Groups of WSU students came together and competed to solve a problem and save lives as far away as Bangladesh.

Participants in the Global Case Competition presented to judges their solution to reduce arsenic intake in target communities in the Satkhira district in southwest Bangladesh to toxicologically safe levels within five years.

The Global Case Competition presentations took place at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, April 11 in Todd 276.

In Bangladesh, one in five deaths is a result of arsenic in the water, said Lynne Carpenter-Boggs, an associate professor in the crop and soil science department. Shallowly drilled wells contain high amounts of arsenic in the soil and rock. This has been known for a decade, but nothing has been done to fix the problem.

“You can find information on arsenic poisoning in the media, but it really has escaped most of our attentions,” Carpenter-Boggs said. “It is becoming a global problem. It’s very severe in some areas. I’m very glad more people are understanding this is an issue”

Symptoms of arsenic poisoning are not immediately apparent, Carpenter-Boggs said. Symptoms include lesions on the hands and feet.

The participants in the competition included a group of interdisciplinary studies and undergraduate and graduate students, she said.

The first place team, called WAZZU Worldwide, proposed the idea of spreading awareness about arsenic contamination through education, informational flyers, community workshops, and media presence, according to WAZZU Worldwide member Abdelrhman Mohamed’s presentation.

The group also proposed improving the arsenic testing kits and the filtration system by using the Subterranean Arsenic Removal Technology (SAR) and setting up SAR plants in the Satkhira community.

The second place winning group, called Move Your ARSEnic, proposed the idea of educating teachers and students to use water test kits to progress sustainability over a long period of time, said Rachel Wirgau, Move Your ARSEnic member.

The third place winning group, called Thrive Initiatives, proposed extracting arsenic from the soil by planting Chinese brake fern, which is suitable for the Bangladesh climate and absorbs arsenic from the soil, said Thrive Initiatives member Maria Delane.

“People are consuming toxic amounts of arsenic in their food, water – even their agriculture,” Delane said.

The teams won monetary prizes that are split equally among the team members: $1,000 for first, $750 for second and $500 for third place, said Jerman Rose, the vice provost of the Office of International Programs. No money is provided for implementation of the proposals.