Fernando Mazariegos facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fernando Mazariegos
OQ
|
|
|---|---|
| Born |
José Fernando Mazariegos Anleu
21 March 1938 Panajachel, Guatemala
|
| Died | 2 June 2018 (aged 80) Guatemala City, Guatemala
|
| Alma mater | University of San Carlos of Guatemala |
| Known for | Inventor of "Ecofilter" |
| Awards | Order of the Quetzal (2017) Guatemalteco Ilustre (2010) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Pharmaceutical chemistry |
| Institutions | Instituto Centroamericano de Investigación y Tecnología Industrial |
José Fernando Mazariegos Anleu (born March 21, 1938 – died June 2, 2018) was a clever inventor from Guatemala. He became famous in many parts of the world, including Latin America, Asia, and Africa. He is best known for inventing a special filter for drinking water called the "Ecofilter." He created this filter in 1990 while working on a project at the Central American Institute of Industrial Research and Technology.
Contents
About Fernando Mazariegos
Fernando Mazariegos was born in Panajachel, Sololá on March 3, 1938. He studied hard and became a pharmaceutical chemist at the University of San Carlos of Guatemala. He also learned a lot about quality control in France.
He worked at the Central American Institute for Research and Industrial Technology. This job allowed him to share his knowledge about protecting the environment. He helped many cities in Central America with their environmental projects. He traveled to countries like Argentina, France, Mexico, and the United States for his research.
The Ecofilter: Clean Water for Everyone
The main goal of the Ecofilter was to make clean drinking water affordable. It used simple materials and technology that could be found locally. The Ecofilter is a homemade filter that can provide about 83 liters (22 American gallons) of pure water each week.
Mazariegos explained that they didn't invent water filtration. Instead, they focused on making the filtration process better. They used special materials that helped clean the water more effectively.
How the Ecofilter Helps People
A person named Dominique Wilson worked with AFA Guatemala to study the Ecofilter. They looked at over 500 families in Guatemala. Their study showed that using the filter cut the number of cases of diarrhea in half for children under five years old. This was very important because diarrhea is a leading cause of death for young children in that area.
The Ecofilter was made to help people everywhere. It is now used in many countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and South America. Ron Rivera and his group, Potters For Peace, helped a lot to spread the use of these filters.
Awards and Recognition
Because the Ecofilter was so successful, Fernando Mazariegos received several awards. He won an award from the Latin American Association of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering. He also received the Market Place Award for Sustainable Technology in 2003 and 2004. The World Bank gave him these awards for his important contribution to humanity.
See also
In Spanish: Fernando Mazariegos para niños
