Iron-Coated Sponge as Effective Media to Remove Arsenic from Drinking Water
Abstract Arsenic (As) contamination in drinking water is a serious problem in a number of countries in the world, especially in small communities and developing countries. Arsenic is related to many health diseases. Several technologies such as coagulation, adsorption, ion exchange and membrane processes, etc., are used in removing arsenic from water. In this study, a new material, namely iron-coated sponge (IOCSp), was developed and used to remove As, and it was found that IOCSp has a high capacity for removing both As(V) and As(III). Each gram of IOCSp adsorbed about 160 µg of As upon a 9-h contact of IOCSp with As solution. A dynamic filter column conducted showed that even a small quantity of IOCSp (8 g) could reduce As from 156 µg/L to a concentration of less than 50 µg/L while treating 75 L of groundwater contaminated with arsenic. Both the filtration rate and the size of the sponge had an effect on effluent quality, and the amount of water treated to the acceptable quality.