Arsenic Removal from Groundwater by Solar Driven Inline-Electrolytic Induced Co-Precipitation and Filtration—A Long Term Field Test Conducted in West Bengal

Philipp Otter, Pradyut Malakar, Bana Bihari Jana, Thomas Grischek, Florian Benz, Alexander Goldmaier, Ulrike Feistel, Joydev Jana, Susmita Lahiri and Juan Antonio Alvarez
Additional contact information
Philipp Otter: AUTARCON GmbH, D-34117 Kassel, Germany
Pradyut Malakar: International Centre for Ecological Engineering, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, West Bengal 741235, India
Bana Bihari Jana: Kalyani Shine India, Kalyani, West Bengal 741235, India
Thomas Grischek: Division of Water Sciences, University of Applied Sciences Dresden, D-01069 Dresden, Germany
Florian Benz: AUTARCON GmbH, D-34117 Kassel, Germany
Alexander Goldmaier: AUTARCON GmbH, D-34117 Kassel, Germany
Ulrike Feistel: Division of Water Sciences, University of Applied Sciences Dresden, D-01069 Dresden, Germany
Joydev Jana: Public Health Engineering Department, Kalyani, West Bengal 741235, India
Susmita Lahiri: International Centre for Ecological Engineering, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, West Bengal 741235, India
Juan Antonio Alvarez: AIMEN, C/. Relva, 27 A—Torneiros, Porriño, 36410 Pontevedra, Spain

IJERPH, 2017, vol. 14, issue 10, 1-22

Abstract: Arsenic contamination in drinking water resources is of major concern in the Ganga delta plains of West Bengal in India and Bangladesh. Here, several laboratory and field studies on arsenic removal from drinking water resources were conducted in the past and the application of strong-oxidant-induced co-precipitation of arsenic on iron hydroxides is still considered as the most promising mechanism. This paper suggests an autonomous, solar driven arsenic removal setting and presents the findings of a long term field test conducted in West Bengal. The system applies an inline-electrolytic cell for in situ chlorine production using the natural chloride content of the water and by that substituting the external dosing of strong oxidants. Co-precipitation of As(V) occurs on freshly formed iron hydroxide, which is removed by Manganese Greensand Plus ® filtration. The test was conducted for ten months under changing source water conditions considering arsenic (187 ± 45 µg/L), iron (5.5 ± 0.8 mg/L), manganese (1.5 ± 0.4 mg/L), phosphate (2.4 ± 1.3 mg/L) and ammonium (1.4 ± 0.5 mg/L) concentrations. Depending on the system setting removal rates of 94% for arsenic (10 ± 4 µg/L), >99% for iron (0.03 ± 0.03 mg/L), 96% for manganese (0.06 ± 0.05 mg/L), 72% for phosphate (0.7 ± 0.3 mg/L) and 84% for ammonium (0.18 ± 0.12 mg/L) were achieved—without the addition of any chemicals/adsorbents. Loading densities of arsenic on iron hydroxides averaged to 31 µgAs/mgFe. As the test was performed under field conditions and the here proposed removal mechanisms work fully autonomously, it poses a technically feasible treatment alternative, especially for rural areas.

Keywords: arsenic removal; electro-chlorination; oxidation; co-precipitation; chlorination; decentralized drinking water supply (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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