RT Journal Article

SR Electronic
T1 Arsenic in drinking water-problems and solutions
JF Water Science and Technology
JO Water Sci Technol
FD IWA Publishing
SP 69
OP 76
VO 40
IS 2
A1 Viraraghavan, T.
A1 Subramanian, K. S.
A1 Aruldoss, J. A.
YR 1999
UL http://wst.iwaponline.com/content/40/2/69.abstract
AB The current United States maximum contaminant level for arsenic in drinking
water is set at 50 μg/l. Because of the cancer risks involved, Canada has already
lowered the maximum contaminant level to 25 μg/l; the United States Environmental
Protection Agency is reviewing the current allowable level for arsenic with a view
of lowering it significantly. Various treatment methods have been adopted to remove
arsenic from drinking water. These methods include 1) adsorption-coprecipitation
using iron and aluminum salts, 2) adsorption on activated alumina, activated
carbon, and activated bauxite, 3) reverse osmosis, 4) ion exchange and 5) oxidation
followed by filtration. Because of the promise of oxidation-filtration systems,
column studies were conducted at the University of Regina to examine oxidation with
KMnO4 followed by filtration using manganese greensand and iron-oxide coated sand
to examine the removal of arsenic from drinking water; these results were compared
with the data from ion exchange studies. These studies demonstrated that As (III)
could be reduced from 200 μg/l to below 25 μg/l by the manganese greensand system.
In the case of manganese greensand filtration, addition of iron in the ratio of
20:1 was found necessary to achieve this removal.