Arsenic removal from drinking water using low-pressure nanofiltration under various operating conditions

Abstract Currently, one of the main environmental concerns is the toxicity caused by arsenic. Arsenic-polluted water can cause many human health problems including various cancerous diseases. In natural water, inorganic arsenic can be found in the forms of arsenite and arsenate, which have been found in several Iranian provinces – e.g., East Azerbaijan, Kurdistan, and the city of Bijar – in high concentrations. Modern nanofiltration (NF) technology enables a wide range of water resource pollutants to be controlled efficiently. In this study, in an attempt to enhance arsenic removal (both arsenite and arsenate) from drinking water using low pressure NF, operating conditions like arsenic concentration, the trans-membrane pressure applied, and a range of different temperatures have all been considered. The highest arsenate removal achieved was 94% with an initial concentration of 500 μg/L, at 7 bar pressure, and 28 °C. The highest arsenite removal was 90%, with an initial concentration of 100 μg/L, at 5 bar pressure, and also at 28 °C. Increasing the pressure had a positive effect on the removal of both species, however, increasing the temperature had negative impacts. It was always found that arsenate removal was better than arsenite removal.