Carolina Fernandes

Brazilian scientist who developed low-cost water purification methods for rural communities

Carolina Fernandes (1925-2001) revolutionized public health in Brazil through her invention of the Community Biofilter System, a low-cost water purification technology that transformed sanitation in rural areas. Working in the Amazon region during the 1950s, she discovered how to use locally available materials like charcoal and sand to create effective water filters that removed 99% of pathogens. Her system cost less than $5 to build and required no electricity, making it accessible to remote communities.

Fernandes' breakthrough came after years of research at the University of São Paulo, where she pioneered the field of environmental biotechnology. Her 1962 paper "Biodegradation Potential of Amazonian Charcoal" laid the foundation for her purification system. By 1970, over 500 villages had adopted her technology, drastically reducing waterborne diseases like cholera and dysentery.

Her later work focused on adapting the system for urban slums, leading to the Mobile Water Purification Units used during Brazil's 1968 sanitation crisis. Though overshadowed by contemporaries like Rachel Carson, Fernandes' innovations remain in use today through NGOs like Pure Water Project. Her memoir Clearing the Waters (1975) details her struggles as a female scientist in a male-dominated field.