ABSTRACT
Arsenic contamination in ground water pose a serious problem to drinking water supply schemes in various parts of the globe. Various regulatory agencies have suggested the maximum contaminant level (MCL) to be in the range of 10–50 parts per billion (ppb) in case of arsenic content in drinking water. Conventional adsorption or chemical treatment techniques are being used for purification of arsenic contaminated water. Membrane-based processes, like reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration (NF) were found to be more effective for arsenic removal, but such high-pressure systems require almost twice the energy as the low-pressure ones. There is a need to improve the arsenic removal efficiency of the low-pressure membrane system to develop a robust technology for arsenic decontamination. This chapter describes the development of a point-of-use (POU) system for arsenic decontamination using a clay-alumina-based, low-cost ceramic membrane utilizing the concept of a hybrid process combining adsorption under fluidized condition and cross-flow microfiltration. Pilot scale studies carried out under field conditions demonstrated a sustainable model for simultaneous removal of both arsenic and iron from ground water. The technology is found to be suitable for treating highly contaminated ground water (up to 1.5 ppm As and 15 ppm Fe), thus producing quality drinking water as per World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations (< 10 ppb As and < 0.1 ppm Fe).
