Use of Novel Composite Coagulants for Arsenic Removal from Waters—Experimental Insight for the Application of Polyferric Sulfate (PFS)

Ioannis A. Katsoyiannis, Nikolaos M. Tzollas, Athanasia K. Tolkou, Manassis Mitrakas, Mathias Ernst and Anastasios I. Zouboulis
Additional contact information
Ioannis A. Katsoyiannis: Laboratory of Chemical and Environmental Technology, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Box 116, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Nikolaos M. Tzollas: Laboratory of Chemical and Environmental Technology, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Box 116, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Athanasia K. Tolkou: Laboratory of Chemical and Environmental Technology, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Box 116, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Manassis Mitrakas: Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Mathias Ernst: Department of Water Supply, Technical University of Hamburg-Harburg, 21073 Hamburg, Germany
Anastasios I. Zouboulis: Laboratory of Chemical and Environmental Technology, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Box 116, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece

Sustainability, 2017, vol. 9, issue 4, 1-10

Abstract: In the present study, several pre-polymerized coagulants of iron and aluminum were tested for their efficiency towards As(V) and As(III) removal from water sources. The results showed that the pre-polymerized coagulants of iron, such as poly-ferric sulfate and poly-ferric silicate chloride, were very efficient for As(V) removal. With regard to As(III) removal, among all examined coagulants, including the conventional ferric chloride, only the poly-ferric sulfate (PFS) was able to reduce As(III) to concentrations below the drinking water regulation limit of 10 μg/L. In contrast, all tested composite coagulants based on aluminum were not capable of removing efficiently both species of arsenic. PFS addition in water containing 4 mM of alkalinity and 25 μg/L of As(V) and As(III) (i.e., total arsenic concentration 50 μg/L) resulted in finished water with less than 5 μg/L arsenic, only by dosing 5 mg Fe-PFS/L at pH 7, whereas, simultaneously, the residual iron concentration was found well below its drinking water regulation limit of 200 μg/L. The use of PFS could provide a viable alternative for As(III) and As(V) removal at household treatment level for application in vulnerable communities, without the need of any additional treatment, such as oxidation of As(III) to As(V).

Keywords: arsenic removal; composite inorganic coagulants; poly-ferric-sulfate; alkalinity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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