Removal of Arsenic from Groundwater with Low Cost Multilayer Media

A simple, low cost arsenic removal system was developed to treat arsenic contaminated ground water containing 425 +/- 4.2 mu g/L arsenic. The system decontaminates arsenic from water by sorption through fine particles of waste materials (Coconut husk's ash, Refused brick dust, Stone dust and Waste newspaper) of multilayer. The treatment efficiency of the process was investigated under various operating conditions that might affect the sorption/desorption of arsenic. Sorption column method shows the optimum removal of As(III) under the following conditions: initial As concentration (100 mu g/L), sorbent amount (4.0 g for brick dust, 3.0 g for stone dust, 3.0 g for Coconut husk's ash and 0.3 g for waste newspaper), particle size (< 355 mu m), treatment flow rate (1.4 mL/min), optimum volume (100 mL) and pH (5.0). Desorption efficiencies with 2M of KOH after the treatment of groundwater were observed in the range of 78 +/- 1.2% - 82 +/- 1.4%. Average arsenic concentration of treated sample water was 8.30 +/- 0.4 mu g/L which is below the WHO guideline value for Bangladesh. Different techniques were used to measure thirteen metals, four anions with pH, conductivity, and temperature to understand the status of other species before and after treatment. The average concentrations of other inorganic constituents of health concern (Cu, Mn, Pb, Cr and Fe) in treated water were below WHO guideline value for drinking water. The present study showed a new method for removal of as from ground water.