Modeling the Efficiency of the Iron Coprecipitation-Filtration Process for the Removal of Arsenate at Low Initial Concentrations
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 142, Issue 10
Abstract
Modeling the efficiency of arsenate removal at low initial arsenic (As) concentrations is a new challenge following the new maximum contaminant level (MCL) of As in drinking water, revised downward from 50 to by the U.S. EPA. Many water systems across the United States are required to remove As from drinking water under the current regulations. However, most of the models used to predict As removal performance were developed and validated based on the old, higher concentration standard. This paper investigates and reports on the ability of a model, based on the diffuse double-layer (DDL) surface complexation model, to predict As removal for low As levels (). The model was validated with a pilot study using source water from Well No. 3 of the Mutual Domestic Water Consumers Association (MDWCA) in Anthony, New Mexico. Based on the comparison of experimental data with model results, the model presented here can successfully predict the efficiency of As removal by coprecipitation with iron (hydr)oxide when initial As concentration, total iron concentration, and pH are known. The average discrepancy between experimental data and predicted results ranged from 3 to 12%, as a function of conditions.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
Financial support for this project was provided by the State of New Mexico Office of Finance with oversight from the New Mexico Environment Department. This paper has not been reviewed by the State of New Mexico Office of Finance or the New Mexico Environment Department and, therefore, does not necessarily reflect the views of these agencies. The comments and constructive criticism of five anonymous reviewers greatly improved the quality of the manuscript and are gratefully acknowledged.
References
Amirtharajah, A. (1984). “Fundamentals and theory of air scour.” J. Environ. Eng., 573–590.
Bolt, G. H., and van Riemsdijk, W. H. (1987). Aquatic surface chemistry, W. Stumm, ed., Wiley, New York, 127–164.
Brandhuber, P., and Amy, G. (1998). “Alternative methods for membrane filtration of arsenic from drinking water.” Desalination, 117(1–3), 1–10.
Davis, J. A., Coston, J. A., Kent, D. B., and Fuller, C. C. (1998). “Application of the surface complexation concept to complex mineral assemblages.” Environ. Sci. Technol., 32(19), 2820–2828.
Davis, J. A., and Kent, D. B. (1990). “Mineral-water interface geochemistry.” Reviews in mineralogy, M. F. Hochella and A. F. White, eds., Mineralogical Society of America, Washington, DC.
Dixit, S., and Hering, J. (2003). “Comparison of arsenic(V) and arsenic(III) sorption onto iron oxide minerals: Implications for arsenic mobility.” Environ. Sci. Technol., 37(18), 4182–4189.
Dzombak, D. A., and Morel, F. M. M. (1990). Surface complexation modeling: Hydrous ferric oxide, Wiley-Interscience, New York.
Genc-Fuhrman, H., McConchie, D., and Svchuiling, O. (2005). “Comparing the arsenic sorption capacity of Bauxsol and its derivatives with other sorbents.” Natural arsenic in groundwater: Occurrence, remediation and management, 223–235.
Grossl, P. R., Eick, M. J., Sparks, D. L., Goldberg, S., and Ainsworth, C. C. (1997). “Arsenate and chromate retention mechanisms on goethite. 2: Kinetic evaluation using a pressure-jump relaxation technique.” Environ. Sci. Technol., 31(2), 321–326.
Haworth, A. (1990). “A review of the modelling of sorption from aqueous solution.” Adv. Colloid Interface Sci., 32(1), 43–78.
Hering, J., Chen, P., Wikie, J., Elimelech, M., and Liang, S. (1996). “Arsenic removal by ferric chloride.” J. Am. Water Works Assoc., 88(4), 155–167.
Kinniburgh, D. G. (1983). “The exchange stoichiometry of calcium and zinc adsorption by ferrihydrite.” J. Soil Sci., 34(4), 759–768.
Majumder, C., and Gupta, A. (2011). “Prediction of arsenic removal by electrocoagulation: Model development by factorial design.” J. Hazard. Toxic Radioact. Waste, 48–54.
Mohan, D., and Pittman, C. U., Jr. (2007). “Arsenic removal from water/wastewater using adsorbents—A critical review.” J. Hazard. Mater., 142(1–2), 1–53.
Ng, J., Wang, J., and Shraim, A. (2003). “A global health problem caused by arsenic from natural sources.” Chemosphere, 52(9), 1353–1359.
Nguyen, T. V., Vigneswaran, S., Ngo, H. H., and Kandasamy, J. (2010). “Arsenic removal by iron oxide coated sponge: Experimental performance and mathematical models.” J. Hazard. Mater., 182(1–3), 723–729.
O’Day, P. A., Brown, G. E., and Parks, G. A. (1994). “X-ray absorption spectroscopy of cobalt(II) multinuclear surface complexes and surface precipitates on kaolinite.” J. Colloid Interface Sci., 165(2), 269–289.
Schecher, W. D., and McAvoy, D. C. (1998). MINEQL+ v. 4.5 users manual.
SenGupta, A. K., Cumbal, L., Greenleaf, J., and Miller, A. (2001). “Evaluating a new class of imprinted sorbent materials for toxic metals removal.”, U.S. EPA, Washington, DC.
Smedley, P. L., and Kinniburgh, D. G. (2002). “A review of the source, behaviour and distribution of arsenic in natural waters.” Appl. Geochem., 17(5), 517–568.
Sposito, G. (1983). “On the surface complexation model of the oxide-aqueous solution interface.” J. Colloid Interface Sci., 91(2), 329–340.
U.S. EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). (2001). “National primary drinking water regulations: Arsenic and clarifications to compliance and new source contaminants monitoring.” 6975–7066.
Uthus, E. O. (1994). “Estimation of safe and adequate daily intake for arsenic.” Risk assessment of essential elements, 273–282.
Wang, L., and Giammar, D. E. (2015). “Effects of pH, dissolved oxygen, and aqueous ferrous iron on the adsorption of arsenic to lepidocrocite.” J. Colloid Interface Sci., 448, 331–338.
Wang, Z., and Giammar, D. (2013). “Mass action expressions for bidentate adsorption in surface complexation modeling: Theory and practice.” Environ. Sci. Technol., 47(9), 3982–3996.
Westall, J., and Hohl, H. (1980). “A comparison of electrostatic models for the oxide solution interface.” Adv. Colloid Interface Sci., 12(4), 265–294.
WHO (World Health Organization). (1993). Guidelines for drinking water quality, Vol. 1, Geneva, 41–42.
Zeng, H., Fisher, B., and Giammar, D. E. (2008). “Individual and competitive adsorption of arsenate and phosphate to a high-surface-area iron oxide-based sorbent.” Environ. Sci. Technol., 42(1), 147–152.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 142 • Issue 10 • October 2016
Copyright
© 2016 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Mar 9, 2015
Accepted: Jan 15, 2016
Published online: Apr 13, 2016
Discussion open until: Sep 13, 2016
Published in print: Oct 1, 2016
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.