Arsenic — a Review. Part II: Oxidation of Arsenic and its Removal in Water Treatment

Abstract

In natural waters arsenic normally occurs in the oxidation states +III (arsenite) and +V (arsenate). The removal of As(III) is more difficult than the removal of As(V). Therefore, As(III) has to be oxidized to As(V) prior to its removal. The oxidation in the presence of air or pure oxygen is slow. The oxidation rate can be increased by ozone, chlorine, hypochlorite, chlorine dioxide, or H2O2. The oxidation of As(III) is also possible in the presence of manganese oxide coated sands or by advanced oxidation processes. Arsenic can be removed from waters by coprecipitation with Fe(OH)3, MnO2 or during water softening. Fixed-bed filters have successfully been applied for the removal of arsenic.The effectiveness of arsenic removal was tested in the presence of adsorbents such as FeOOH, activated alumina, ferruginous manganese ore, granular activated carbon, or natural zeolites. Other removal technologies are anion exchange, electrocoagulation, and membrane filtration by ultrafiltration, nanofiltration or reverse osmosis.