Volume 6, Number 1 • Winter 2003/2004
|
Treatment of Arsenic-Contaminated Water Using Akageneite AdsorptionNEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY Professors Fernando Cadena and Michael Johnson and graduate student Jason Capron are investigating a new process for removing arsenic from residential drinking water. The end results of their research could provide a cost effective way for small and rural communities to meet strict new US EPA standards that will significantly lower arsenic levels in drinking water. As only 1 to 2% of water used in the home is actually ingested, it is very costly to treat an entire community’s water supply just to remove arsenic from drinking water. Rather, the researchers are developing a process that would treat only that portion of the water supply consumed by humans. The team has been developing the technology that would result in a cartridge that could be installed under a sink, treating drinking water as it comes out of the tap. They have identified a form of iron called akaganeite that readily absorbs arsenic. After experimenting with several granular media to contain the microscopic akaganeite particles while allowing water to pass through, the team found that cotton treated with akaganeite removed up to 90% of arsenic from distilled water that had arsenic added to it. Their next step is to try the process on residential tap water. From the American Academy of Environmental Engineers |