title: Metallic iron for safe drinking water provision: Considering a lost knowledge.
abstract: Around year 1890, the technology of using metallic iron (Fe0) for safe drinking water provision was already established in Europe. The science and technology to manufacture suitable Fe0materials were known and further developed in this period. Scientists had then developed skills to (i) explore the suitability of individual Fe0materials (e.g. iron filling, sponge iron) for selected applications, and (ii) establish treatment processes for households and water treatment plants. The recent (1990) discovery of Fe0as reactive agent for environmental remediation and water treatment has not yet considered this ancient knowledge. In the present work, some key aspects of the ancient knowledge are presented together with some contemporised interpretations, in an attempt to demonstrate the scientific truth contained therein. It appears that the ancient knowledge is an independent validation of the scientific concept that in water treatment (Fe0/H2O system) Fe0materials are generators of contaminant collectors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Sciences, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro P.O. Box 3038, Tanzania; Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Water and Environmental Science and Engineering, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha P.O. Box 447, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Hezron T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Mwakabona
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Douala, Douala P.O. Box 24157, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Arnaud Igor
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Ndé-Tchoupé
authors.affiliation: Department of Water and Environmental Science and Engineering, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha P.O. Box 447, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Karoli N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Njau
authors.affiliation: Angewandte Geologie, Universität Göttingen, Goldschmidtstraße 3, D - 37077 Göttingen, Germany; Kultur und Nachhaltige Entwicklung CDD e.V., Postfach 1502, D - 37005 Göttingen, Germany; Comité Afro-européen, Avenue Léopold II, 41, 5000 Namur, Belgium. Electronic address: cnoubac@gwdg.de.
authors.forename: Chicgoua
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Noubactep
authors.affiliation: Plant Production and Climate Change, Erfurt University of Applied Sciences, Leipziger Straße 77, 99085 Erfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: Kerstin D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Wydra
mesh_terms: D060766:Drinking Water; D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation; D005060:Europe; D007501:Iron; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D018508:Water Purification
chemical_list: D060766:Drinking Water; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D007501:Iron
keywords: Knowledge loss; Reactive filtration; Revolving purifier; Water treatment; Zero-valent iron