A study on arsenic removal from household drinking water

Arsenic Levels and Seasonal Variation in Pasture Soil, Forage and Horse Blood Plasma in Central Punjab, Pakistan

The present study aimed to determine the accumulation levels of arsenic in pasture soil, forage and animals. An atomic absorption spectrophotometer was used to determine the concentration of metals in the samples of soil, forage and blood plasma of horses. The level of arsenic ranged between 4.26 mg/kg (summer) and 4.66 mg/kg (winter) in soil samples and 2.67 mg/kg (summer) and 2.94 mg/kg (winter) in forage samples. In blood plasma samples, the mean arsenic (As) values varied between 1.38 and 1.52 mg/L. In the blood plasma samples, the mean As values varied between 1.38 and 1.52 mg/L. No statistically significant changes were observed for arsenic concentrations in plasma samples of horses for sampling seasons (p > 0.05). A positive correlation was observed for forage and blood plasma to a certain degree for arsenic but for other media, arsenic correlations were negative and insignificant. It is therefore suggested that regular monitoring of heavy metals in soils/plants/animals is essential to prevent excessive build-up of arsenic.

Enhancing mechanism of arsenic(iii) adsorption by MnO2-loaded calcined MgFe layered double hydroxide

The use of MnO2/MgFe-layered double hydroxide (MnO2/MgFe-LDH) and MnO2/MgFe-layered double oxide (MnO2/MgFe-LDO400 °C) for arsenic immobilization from the aqueous medium is the subject of this research. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy were used to characterise MnO2/MgFe-LDH and MnO2/MgFe-LDO400 °C. Based on our developed method, MnO2 was spread on the clay composites' surfaces in the form of a chemical bond. The clay composite exhibited a good adsorption effect on arsenic. The experimental findings fit the pseudo-second-order model well, indicating that the chemisorption mechanism played a significant role in the adsorption process. Furthermore, the Freundlich model suited the adsorption isotherm data of all adsorbents well. The recycling experiment showed that MnO2/MgFe-LDH and MnO2/MgFe-LDO400 °C exhibited good stability and reusability. In summary, MnO2/MgFe-LDH and MnO2/MgFe-LDO400 °C are promising for developing processes for efficient control of the pollutant arsenic.

Adsorption Capacities of Iron Hydroxide for Arsenate and Arsenite Removal from Water by Chemical Coagulation: Kinetics, Thermodynamics and Equilibrium Studies

Arsenic (As)-laden wastewater may pose a threat to biodiversity when released into soil and water bodies without treatment. The current study investigated the sorption properties of both As(III, V) oxyanions onto iron hydroxide (FHO) by chemical coagulation. The potential mechanisms were identified using the adsorption models, ζ-potential, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FT-IR) analysis. The results indicate that the sorption kinetics of pentavalent and trivalent As species closely followed the pseudo-second-order model, and the adsorption rates of both toxicants were remarkably governed by pH as well as the quantity of FHO in suspension. Notably, the FHO formation was directly related to the amount of ferric chloride (FC) coagulant added in the solution. The sorption isotherm results show a better maximum sorption capacity for pentavalent As ions than trivalent species, with the same amount of FHO in the suspensions. The thermodynamic study suggests that the sorption process was spontaneously exothermic with increased randomness. The ζ-potential, FT-IR and XRD analyses confirm that a strong Fe-O bond with As(V) and the closeness of the surface potential of the bonded complex to the point of zero charge (pHzpc) resulted in the higher adsorption affinity of pentavalent As species than trivalent ions in most aquatic conditions. Moreover, the presence of sulfates, phosphates, and humic and salicylic acid significantly affected the As(III, V) sorption performance by altering the surface properties of Fe precipitates. The combined effect of charge neutralization, complexation, oxidation and multilayer chemisorption was identified as a major removal mechanism. These findings may provide some understanding regarding the fate, transport and adsorption properties onto FHO of As oxyanions in a complex water environment.

Combining Ferric Salt and Cactus Mucilage for Arsenic Removal from Water

New methods to remediate arsenic-contaminated water continue to be studied, particularly to fill the need for accessible methods that can significantly impact developing communities. A combination of cactus mucilage and ferric (Fe(III)) salt was investigated as a flocculation-coagulation system to remove arsenic (As) from water. As(V) solutions, ferric nitrate, and mucilage suspensions were mixed and left to stand for various periods of time. Visual and SEM observations confirmed the flocculation action of the mucilage as visible flocs formed and settled to the bottom of the tubes within 3 min. The colloidal suspensions without mucilage were stable for up to 1 week. Sample aliquots were tested for dissolved and total arsenic by ICP-MS and HGAFS. Mucilage treatment improved As removal (over Fe(III)-only treatment); the system removed 75-96% As in 30 min. At neutral pH, removal was dependent on Fe(III) and mucilage concentration and the age of the Fe(III) solution. The process is fast, achieving maximum removal in 30 min, with the majority of As removed in 10-15 min. Standard jar tests with 1000 μg/L As(III) showed that arsenic removal and settling rates were pH-dependent; As removal was between 52% (high pH) and 66% (low pH).

Arsenic contamination, consequences and remediation techniques: a review

The exposure to low or high concentrations of arsenic (As), either due to the direct consumption of As contaminated drinking water, or indirectly through daily intake of As contaminated food may be fatal to the human health. Arsenic contamination in drinking water threatens more than 150 millions peoples all over the world. Around 110 millions of those peoples live in 10 countries in South and South-East Asia: Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Taiwan and Vietnam. Therefore, treatment of As contaminated water and soil could be the only effective option to minimize the health hazard. Therefore, keeping in view the above facts, an attempt has been made in this paper to review As contamination, its effect on human health and various conventional and advance technologies which are being used for the removal of As from soil and water.

Investigation of Optimum Polymerization Conditions for Synthesis of Cross-Linked Polyacrylamide-Amphoteric Surfmer Nanocomposites for Polymer Flooding in Sandstone Reservoirs

Currently enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technology is getting more attention by many countries since energy crises are getting worse and frightening. Polymer flooding by hydrophobically associated polyacrylamides (HAPAM) and its modified silica nanocomposite are a widely implemented technique through enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technology. This polymers class can be synthesized by copolymerization of acrylamide (AM), reactive surfmer, functionalized silica nanoparticles, and a hydrophobic cross-linker moiety in the presence of water soluble initiator via heterogeneous emulsion polymerization technique, to form latexes that can be applied during polymer flooding. Chemical structure of the prepared copolymers was proven through different techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and nuclear magnetic spectroscopy (1H&13C-NMR), and molecular weight was measured by gel permeation chromatography. Study of the effects of monomer, surfmer, cross-linker, silica, and initiator concentrations as well as reaction temperature was investigated to determine optimum polymerization conditions through single factor and orthogonal experiments. Evaluation of the prepared copolymers for enhancing recovered oil amount was evaluated by carrying out flooding experiments on one-dimensional sandstone model to determine recovery factor.

A nanofiltration-coagulation integrated system for separation and stabilization of arsenic from groundwater

A membrane-integrated hybrid treatment system has been developed for continuous removal of arsenic from contaminated groundwater with simultaneous stabilization of arsenic rejects for safe disposal. Both trivalent and pentavalent arsenic could be removed by cross flow nanofiltration following a chemical pre-oxidation step for conversion of trivalent arsenic into pentavalent form. The very choice of the membrane module and its judicious integration with upstream oxidation and downstream stabilization resulted in continuous removal of more than 98% arsenic from water that contained around 190 mg L(-1) of total suspended solid, 205 mg L(-1) of total dissolved solid, 0.18 mg L(-1) of arsenic and 4.8 mg L(-1) of iron at a pH of 7.2. The used flat sheet cross flow membrane module yielded a high flux of 144-145 L m(-2) h(-1) at a transmembrane pressure of only 16 kgf·cm(-2) without the need for frequent replacement of the membranes. Transmembrane pressure, cross flow rate through the membrane module and oxidant dose were found to have pronounced effects on arsenic rejection and pure water flux. For the first time, an effective scheme for protection of the total environment has been ensured in this context where arsenic separated with high degree of efficiency has been stabilized in a solid matrix of iron and calcium under response surface optimized conditions. The study culminated in a total and sustainable solution to the problem of arsenic contamination of groundwater by offering arsenic-free water at a reasonably low price of only 1.41$·m(-3).

Remediation of inorganic arsenic in groundwater for safe water supply: a critical assessment of technological solutions

Arsenic contaminations of groundwater in several parts of the world are the results of natural and/or anthropogenic sources, and have a large impact on human health. Millions of people from different countries rely on groundwater containing As for drinking purposes. This paper reviews removal technologies (oxidation, coagulation flocculation, adsorption, ion exchange and membrane processes) with attention for the drawbacks and limitations of these applied technologies. The technologies suggested and applied for treatment of As rich water have various problems, including the need for further treatment of As containing secondary waste generated from these water treatment processes. More efficient technologies, with a lower tendency to generate waste include the removal of As by membrane distillation or forward osmosis, instead of using pressure driven membrane processes and subsequently reducing soluble As to commercially valuable metallic As are surveyed. An integrated approach of two or more techniques is suggested to be more beneficial than a single process. Advanced technologies such as membrane distillation, forward osmosis as well as some hybrid integrated techniques and their potentials are also discussed in this review. Membrane processes combined with other process (especially iron based technologies) are thought to be most sustainable for the removal of arsenic and further research allowing scale up of these technologies is suggested.

Synthesis, Characterization, and Flocculation Properties of Branched Cationic Polyacrylamide

A water soluble branched cationic polyacrylamide (BCPAM) was synthesized using solution polymerization. The polymerization was initiated using potassium diperiodatocuprate, K5[Cu(HIO6)2](Cu(III)), initiating the self-condensing vinyl copolymerization of acrylamide and acryloxyethyltrimethyl ammonium chloride (DAC) monomer. The resulting copolymer was characterized by the use of Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Its flocculation properties were evaluated with standard jar tests of sewage. The effects of initiator concentration, monomer concentration, reaction temperature, and the mass ratio of monomers on intrinsic viscosity and flocculation properties of the product were determined using single-factor experiments and orthogonal experiment.

Arsenic removal from water/wastewater using adsorbents--A critical review

Arsenic's history in science, medicine and technology has been overshadowed by its notoriety as a poison in homicides. Arsenic is viewed as being synonymous with toxicity. Dangerous arsenic concentrations in natural waters is now a worldwide problem and often referred to as a 20th-21st century calamity. High arsenic concentrations have been reported recently from the USA, China, Chile, Bangladesh, Taiwan, Mexico, Argentina, Poland, Canada, Hungary, Japan and India. Among 21 countries in different parts of the world affected by groundwater arsenic contamination, the largest population at risk is in Bangladesh followed by West Bengal in India. Existing overviews of arsenic removal include technologies that have traditionally been used (oxidation, precipitation/coagulation/membrane separation) with far less attention paid to adsorption. No previous review is available where readers can get an overview of the sorption capacities of both available and developed sorbents used for arsenic remediation together with the traditional remediation methods. We have incorporated most of the valuable available literature on arsenic remediation by adsorption ( approximately 600 references). Existing purification methods for drinking water; wastewater; industrial effluents, and technological solutions for arsenic have been listed. Arsenic sorption by commercially available carbons and other low-cost adsorbents are surveyed and critically reviewed and their sorption efficiencies are compared. Arsenic adsorption behavior in presence of other impurities has been discussed. Some commercially available adsorbents are also surveyed. An extensive table summarizes the sorption capacities of various adsorbents. Some low-cost adsorbents are superior including treated slags, carbons developed from agricultural waste (char carbons and coconut husk carbons), biosorbents (immobilized biomass, orange juice residue), goethite and some commercial adsorbents, which include resins, gels, silica, treated silica tested for arsenic removal come out to be superior. Immobilized biomass adsorbents offered outstanding performances. Desorption of arsenic followed by regeneration of sorbents has been discussed. Strong acids and bases seem to be the best desorbing agents to produce arsenic concentrates. Arsenic concentrate treatment and disposal obtained is briefly addressed. This issue is very important but much less discussed.