A review on arsenic contamination in drinking water: sources, health impacts, and remediation approaches

Arsenic (As) contamination in groundwater has become a global concern, and it poses a serious threat to the health of millions of people. Groundwater with high As concentrations has been reported worldwide. It is widely recognized that the toxicity of As largely depends on its chemical forms, making As speciation a critical issue. Numerous studies on As speciation have been conducted, extending beyond the general knowledge on As to the toxicity and health issues caused by exposure to various As species in water. This article reviews various As species, their sources and health effects, and treatment methods for the removal of As from contaminated water. Additionally, various established and emerging technologies for the removal of As contaminants from the environment, including adsorption (using rocks, soils, minerals, industrial by-products, biosorbents, biochars, and microalgal and fungal biomass), ion exchange, phytoremediation, chemical precipitation, electrocoagulation, and membrane technologies, are discussed. Treating As-contaminated drinking water is considered the most effective approach to minimize the associated health risks. Finally, the advantages and disadvantages of various remediation and removal methods are outlined, along with their key advantages. Among these techniques, the simplicity, low cost, and ease of operation make adsorption techniques desirable, particularly with the use of novel functional materials like graphite oxides, metal-organic frameworks, carbon nanotubes, and other emerging functional materials, which are promising future alternatives for As removal.