materialize it. Although we worked on the study of the water purification processes in several water purification centers in the State. I must emphasize that the strongest alliances are with the Soamy cider producer when introducing T'asdehe in the part of water potabilization for the production of ciders at commercial level, where the owner obtained several economic benefits and in the quality and safety of the water for consumption. In addition to a strong study relationship especially with the people of Ocpaco, Huachinango; who allowed us a broad vision of the socio-cultural, architectural and economic context of the area to adapt the characteristics of the prototype of T'asdehe and apply it in the water tanks of the community.  Likewise, ISU University has been the initial investor of the project and has provided us with economic and material support for the research studies.

T'asdehe is a water purification device for human consumption and is intended for commercial sale to water distribution and commercialization centers, in order to obtain the highest microbiological quality, cutting machinery and maintenance costs in a simple way. On the other hand, it is also aimed at marginalized communities and areas that do not have the infrastructure or economic resources to make water drinkable, which is why they are affected, both socially, economically and in terms of health. 

Given the context studied in the communities mentioned above and the bibliographic research, the prototype has been designed for easy handling by the users by simply keeping it connected to a power source and opening the water flow faucet to be treated. In addition to having a cost well below the different existing technologies to allow access to the market at a high competitive level and generate economic and qualitative benefits for the business sectors that use water as raw material in their different products. 
Our distribution channels would be direct to the consumer or through specialized retail stores. The plan is to try to have a closer communication with the studied consumer and to allow us to assess customer satisfaction in the use of the product. So far, the communication channel has been direct with the businessmen, and the diffusion for its acquisition has been through recommendations from users to others in the market sector we are working on. This is how a company contacted us to acquire the product to reduce the microbiological load to allow the disposal of wastewater as indicated by Mexican law, and this is how we discovered a new commercial use for the device. But subsequently, we want to work a website and social media advertising to reinforce the image of the product through content that evidences its functionality and integral benefit. What we need to start its operation is to have a specific place to be established as a physical point of contact and direct sale, which is essential to formalize and provide more secure access to potential buyers. Likewise, production, operation and storage would be optimized to facilitate its management at a fixed point. At this point to assemble the prototype, the support of an electrical engineer was required for the assembly of the designed model. But if we work on a larger scale we will require human personnel for the assembly, in addition to having administrative, financial and human resources and relations personnel. In addition, regarding the legal aspect, we are working in partnership with ISU to be able to carry all the necessary documentation and permits for the commercialization and protection of the device in the market. I should point out that possibly the most expensive material resource would be the acoustic energy emitting device (the complete T'asdehe base) with the characteristics we have established for its effectiveness. At the beginning of the commercialization, if only a few units are acquired, the price is high, but as a wholesale purchase is managed, the costs will be reduced. The current calculated price of T'asdehe (once we have the permits for its commercialization) will be 130 dollars, the profits will be reinvested to continue production (taking into account raw material costs, human resources, etc.) and to improve the research processes and bring out a new version of the device to work possibly with solar energy.

In the initial research process, microbiological tests and design of the model, material and economic resources were obtained from ISU University. Subsequently, to initiate the commercialization process, its sale and promotion in water distribution centers in the city of Puebla will be proposed. In companies with several branches, the first model of the technology will be offered free of charge, so that after the trial period and with the corresponding microbiological tests that prove its effectiveness to the client, its sale and progressive integration in the others will be proposed. As we acquire more relevance in our home state market, we plan to expand to other states of the Republic. At this point, the most important thing is to acquire strategic business and governmental alliances to build support and communication channels to reach the most unprotected areas in order to have healthier, more integral and productive populations.

In addition, during the course of its application, other companies have shown interest in acquiring the device in order to reduce the microbiological load required by the regulations for wastewater disposal. This opens up another area for its commercialization.  In general, we would be talking about a product sales model to interested companies in the market sector. Subsequently, for the distribution phase in rural areas, we would seek donations and governmental support to establish the permits required for its application.