Arsenic removal via electrocoagulation from heavy metal contaminated groundwater in La Comarca Lagunera México.
Arsenic contamination is an enormous worldwide problem. A large number of people dwelling in Comarca Lagunera, situated in the central part of northern México, use well water with arsenic in excess of the water standard regulated by the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources of México (SEMARNAT), to be suitable for human health. Individuals with lifetime exposure to arsenic develop the classic symptoms of arsenic poisoning. Among several options available for removal of arsenic from well water, electrocoagulation (EC) is a very promising electrochemical treatment technique that does not require the addition of chemicals or regeneration. First, this study will provide an introduction to the fundamental concepts of the EC method. In this study, powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission Mössbauer spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to characterize the solid products formed at iron electrodes during the EC process. The results suggest that magnetite particles and amorphous iron oxyhydroxides present in the EC products remove arsenic(III) and arsenic(V) with an efficiency of more than 99% from groundwater in a field pilot scale study.
Institute Technology of Saltillo, Department of Metallurgy and Materials Science, V. Carranza 2400, C.P. 25280, Saltillo, Coahuila, México. drjrparga@hotmail.com
Jose R
JR
Parga
David L
DL
Cocke
Jesus L
JL
Valenzuela
Jewel A
JA
Gomes
Mehmet
M
Kesmez
George
G
Irwin
Hector
H
Moreno
Michael
M
Weir
D001151:Arsenic / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000379:methods*; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000737:chemistry*; D008800:Mexico; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013057:Spectrum Analysis / Q000379:methods; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
D019216:Metals, Heavy; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D001151:Arsenic