With the new arsenic maximum contaminant level
(10 µg/L) set to take effect this month, water suppliers
will be interested in this novel, new technology for
arsenic removal. A polyelectrolyte-enhanced ultrafiltration
(PEUF) process was used to treat water with low
concentrations of arsenic. The researchers' objectives
were: to verify that the performance seen in batch
studies was representative of pilot-scale spiral-wound
membrane results; and, to evaluate the general economic
viability of the PEUF system.
Arsenic-tainted waters often have elevated pH values.
With the PEUF technology, arsenic-polymer binding
actually improved at higher pH values, giving this
technology an advantage over competing technologies
that perform better at lower pH values. Although the
arsenic-polymer binding decreased with increasing
sulfate concentration, this could be mitigated by
increasing the ratio of cationic polyelectrolyte to
arsenic.
Other membrane processes for arsenic removal
require higher operating pressures than PEUF, and thus
they generate higher capital and operations and maintenance
costs. PEUF uses the novel polymer-arsenic complexation
to reduce the pressure requirement. This new
alternative treatment also shows how utilities can make
existing technologies more cost-effective.
Using design parameters and water quality conditions
as described in this article, the PEUF process was
shown to be technically and economically viable for the
removal of arsenic from drinking water. Includes 40 references, tables, figures.
| Edition : | Vol. 98 - No. 1 |
| File Size : | 1
file
, 350 KB |
| Note : | This product is unavailable in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus |
| Number of Pages : | 11 |
| Published : | 01/01/2006 |
