Million Dollar Arsenic Removal Plants in West Bengal, India: Useful or Not?

2006 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 216-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Amir Hossain ◽  
Amitava Mukharjee ◽  
Mrinal Kumar Sengupta ◽  
Sad Ahamed ◽  
Bhaskar Das ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Watershed Management ◽  
Arsenic Removal ◽  
West Bengal ◽  
Arsenic Concentration ◽  
Poor Performance ◽  
Raw Water ◽  
User Friendliness ◽  
Treated Water ◽  
Guideline Value ◽  
Who Guideline

Abstract The effectiveness of arsenic removal plants (ARPs) to provide safe water was evaluated based on a study of 577 ARPs out of 1900 installed in 5 arsenic-affected districts of West Bengal, India. Out of 577, 145 (25.1%) were found in defunct condition. Both raw and filtered water from 305 ARPs were analyzed for total arsenic concentration. Forty-eight ARPs were installed despite raw water arsenic concentrations below the Indian standard (50 µg/L) and in 22 cases even below the WHO guideline value (10 µg/L). Among the 264 ARPs having raw water arsenic above 50 µg/L, 140 (53.1%) and 73 (27.7%) failed to remove arsenic below the WHO guideline value and Indian standard, respectively. The highest arsenic concentration in treated water was 705 µg/L. Analysis of 217 treated water samples for iron showed that 175 (80.6%) failed to remove iron below 300 µg/L. The treated water became coloured on standing 6 to 8 h, for 191 (44.2%) ARPs and 25 (5.8%) produced bad-odoured water. Overall, the study showed that 475 (82.3%) of the ARPs were not useful. The reasons for ineffectiveness and poor performance of these ARPs include improper maintenance, sand gushing problems, a lack of user-friendliness and absence of community participation. A comparative study of ARPs in two different blocks (Domkol in Murshidabad district and Swarupnagar in North 24 Parganas) showed that 39 (80%) and 38 (95%) ARPs, respectively, were not useful. Further study in Gram Panchayet Kolsur, Deganga block, North 24 Parganas, showed that 14 (87.5%) ARPs were not useful. Proper watershed management with active participation from the villagers is urgently required for successful mitigation.

scholarly journals Cyanobacteria and microcystin contamination in untreated and treated drinking water in Ghana

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gloria Naa Dzama Addico ◽  
Jörg D. Hardege ◽  
Jiri Kohoutek ◽  
Kweku Amoaku Atta DeGraft-Johnson ◽  
Pavel Babica
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Treatment ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Metropolitan Area ◽  
Cyanobacterial Blooms ◽  
Maximal Concentration ◽  
Raw Water ◽  
Treated Water ◽  
Treated Drinking Water ◽  
Who Guideline

<p>Although cyanobacterial blooms and cyanotoxins represent a worldwide-occurring phenomenon, there are large differences among different countries in cyanotoxin-related human health risk assessment, management practices and policies. While national standards, guideline values and detailed regulatory frameworks for effective management of cyanotoxin risks have been implemented in many industrialized countries, the extent of cyanobacteria occurrence and cyanotoxin contamination in certain geographical regions is under-reported and not very well understood. Such regions include major parts of tropical West and Central Africa, a region constisting of more than 25 countries occupying an area of 12 million km<sup>2</sup>, with a total population of 500 milion people. Only few studies focusing on cyanotoxin occurrence in this region have been published so far, and reports dealing specifically with cyanotoxin contamination in drinking water are extremely scarce. In this study, we report seasonal data on cyanobacteria and microcystin (MC) contamination in drinking water reservoirs and adjacent treatment plants located in Ghana, West Africa. During January-June 2005, concentrations of MCs were monitored in four treatment plants supplying drinking water to major metropolitan areas in Ghana: the treatment plants Barekese and Owabi, which serve Kumasi Metropolitan Area, and the plants Kpong and Weija, providing water for Accra-Tema Metropolitan Area. HPLC analyses showed that 65% samples of raw water at the intake of the treatment plants contained intracellular MCs (maximal detected concentration was 8.73 µg L<sup>-1</sup>), whereas dissolved toxins were detected in 33% of the samples. Significant reduction of cyanobacterial cell counts and MC concentrations was achieved during the entire monitoring period by the applied conventional water treatment methods (alum flocculation, sedimentation, rapid sand filtration and chlorination), and MC concentration in the final treated water never exceeded 1 µg L<sup>-1</sup> (WHO guideline limit for MCs in drinking water). However, cyanobacterial cells (93-3,055 cell mL<sup>-1</sup>) were frequently found in the final treated water and intracellular MCs were detected in 17% of the samples (maximal concentration 0.61 µg L<sup>-1</sup>), while dissolved MCs were present in 14% of the final treated water samples (maximal concentration 0.81 µg L<sup>-1</sup>). It indicates a borderline efficiency of the water treatment, thus MC concentrations in drinking water might exceed the WHO guideline limit if the treatment efficiency gets compromised. In addition, MC concentrations found in the raw water intake might represent significant human health risks for people living in areas with only a limited access to the treated or underground drinking water.</p>

scholarly journals Enhancing the quality of arsenic-contaminated groundwater using a bio-sand filter with iron-mixed clay pellets

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 285-294
Author(s):  
Borano Te ◽  
Boonchai Wichitsathian ◽  
Chatpet Yossapol ◽  
Watcharapol Wonglertarak
Keyword(s):  
Arsenic Removal ◽  
Arsenic Concentration ◽  
Plug Flow ◽  
Sand Filter ◽  
Influent Water ◽  
Filter Bed ◽  
Clay Pellets ◽  
Flow Head ◽  
Who Guideline

Abstract Many people in Cambodia consume groundwater with arsenic concentrations above the WHO guideline. In this study, an iron-mixed porous pellet adsorbent was put into a lightweight bio-sand filter to treat arsenic. The filter was intermittently charged daily with 30 L influent water until the effluent arsenic concentration exceeded 10 μg/L. The results indicated that the Morrill Dispersion Index was less than 2.0, implying that the filter had preferential plug flow. Head loss accumulation led to flow rate reduction over a period of 30 days. Arsenic removal efficiency was between 97 and 99% for the influent concentration, being in the range 355 to 587 μg/L. No significant leaching of iron or organic carbon was observed. The high dissolved oxygen concentration is likely to have contributed to the aerobic conditions in the filter bed. The filter removed arsenic more efficiently than was achieved in some previous studies and might be suitable to provide household-scale, arsenic-safe drinking water.

scholarly journals Variations of arsenic in groundwater from a transect in Van Phuc village, Hanoi

2021 ◽  
Vol 63 (11) ◽  
pp. 17-22
Author(s):  
Thi Duyen Vu ◽  
◽  
The Anh Lang ◽  
Thi Kim Trang Pham ◽  
Hung Viet Pham ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Arsenic Concentration ◽  
Chemical Species ◽  
City Centre ◽  
Sediment Characteristics ◽  
Clear Trend ◽  
Arsenic In Groundwater ◽  
Guideline Value ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Who Guideline ◽  
Author Report

In this study, the author report detailed results of the variation of arsenic in groundwater along a transect in an area near the Hanoi city centre. The results showed that 64% of collected samples exceeded the WHO guideline value for arsenic concentration in drinking water. The arsenic concentration varied in a wide range, strongly depending on the sediment characteristics of each zone along the transect. Aside from As, groundwater in this area also was contaminated by elevated concentrations of Fe, Mn, and ammonium. The study also pointed out a positive correlation between As and reductive chemical species, namely DOC, NH4+, and CH4 in groundwater. Although there is no clear trend in the correlation between As and Fe, Mn, it can be concluded that the formation of arsenic in groundwater in the study area was due to the reductive dissolution of As-bearing iron minerals under the presence of organic matter.

Experiment Study on the Treatment of Arsenic Drinking Water in Integrated Efficient-Whirling Clarifier

2012 ◽  
Vol 518-523 ◽  
pp. 3691-3694 ◽  
Author(s):  
Feng Ping Hu ◽  
Wei Chen ◽  
Xue Mei Chen ◽  
Zhen Gong Tong
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Reaction Time ◽  
Arsenic Removal ◽  
Working Condition ◽  
Arsenic Concentration ◽  
Drinking Water Treatment ◽  
Raw Water ◽  
Experiment Study ◽  
Optimum Working Condition ◽  
Optimum Working

In order to investigate arsenic drinking water treatment effect of enhanced coagulation in integrated efficient-whirling clarifier, and explore optimum working condition, the experiment of arsenic removal was carried out for raw water, the arsenic concentration of 0.1mg/L (100µg/L) and the turbidity of 100NTU. In this experiment, the oxidant’s dosage of sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) was 10mg/L and the coagulant’s dosage of ferric chloride (FeCl3) was 15mg/L, when three kinds of reaction time (T) in the first and second flocculation zone were employed, which respectively equal to 5.4 minutes, 2.7 minutes and 1.8 minutes. The results of experiment showed that the concentration of arsenic all drop below 10µg/L, which reached drinking water sanitary standard (GB 5749-2006), and the best working condition for arsenic removal was reaction time equal to 2.7 minutes.

Four years of development and field-testing of IHE arsenic removal family filter in rural Bangladesh

2008 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Petrusevski ◽  
S. Sharma ◽  
W. G. van der Meer ◽  
F. Kruis ◽  
M. Khan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Arsenic Removal ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Iron Concentration ◽  
Arsenic Concentration ◽  
Field Testing ◽  
Arsenic Adsorption ◽  
Arsenic Level ◽  
Rural Bangladesh ◽  
Removal Capacity ◽  
Guideline Value

UNESCO-IHE has been developing an arsenic removal family filter with a capacity of 100 L/day based on arsenic adsorption onto iron oxide coated sand, a by-product of iron removal plants. The longer term and field conditions performance of the third generation of eleven family filters prototypes were tested in rural Bangladesh for 30 months. All filters achieved initially highly effective arsenic removal irrespective of arsenic concentration and groundwater composition. Arsenic level in filtrate reached 10 μg/l after 50 days of operation at one testing site and after 18 months of continuous operation at other 3 testing sites. Arsenic level at other 7 sites remained below the WHO guideline value till the end of study. Positive correlation was found between arsenic removal capacity of the filter and iron concentration in groundwater. In addition to arsenic, iron present in groundwater at all testing sites was also removed highly effectively. Manganese removal with IHE family filter was effective only when treating groundwater with low ammonia. A simple polishing sand filter, after IHE family filter, resulted in consistent and effective removal of manganese. IHE family filters were easy to operate and were well accepted by the local population.

As(III) Removal by Dynamic Adsorption onto Amberlite XAD7 Functionalized with Crown Ether and Doped with Fe(III) Ions

2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (7) ◽  
pp. 2330-2334
Author(s):  
Mihaela Ciopec ◽  
Adina Negrea ◽  
Narcis Duteanu ◽  
Corneliu Mircea Davidescu ◽  
Iosif Hulka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adsorption Process ◽  
Arsenic Removal ◽  
Arsenic Concentration ◽  
Fixed Bed ◽  
World Health ◽  
Arsenic Content ◽  
Arsenic Adsorption ◽  
Stage Of Development ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Health Organization

Arsenic content in groundwater�s present a wide range of concentration, ranging from hundreds of micrograms to thousands of micrograms of arsenic per litter, while the maximum permitted arsenic concentration established by World Health Organization (WHO) is 10 mg L-1. According to the WHO all people, regardless of their stage of development and their social economic condition, have the right to have access to adequate drinking water. The most efficient and economic technique used for arsenic removal is represented by adsorption. In order to make this remediation technique more affordable and environmentally friendly is important to new materials with advance adsorbent properties. Novelty of present paper is represented by the usage of a new adsorbent material obtained by physical - chemical modification of Amberlite XAD polymers using crown ethers followed by iron doping, due to well-known affinity of arsenic for iron ions. Present paper aims to test the obtained modified Amberlite polymer for arsenic removal from real groundwater by using adsorption in a fixed bed column, establishing in this way a mechanism for the adsorption process. During experimental work was studied the influence of competing ions from real water into the arsenic adsorption process.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Fe-Mg Binary Oxide for As (III) Adsorption—Synthesis, Characterization and Kinetic Modelling

Nanomaterials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 805
Author(s):  
Saif Ullah Khan ◽  
Rumman Zaidi ◽  
Feroz Shaik ◽  
Izharul Haq Farooqi ◽  
Ameer Azam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Arsenic Removal ◽  
Kinetic Modelling ◽  
Arsenic Concentration ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Precipitation Method ◽  
Arsenic Adsorption ◽  
Adsorbent Dosage ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Co Precipitation ◽  
Contaminated Waters

Nanotechnology has received much attention in treating contaminated waters. In the present study, a facile co-precipitation method was employed to synthesize a novel iron and magnesium based binary metal oxide using a stoichiometrically fixed amount of FeNO3.9H2O and MgNO3.6H2O in a proportion of molar concentration 1:1 and was later evaluated in removing As (III) from contaminated waters. Characterization of the prepared nanomaterial was done using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDAX) and ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometry (UV-VIS). Experimental studies on batch scale were carried out, examining the effect of varying initial concentrations of metal, adsorbent dosage, application time and initial pH on removal efficiency. Arsenic removal increased on increasing adsorbent dosage (0.1–1 g/L) but trend reversed on increasing initial arsenic concentration attaining qmax of 263.20 mg/g. Adsorption was quite efficient in pH range 4–8. Freundlich fitted better for adsorption isotherm along with following Pseudo-2nd order kinetics. The reusability and effect of co-existing ions on arsenic adsorption, namely SO42−, CO32− and PO43− were also explored with reusability in 1st and 2nd cycles attained adsorptive removal up to 77% and 64% respectively. The prepared nano-adsorbent showed promising results in terms of high arsenic uptake (qmax of 263.20 mg/g) along with facile and cost-effective synthesis. Thus, the co-precipitation technique used in this work is a simple one step procedure without any use of any precursor as compared to most of the other procedures used for synthesis.

scholarly journals Efficiency of Arsenic and Iron Removal Plants (AIRPs) for Groundwater Treatment in Rural Areas of Southwest Bangladesh

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 354
Author(s):  
Md. Aminur Rahman ◽  
Sazal Kumar ◽  
A. S. M. Fazle Bari ◽  
Abhishek Sharma ◽  
Mohammad Mahmudur Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Cancer Risk ◽  
Monsoon Season ◽  
Cancer Risk Assessment ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Treated Water ◽  
Post Monsoon ◽  
Drinking Water Standard ◽  
Guideline Value ◽  
Removal Efficiencies

Arsenic (As) removal plants were installed in As-endemic areas of Bangladesh to remove As from well water. In many cases, these removal plants did not perform satisfactorily. This study evaluated the efficiency of 20 As and iron (Fe) removal plants (AIRPs) during pre- and post-monsoon conditions in rural Bangladesh. Results revealed that As removal efficiencies ranged from 67% to 98% and 74 to 93% during the pre- and post-monsoons periods, respectively. In the post-monsoon season As removal at individual AIRP sites was on average (4.01%) greater than in the pre-monsoon season. However, two removal plants were unable to remove As below 50 µg L−1 (Bangladesh drinking water standard) during pre-monsoon, while 11 samples out of 20 were unable to remove As below the WHO provisional guideline value of 10 µg L−1. During post-monsoon, none of the samples exceeded 50 µg L−1, but eight of them exceeded 10 µg L−1. The Fe removal efficiencies of AIRPs were evident in more than 80% samples. Although As removal efficiency was found to be substantial, a cancer risk assessment indicates that hazard quotient (HQ) and carcinogenic risk (CR) of As in treated water for adults and children are above the threshold limits. Thus, additional reductions of As concentrations in treated water are needed to further reduce the excess cancer risk due to As in drinking water. Since 55% and 40% of the AIRPs were unable to remove As < 10 µg L−1 during pre-monsoon and post-monsoon, further improvement including changes in AIRP design, regular cleaning of sludge, and periodic monitoring of water quality are suggested. Future research is needed to determine whether these modifications improve the performance of AIRPs.

scholarly journals Treatment of arsenic-contaminated water using in-line electrolysis, co-precipitation and filtration in Costa Rica

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvie Kunz ◽  
Luis G. Romero-Esquivel ◽  
Philipp Otter ◽  
Ulrike Feistel ◽  
Thomas Grischek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Costa Rica ◽  
Arsenic Removal ◽  
Water Quality Monitoring ◽  
Water Tank ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Treated Water ◽  
Catalytically Active ◽  
Co Precipitation ◽  
Maintenance Requirements

Abstract A novel treatment was tested with groundwater to investigate its arsenic removal under natural conditions. The system utilised in-line electrochlorination to oxidise water constituents without the need for external chemical supply. The oxidised arsenic and iron co-precipitated and were filtered via Greensand Plus™. The filter was catalytically active and provided an emergency oxidant. The system had only a few maintenance requirements due to online water quality monitoring. The contaminant removal during the field test in Costa Rica was impaired by strong fluctuations in water quality including low iron concentrations. However, the system removed on average 68% of the arsenic. Mean values of arsenic were 40 ± 23 μg/L in groundwater and 13 ± 6 μg/L in treated water. Iron was removed from an average of 2.8 ± 2.4 mg/L to 0.2 ± 0.2 mg/L (93% removal). Free chlorine produced and available in the treated water tank had a mean concentration of 1.25 mg/L and 0.64 mg/L, respectively.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document