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Techniques Of Removing Arsenic From Drinking Water

17 Mar 2021

Arsenic in drinking water can be very dangerous to one’s health. Arsenic is a natural component of the earth’s crust and it is highly toxic in its inorganic form. Most people are exposed to levels of inorganic arsenic through drinking contaminated water. Long-term exposure to inorganic arsenic mainly through drinking water can cause adverse health effects. The most important action in affected communities or countries is removing arsenic from drinking water – see www.geh-wasserchemie.com/en/applications/drinking-water/. Arsenic in its inorganic form is poisonous and some of the symptoms of arsenic poisoning are vomiting, stomach cramps, and diarrhea. It can also cause skin infections such as pigmentation changes and lesions.

Hereby is a brief overview of the latest techniques of removing arsenic from drinking water.

Oxidation process

Oxidation is a commonly used method to convert arsenite to arsenate in the presence of oxygen. Some of the oxidizing agents used are oxygen, hypochlorite permanganate, and hydrogen peroxide. You can use catalysts such as strong acidic solutions, copper, and powdered carbon to accelerate the process. The oxidation process removes the arsenic concentration in water thus making it safe to drink.

Membrane filtration process

Synthetic membranes are used to filter arsenic present in water to make the water safe for drinking. There are low-pressure membranes such as microfiltration and ultrafiltration. High-pressure membranes are also used such as nanofiltration. Membrane filtration depends on the pH of the water and other available solutes when removing arsenic from drinking water. Backwashing is not recommended during this process to avoid clogging. The pressure applied during this process will remove arsenic hence making the water safe to drink. Berkey Water Filtering Systems are portable versions of a water filter allowing you to bring powerful filtration with you when camping, for example.

Reverse osmosis forces water to help in forcing water through the semi-permeable membrane.

Coagulation or flocculation process

The coagulation process involves adding metal coagulants in water arsenic water. The commonly used metal coagulants are based on iron and aluminum. The aluminum coagulants include aluminum sulfate, aluminum chloride, and sodium aluminate. Iron coagulants are ferric chloride and ferric chloride sulfate. Metal coagulants hydrolyze rapidly to form positively charged ions. The use of metal coagulants is an effective way of removing arsenic which is heavy metal in water. The coagulation process can remove arsenic in large volumes of water. The pH level of water should be put into consideration during this process.

Ion exchange process

The ion exchange process removes arsenic in water bypassing the water under high pressure through columns packed with strong-base ion exchange resin. The ion exchange process is a cost-effective method for removing arsenic from water.

Precipitation process

The precipitation method removes arsenic in water because arsenates are soluble. Arsenic can be oxidized to arsenates thus making precipitation an effective process to remove arsenic.

Wrapping up

In conclusion, arsenic can be removed from water through many techniques. The above article illustrates the best techniques to remove arsenic from water. Arsenic can cause health effects such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes when consumed for long periods. Arsenic can be removed through the oxidation process, coagulation, ion exchange, and membrane filtration. Investing in an arsenic removal method is an ideal thing to do to ensure you drink clean water.

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