Rapid Small-Scale Column Tests for Arsenate Removal in Iron Oxide Packed Bed Columns
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 131, Issue 2
Abstract
Arsenate breakthrough in column studies with a porous granular ferric hydroxide (GFH) was investigated in model waters and groundwaters. In this study, the use of rapid small-scale column tests (RSSCTs) initially designed for simulating the removal of organic compounds by granular activated carbon was extended for arsenate adsorption onto GFH. Adsorption kinetic studies and a comparison of laboratory RSSCT performance versus pilot-scale performance suggests that proportional diffusivity (PD) RSSCT scaling approaches are more valid than constant diffusivity (CD) approaches for arsenate onto GFH. Adsorption densities from column tests were calculated at the point in the breakthrough curve when arsenate equaled 10 μg/L in the column effluent. For a simulated 2.5 min empty-bed contact time (EBCT), a model water (pH=8.6) had values of 0.99 to 1.5 mgAs/gGFH versus 0.02 to 0.28 mgAs/gGFH with a comparable pH and EBCT in a natural groundwater. The differences were attributed to the silica, phosphate, vanadium, and other adsorbable inorganics in the groundwater. At pH 7.6 to 7.8, values from PD-RSSCTs in the three natural waters were comparable (1.5 0.3 mgAs/gGFH) and higher than CD-RSSCT values (0.57 0.26 mgAs/gGFH) in the three natural waters. All the RSSCTs captured changes in water quality (source water and pH) and operational regimes (e.g., EBCTs) and could be used to aid in the selection and design of arsenic removal media for full-scale treatment facilities.
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Acknowledgments
Financial support for this work was provided from Salt River Project (Phoenix, Az.), City of Scottsdale (Scottsdale, Az.), and the National Science Foundation Water Quality Center at Arizona State University. Data from pilot columns were provided by Zaid Chowdhury (Malcolm Pirnie Inc., Phoenix, Az.) and William Vernon (City of Scottsdale, Az.). Input was appreciated from Professor Dr.-Ing. Martin Jekel (Technical University Berlin), Dr.-Ing., Wolfgang Driehaus (GEH Wasserchemie GmbH & Co. KG, Osnabrueck, Germany), Sanja Reddy (Carollo Engineers), Smitha Raghavan (ASU MS graduate student), Damon S. Williams Associates (Phoenix, Az.), and City of Mesa (Arizona).
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 131 • Issue 2 • February 2005
Pages: 262 - 271
Copyright
© 2005 ASCE.
History
Received: Feb 21, 2003
Accepted: Feb 16, 2004
Published online: Feb 1, 2005
Published in print: Feb 2005
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