Arsenic Removal from Water: An Overview of Recent Technologies
The IUP Journal of Chemistry, Vol. II, No. 3, pp. 7-52, September 2009
Posted: 2 Sep 2009
Date Written: September 2, 2009
Abstract
Arsenic is the most hazardous element in the chemical world and its presence in drinking water can cause disaster. Millions of people worldwide do not have access toclean water. This problem is especially severe in rural communities where expensive water treatment techniques are not affordable. Arsenic exists in organic as well as inorganic forms with varying valence states, i.e., As(III), As(V) and As(0). The valence state of arsenic plays an important role in its behavior and toxicity in aqueous system. Chronic arsenic exposure has devastating health effects, viz, cardiovascular diseases, cancer and the eventual death. Many methods of arsenic removal have been studied, but most of these are too expensive and impractical to be implemented in poor countries such as Bangladesh and India. Every available process has its own limitations and it can serve to a limited extent only. Since every technique has its own pros and cons, one has to choose the technique according to the situation of the problem and the process implemented should be site-specific. This paper is a succinct overview of arsenic removal through different treatment technologies.
Keywords: Arsenic, Environment, Disaster, Valence states, Aqueous system, Treatment technologies
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