Arsenic can be effectively removed from water by sorption to amorphous or granular iron or aluminum oxides. however, silica is known to interfere with arsenic sorption at pH >7.5. The goal of this work was to examine arsenic sorption to amorphous and granular media oxides at various levels of silica, calcium and pH, and to closely monitor the progress of sorption in these systems. At pH 8.5, calcium dramatically increased arsenic sorption to amorphous iron hydroxide in the presence of silica over relatively short reaction times, but the effects gradually disappeared over longer reaction times. Additionally, batch tests indicated that activated alumina granular media was more sensitive to silica interference than granular ferric hydroxide. However, relatively low levels of calcium could reduce silica interference to arsenic sorption onto activated alumina. While future confirmation research is needed, severe silica interference can occur in practice due to exclusion of arsenate from interstitial granular media pores.
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Research Article|
June 01 2005
The influence of silica and calcium on arsenate sorption to oxide surfaces
Sheryl D. Smith;
Sheryl D. Smith
1CDM, 5400 Glenwood Avenue, Suite 300Raleigh, NC 27612, USA
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Marc Edwards
Marc Edwards
2Department of Civil Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0246, USA
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Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology-Aqua (2005) 54 (4): 201–211.
Article history
Received:
October 25 2004
Accepted:
January 17 2005
Citation
Sheryl D. Smith, Marc Edwards; The influence of silica and calcium on arsenate sorption to oxide surfaces. Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology-Aqua 1 June 2005; 54 (4): 201–211. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/aqua.2005.0019
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