Arsenic removal from water using advanced oxidation processes

Consumption of groundwaters containing natural arsenic at several hundred mug/l (ppb) in Countries such as Bangladesh has lead to the increased occurrence of many cancers particularly those of the skin and bladder, while concerns in the USA and Australia regarding the unknown health impact of drinking water containing tens of ppb of arsenic is leading to increasingly stringent maximum contaminant levels. The anaerobic conditions of these groundwaters result in the arsenic being present in its reduced form, hence the use of an oxidant is necessary if the arsenic is to be successfully removed by precipitation or ion exchange methods. Advance oxidation methods which utilise ultraviolet light and a photo absorber have been developed and patented, in which both iron salts and sulphite can be used as the photoabsorber. The former absorber has been developed for arsenic removal in rural areas of Bangladesh and the latter for groundwaters in countries such as the USA. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.