Iron Powders as a Potential Material for Arsenic Removal in Aqueous Systems

Iron powders due to their wide spectrum of applications is one of the potential materials of all time. Water remediation is one of the prominent and widely explored applications of iron. Arsenic is one of the most common and life -threatening pollutants present in the globe. Ingestion of arsenic contaminated products, especially water containing arsenic above 10 ppb results in acute health disorders. Due to its existence in various oxidation states such as As(V), As(III), As (0), As(-III), arsenic removal from aqueous systems is not a straightforward problem to solve. Among various materials which assist arsenic removal, iron powders due to their low cost, high reactivity, commercial availability, multiple mechanisms of removal, reusability and on -site usage, is one of the prominent and lucrative treatment medias. Iron powder employs one or combination of oxidation, reduction, adsorption, precipitation and co-precipitation mechanisms for the arsenic removal. Physico-chemical properties (purity, size, etc.) of powders along with aqueous system properties (pH, oxygen, contaminants, etc.) play a significant role in steering the arsenic removal. Iron powders from electrolytic and reduction routes are largely preferred for water remediation. This review is first of its kind work highlighting the potential of micron and macro scale iron powders in water remediation, especially arsenic removal. Special emphasis is given on the different routes of synthesis, mechanisms of removal, research evolution and commercial presence of iron powders for water remediation.

Automated summary

Iron powders are potential materials for water remediation, especially in arsenic removal, due to their low cost, high reactivity, multiple removal mechanisms, and commercial availability. The presence of arsenic in various oxidation states makes its removal from aqueous systems a challenging problem. The physico-chemical properties of iron powders and the properties of the aqueous system play a significant role in steering the arsenic removal process.