Arsenic Removal Using Unconventional Material with Iron Content: Batch Adsorption and Column Study.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Water Treatment Technologies
• Materials Science

Background:

• Arsenic contamination in potable water is a critical global health concern.
• Effective and sustainable remediation methods are urgently needed.
• Utilizing waste materials for water treatment offers an eco-friendly approach.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the removal of arsenic from water using a novel iron-rich waste material.
• To evaluate the efficiency of batch adsorption and fixed-bed column techniques for arsenic remediation.
• To characterize the adsorbent material and understand the adsorption mechanism.

Main Methods:

• Batch adsorption and fixed-bed column experiments were conducted.
• Material characterization included SEM, EDX, FT-IR, BET surface area analysis, and pH_PZC determination.
• Kinetic, thermodynamic, and equilibrium studies were performed to optimize removal parameters.

Main Results:

• The iron-rich waste material demonstrated high arsenic removal efficiency, reaching 99.99% in a fixed-bed column.
• Adsorption kinetics followed a pseudo-second-order model, and equilibrium data best fitted the Sips model (capacity: 70.1 mg As(V)/g).
• The process was found to be spontaneous, endothermic, and physisorption-based, with successful desorption studies indicating adsorbent reusability.

Conclusions:

• The iron-rich waste material is a highly effective adsorbent for arsenic removal from water.
• Fixed-bed column technology using this material offers a promising solution for large-scale water purification.
• The study validates the practical applicability and reusability of the adsorbent for sustainable arsenic remediation.