Laboratory based approaches for arsenic remediation from contaminated water: recent developments

Applicability of poorly crystalline aluminum oxide for adsorption of arsenate

This study examined the characteristics of arsenate adsorption on poorly crystalline oxide (PCAO) which was obtained from recycling of dry sanding powders (DSP) produced during sanding and sawing process in a decorative interior company. After calcinating DSP at 550°C, poorly crystalline oxide (PCAO) was obtained as an adsorbent. From the batch adsorption experiments, arsenate was completely removed up to the concentration of 10 mg/L by PCAO. The stability of PCAO as an adsorbent was evaluated at pH 7 and found that the arsenate adsorbed on PCAO was stable for 24 h. The predominant interaction between arsenate and PCAO was thought to be a strong chemical bond by spectroscopic analysis. The arsenate adsorption behavior onto PCAO was satisfactorily simulated with MINEQL+, suggesting that arsenate formed inner-sphere complexes with the surface of PCAO by chemisorption. Meanwhile, the presence of competitive anions such as PO(4) (3-), SO(4) (2-) and CO(3) (2-) decreased somewhat the removal efficiency of arsenate and the effects of competing anions on the adsorption of arsenate were in the order of PO(4) (3-) > SO(4) (2-) > CO(3) (2-) under pH 6. The application of PCAO to the real mine drainage was also carried out. Although the adsorption of arsenic on the PCAO was slightly decreased rather than that removed from synthetic wastewater due to competitive sorption by multiple ions, it was possible to meet the national discharge standard limit with increasing adsorbent concentration.

Effect of variable sulfur supply on arsenic tolerance and antioxidant responses in Hydrilla verticillata (L.f.) Royle

In the present study, Hydrilla verticillata plants were exposed to arsenate (AsV; 50 microM) and arsenite (AsIII; 5 microM) under variable S supply: deficient (2 microM S, -S), normal (1 mM S, +S) and excess (2 mM S, +HS). Arsenic accumulation (microg g(-1) dw) in +HS plants was about 2-fold higher upon exposure to both AsV (30) and AsIII (50) than that observed in +S (12 & 24) and -S (14 & 26) plants. Despite lower As accumulation, -S plants experienced the maximum oxidative stress owing to an inadequate response of enzymatic and molecular antioxidants and significant decline in total thiols and the ratio of reduced glutathione (GSH) to oxidized glutathione (GSSG). By contrast +HS plants had significant increase in total thiols and an improved redox status, did not demonstrate any negative impact to antioxidants except catalase and hence experienced the least increase in oxidative stress parameters. In conclusion, an increase in S supply to plants may improve their accumulation capacity for As through enhanced tolerance caused by a positive effect on thiol metabolism and antioxidant status of the plants.

Protective role of tannin-rich fraction of Camellia sinensis in tissue arsenic burden in Sprague Dawley rats

The protective effect of green tea (Camellia sinensis) was tested against arsenic-induced toxicity. However, the possible role of tannins in green tea in alleviating hepatic and renal oxidative injury has also been studied. Administration of sodium arsenite (100 mg/kg/day) for 28 days in Sprague Dawley female rats resulted in significant reduction of biochemical parameters such as delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD), reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and elevation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and the index of nitrite/nitrate (NOx) levels. The tissue arsenic burden was increased after arsenic exposure for a period of 28 days. Green tea crude fraction (GTC) co-treated with sodium arsenite for 28 days caused significant (p < .01) elevation of ALAD, GSH, GPx, SOD, and nitrate/nitrite levels and reduction of the TBARS level and tissue burden when compared to detannified green tea fraction (GTDT)-treated groups. The protective role of tannin-rich fraction of C. sinensis when compared to the detannified fraction was also confirmed by histological examinations. The greater activity of GTC than that of detannified green tea fraction correlates with the higher content of tannins in green tea. Overall, these results indicate that the tannin-rich green tea could have improved the defense mechanism against arsenic-induced oxidative stress and reduced the tissue arsenic burden.

Thermodynamic Studies of the Arsenic Adsorption on Iron Species Generated by Electrocoagulation

Protection of global environment and sustainable sources of clean water are a necessity for human survival. The wide use of heavy metals by modern industries has generated heavy metals containing wastes and by-products. Specifically, large quantities of arsenic compounds are being discharged into the environment. The full potential of Electrocoagulation (EC) with air injection as an alternative wastewater treatment technique to remove arsenic from water showed more than 99 percent of removal without adding any chemicals. This study has been carried out to determine the feasibility of arsenic adsorption on iron species by EC process using the Langmuir’s Isotherm. Thermodynamic parameters such as ΔH°, ΔS°, and ΔG° were calculated. It was found that the adsorption process is exothermic and spontaneous. Some experiments were conducted to determine the optimum operating conditions such as current density, pH, and residence time. Also in this study, X-Ray Diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Mössbauer Spectroscopy, and Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy were used to characterize the EC solid products that revealed the expected crystalline iron oxides (lepidocrocite, magnetite, gohetite, and iron oxide).

Treated water quality assurance and description of distribution networks by multivariate chemometrics

Throughout the year 2007, 89 treated water samples from three water treatment plants (WTPs) of the Athens Water Supply and Sewerage Company (EYDAP S.A.) and 180 samples from network tanks (NWTs) were analyzed for electrical conductivity (EC), alkalinity (TA), pH, aluminium (Al), total hardness (TH), chloride (Cl(-)), residual chlorine (free Cl), calcium (Ca(2+)) and magnesium (Mg(2+)). The results regarding the WTPs were subjected to a principal component analysis (PCA) with 75% of the total variance being explained. A stepwise linear discriminant analysis (LDA) model constructed from the 89 treated water samples was used to predict class membership of the samples from the NWTs with a view to estimating the propagation of a possible water quality deterioration originating from the WTPs. The model utilized Cl(-), Al and EC and yielded a 96% correct classification of the training dataset, whereas the cross-validation yielded a 94% correct classification. Network tank samples were 95% correctly classified with regard to their theoretically expected origin. The stepwise discriminant analysis based on separate covariance matrices of the canonical discriminant functions yielded a 98% correct classification of both the training dataset and the network tank samples. The classification and regression tree (C&RT) algorithm showed that the main parameters used in the discrimination of the WTP samples were EC and Al. The post-hoc classification of the training dataset was 99%, whereas 88% of NWT samples were correctly classified.

Simultaneous photocatalytic oxidation of As(III) and humic acid in aqueous TiO2 suspensions

The simultaneous photocatalytic oxidation of As(III) and humic acid (HA) in aqueous Degussa P25 TiO(2) suspensions was investigated. Preliminary photocatalytic studies of the binary As(III)/TiO(2) and HA/TiO(2) systems showed that As(III) was oxidized more rapidly than HA and the extent of photocatalytic oxidation of each individual component (i.e. As(III) or HA) increased with decreasing its initial concentration and/or increasing catalyst loading. The simultaneous photocatalytic oxidation of As(III) and HA in the ternary As(III)/HA/TiO(2) system showed that both As(III) and HA oxidation was reduced in the ternary system compared to the corresponding binary systems. The effect of operating conditions in the ternary system, such as initial As(III), HA and TiO(2) concentrations (in the range 3-20mg/L, 10-100mg/L and 50-250 mg/L respectively), initial solution pH (3.6-6.7) and reaction time (10-30 min), on photocatalytic As(III) and HA oxidation was assessed implementing a two-level factorial experimental design methodology. Seven and ten factors were found statistically important in the case of photocatalytic As(III) and HA oxidation respectively. Based on these statistically significant factors, a first order polynomial model describing As(III) and HA photocatalytic oxidation was constructed and a very good agreement was obtained between the experimental values and those predicted by the model, while the observed differences may be readily explained as random noise.

Arsenic and other trace elements contamination in groundwater and a risk assessment study for the residents in the Kandal Province of Cambodia

Concentrations of arsenic and other trace elements in groundwater were examined at three villages (PT, POT and CHL) in the Kandal Province of Cambodia. Concentrations of arsenic in the groundwater ranged from 6.64 (in POT village) to 1543 microg/L (in PT village), with average and median concentrations of 552 and 353 microg/L, respectively. About 86% out of fifteen samples contained arsenic concentrations exceeding the WHO drinking water guidelines of 10 microg/L. Concentrations of arsenic (III) varied from 4 (in POT village) to 1334 microg/L (in PT village), with an average concentration of 470 microg/L. In addition, about 67%, 80% and 86% of the groundwater samples had higher concentrations for, respectively, barium, manganese and lead than the WHO drinking water guidelines. These results reveal that groundwater in Kandal Province is not only considerably contaminated with arsenic but also with barium, manganese and lead. A risk assessment study found that one sample (PT25) had a cumulative arsenic concentration (6758 mg) slightly higher than the threshold level (6750 mg) that could cause internal cancer in smelter workers with chronic exposure to arsenic from groundwater. High cumulative arsenic ingestion poses a health threat to the residents of Kandal Province.

Sorption of As(V) from aqueous solution using acid modified carbon black

The sorption performance of a modified carbon black was explored with respect to arsenic removal following batch equilibrium technique. Modification was accomplished by refluxing the commercial carbon black with an acid mixture comprising HNO(3) and H(2)SO(4). Modification resulted in the substantial changes to the inherent properties like surface chemistry and morphology of the commercial carbon black to explore its potential as sorbent. The suspension pH as well as the point of zero charge (pH(pzc)) of the material was found to be highly acidic. The material showed excellent sorption performance for the removal of arsenic from a synthetic aqueous solution. It removed approximately 93% arsenic from a 50mg/L solution at equilibration time. The modified carbon black is capable of removing arsenic in a relatively broad pH range of 3-6, invariably in the acidic region. Both pseudo-first-order and second-order kinetics were applied to search for the best fitted kinetic model to the sorption results. The sorption process is best described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic. It has also been found that intra-particle diffusion is the rate-controlling step for the initial phases of the reaction. Modelling of the equilibrium data with Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms revealed that the correlation coefficient is more satisfactory with the Langmuir model although Freundlich model predicted a good sorption process. The sorption performance has been found to be strongly dependent on the solution pH with a maximum display at pH of 5.0. The temperature has a positive effect on sorption increasing the extent of removal with temperature up to the optimum temperature. The sorption process has been found to be spontaneous and endothermic in nature, and proceeds with the increase in randomness at the solid-solution interface. The spent sorbent was desorbed with various acidic and basic extracting solutions with KOH demonstrating the best result ( approximately 85% desorption).

Arsenic adsorption from aqueous solution on synthetic zeolites

The adsorption of arsenic from aqueous solution on synthetic zeolites H-MFI-24 (H24) and H-MFI-90 (H90) with MFI topology has been investigated at room temperature (r.t) applying batch equilibrium techniques. The influences of different sorption parameters such as contact time, solution pH, initial arsenic concentration and temperature were also studied thoroughly in order to optimize the reaction conditions. The adsorption of arsenic on to H24 and H90 follows the first-order kinetics and equilibrium time was about 100min for both the adsorbents. The first-order rate constant (k), 4.7 x 10(-3)min(-1) for H90 is more than two times higher in magnitude compared to 2.1 x 10(-3)min(-1) for H24. Adsorption performance of H90 is higher compared to H24 due to it's highly mesoporous nature which in turn accelerates the diffusion process during adsorption. As(V) sorption capacity derived from Langmuir isotherm for H24 and H90 are 0.0358 and 0.0348gg(-1), respectively. Arsenic uptake was also quantitatively evaluated using the Freundlich and Dubinin-Kaganer-Radushkevich (DKR) isotherm models. Ion exchange between adsorbent's terminal aluminol groups with different predominant forms of arsenate in solution is one of the various important reactions occurred during adsorption process.

Comparative biochemical and transcriptional profiling of two contrasting varieties of Brassica juncea L. in response to arsenic exposure reveals mechanisms of stress perception and tolerance

The mechanisms of perception of arsenic (As)-induced stress and ensuing tolerance in plants remain unresolved. To obtain an insight into these mechanisms, biochemical and transcriptional profiling of two contrasting genotypes of Brassica juncea was performed. After screening 14 varieties for As tolerance, one tolerant (TPM-1) and one sensitive (TM-4) variety were selected and exposed to arsenate [As(V)] and arsenite [As(III)] for 7 d and 15 d for biochemical analyses. The tolerant variety (TPM-1) demonstrated higher accumulation of As upon exposure to both 500 microM As(V) and 250 microM As(III) [49 microg g(-1) and 37 microg g(-1) dry weight (dw) after 15 d] as well as a better response of thiol metabolism as compared with the responses observed in the sensitive variety (TM-4). Transcriptional profiling of selected genes that are known to be responsive to sulphur depletion and/or metal(loid) stress was conducted in 15-d-old seedlings after 3 h and 6 h exposure to 250 microM As(III). The results showed an up-regulation of sulphate transporters and auxin and jasmonate biosynthesis pathway genes, whereas there was a down-regulation of ethylene biosynthesis and cytokinin-responsive genes in TPM-1 within 6 h of exposure to As(III). This suggested that perception of As-induced stress was presumably mediated through an integrated modulation in hormonal functioning that led to both short- and long-term adaptations to combat the stress. Such a coordinated response of hormones was not seen in the sensitive variety. In conclusion, an early perception of As-induced stress followed by coordinated responses of various pathways was responsible for As tolerance in TPM-1.

Arsenic accumulation by the aquatic fern Azolla: comparison of arsenate uptake, speciation and efflux by A. caroliniana and A. filiculoides

This study investigates As accumulation and tolerance of the aquatic fern Azolla. Fifty strains of Azolla showed a large variation in As accumulation. The highest- and lowest-accumulating ferns among the 50 strains were chosen for further investigations. Azolla caroliniana accumulated two times more As than Azolla filiculoides owing to a higher influx velocity for arsenate. A. filiculoides was more resistant to external arsenate due to a lower uptake. Both strains showed a similar degree of tolerance to internal As. Arsenate and arsenite were the dominant As species in both Azolla strains, with methylated As species accounting for <5% of the total As. A. filiculoides had a higher proportion of arsenite than A. caroliniana. Both strains effluxed more arsenate than arsenite, and the amount of As efflux was proportional to the amount of As accumulation. The potential of growing Azolla in paddy fields to reduce As transfer from soil and water to rice should be further evaluated.

In field arsenic removal from natural water by zero-valent iron assisted by solar radiation

An in situ arsenic removal method applicable to highly contaminated water is presented. The method is based in the use of steel wool, lemon juice and solar radiation. The method was evaluated using water from the Camarones River, Atacama Desert in northern Chile, in which the arsenic concentration ranges between 1000 and 1300 microg L(-1). Response surface method analysis was used to optimize the amount of zero-valent iron (steel wool) and the citrate concentration (lemon juice) to be used. The optimal conditions when using solar radiation to remove arsenic from natural water from the Camarones river are: 1.3 g L(-1) of steel wool and one drop (ca. 0.04 mL) of lemon juice. Under these conditions, removal percentages are higher than 99.5% and the final arsenic concentration is below 10 microg L(-1). This highly effective arsenic removal method is easy to use and inexpensive to implement.

Adsorption of a few heavy metals on natural and modified kaolinite and montmorillonite: a review

The feasibility of using two important and common clay minerals, kaolinite and montmorillonite, as adsorbents for removal of toxic heavy metals has been reviewed. A good number of works have been reported where the modifications of these natural clays were done to carry the adsorption of metals from aqueous solutions. The modification was predominantly done by pillaring with various polyoxy cations of Zr4+, Al3+, Si4+, Ti4+, Fe3+, Cr3+or Ga3+, etc. Preparation of pillared clays with quaternary ammonium cations, namely, tetramethylammonium-, tetramethylphosphonium- and trimethyl-phenylammonium-, N'-didodecyl-N, N'-tetramethylethanediammonium, etc, are also common. Moreover, the acid treatment of clays often boosted their adsorption capacities. The adsorption of toxic metals, viz., As, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Fe, Pb, Mn, Ni, Zn, etc., have been studied predominantly. Montmorillonite and its modified forms have much higher metal adsorption capacity compared to that of kaolinite as well as modified-kaolinite.

The application of reused powdered wastes as adsorbent for treating arsenic containing mine drainage

This study examined the potential reuse of powdered wastes (PW) generated during the sanding and sawing process in a local chemical company in Korea with the viewpoint of the recycling these wastes and minimizing the level of contamination. The PW contained 40-60% aluminum hydroxide and 30-45% matrix resin. As a potential adsorbent, the suitability of thermal treated PW to remove arsenic from synthetic and real wastewater was investigated. As a pretreatment process, the reused adsorbent from PW was calcined at 550 degrees C for 3 hrs in a furnace. The calcination characteristics of PW were examined both quantitatively and qualitatively by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and qualitatively by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The major inorganic composition of the calcined PW (CPW) was aluminum oxide with poor crystallinity. The CPW contained well developed meso-pores (0.143 cm(3) g(-1)) and showed a specific surface area of 234 m(2) g(-1). The pH of the zero point charge (pH(pzc)) of the CPW was determined to be 7.8 by acid-base titration. From the batch adsorption tests, the complete removal of arsenic (up to 20 mg L(-1)) was observed with CPW (2 g) at pH ranging from 3.0 to 8.0. However, there was a significant decrease in arsenate adsorption at higher pH. A kinetics study indicated that the uptake of arsenate followed a second-order rate equation. In the presence of sulfate, the removal of arsenate was increasingly affected by the sulfate concentration. The application of CPW to the removal of 4 different real mine drainages was also carried out. Mine drainage contains a relatively high arsenate concentration as well as sulfate. Whilst the amount of arsenic removed from real mine drainage by CPW was slightly lower than that removed from synthetic wastewater due to competitive sorption by multiple ions, the adsorption of arsenate showed rapid removal within 10 min with good removal efficiency, which meets the national wastewater discharge limits. These results suggest that CPW is a good adsorbent for removing arsenic from synthetic and real mine drainage.

Effects of Mn(II) and Fe(II) on microbial removal of arsenic (III)

GOAL, SCOPE, AND BACKGROUND

Arsenic contamination in groundwater creates severe health problems in the world. There are many physiochemical and biological methods available for remediation of arsenic from groundwater. Among them, microbial remediation could be taken as one of the least expensive methods, though it takes longer treatment time. The main objective of this research was to study the improvement on remediation by addition of some essential ion salts such as Mn and Fe.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Klebsiella oxytoca, and Escherichia coli were taken as model microbes from Dhulikhel, 30 km east from Kathmandu, Nepal.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Microbes used in this study showed different abilities in their removal of As(III) with and without addition of Mn and Fe salts. The trend of remediation increased with time. S. aureus was found to be the best among the microbes used. It showed almost 100% removal after 48-h culture, both with and without Fe and Mn salts. Rate of removal of As increased with addition of Fe and Mn for all microbes. Removal efficiency was found to increase by about 32% on average after addition of salts in 24-h cultures of S. aureus.

Treatment of arsenic contaminated water in a laboratory scale up-flow bio-column reactor

The present paper describes the observations on the treatment of arsenic contaminated synthetic industrial effluent in a bio-column reactor. Ralstonia eutropha MTCC 2487 has been immobilized on the granular activated carbon (GAC) bed in the column reactor. The synthetic water sample containing As(T) (As(III):As(V)=1:1), Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn at the initial concentrations of 25, 10, 2, 5, 10 ppm, respectively, was used. Concentrations of all the elements have been found to be reduced below their permissible limits in the treated water. The significant effect of empty bed contact time (EBCT) and bed height on the arsenic removal was observed in the initial stage. However, after some time of operation (approximately 3-4 days) no such effect was observed. Removal of As(III) and As(V) was almost similar after approximately 2 days of operation. However, at the initial stage As(V) removal was slightly more than that of As(III). In absence of washing, after approximately 4-5 days of operation, the bio-column reactor was observed to act as a GAC column reactor based on physico-chemical adsorption. Like arsenic, the percent removals of Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn also attained minimum after approximately 1 day and increased significantly to the optimum value within 3-4 days of operation. Dissolved oxygen (DO) has been found to decrease along with the increasing bed height from the bottom. The pH of the solution in the reactor has increased slightly and oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) has decreased with the time of operation.

Treatment of arsenic contaminated water in a batch reactor by using Ralstonia eutropha MTCC 2487 and granular activated carbon

This paper presents the observations on the bio-removal of arsenic from contaminated water by using Ralstonia eutropha MTCC 2487 and activated carbon in a batch reactor. The effects of agitation time, pH, type of granular activated carbon (GAC) and initial arsenic concentration (As(o)) on the % removal of arsenic have been discussed. Under the experimental conditions, optimum removal was obtained at the pH of 6-7 with agitation time of 100 h. The % removal of As(T) increased initially with the increase in As(o) and after attaining the maximum removal (~86%) at the As(o) value of around 15 ppm, it started to decrease. Simultaneous adsorption bioaccumulation (SABA) was observed, when fresh GAC was used as supporting media for bacterial immobilization. In case of SABA, the % removal of As(III) was almost similar (only ~1% more) to the additive values of individual removal of As(III) obtained by only adsorption and only bio-adsorption. However, for As(V) the % removal was less (~8%) than the additive value of the individual % removals obtained by only adsorption and bio-adsorption. Percentage removal of Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn were 65.17%, 72.76%, 98.6% and 99.31%, respectively. Maximum regeneration (~99.4%) of the used bio-adsorbent was achieved by the treatment with 5NH(2)SO(4) followed by 1N NaOH and 30% H(2)O(2) in HNO(3). The fitness of the isotherms to predict the specific uptake for bio-adsorption/accumulation process has been found to decrease in the following order: Temkin isotherm>Langmuir isotherm>Freundlich isotherm. For the adsorption process with fresh GAC the corresponding order is Freundlich isotherm>Langmuir isotherm>Temkin isotherm for As(V) and As(T). However, for As(III) it was Langmuir>Temkin>Freundlich.

Experimental and modelling analysis of As(V) ions adsorption on granular activated carbon

In this work the adsorption of pentavalent arsenic on a granular activated carbon (GAC) has been experimentally studied. The effects of arsenic concentration, pH, temperature and salinity on equilibrium adsorption capacity have been investigated. Experimental results show that the adsorption capacity is the highest at neutral pH conditions, low salinity levels and high temperatures. A model for the description of the arsenic adsorption mechanism is reported. This is based on the multicomponent Langmuir adsorption theory applied to the ionic species in solution. The model points out that the adsorption capacity is proportional to the concentration of arsenic anions in solution and decreases by increasing the concentration of competitive ions such as hydroxides and chlorides, allowing a correct interpretation of the pH and salinity effects on the adsorption capacity. Finally, one of the main goals of the proposed model is to preserve the exothermicity of the adsorption phenomena despite the observed trend of experimental results: the increase of adsorption capacity with temperature appears to be related to a higher arsenic dissociation.

Effects of adsorbent dose, its particle size and initial arsenic concentration on the removal of arsenic, iron and manganese from simulated ground water by Fe3+ impregnated activated carbon

This paper presents the observations of the study on arsenic removal from a contaminated ground water (simulated) by adsorption onto Fe(3+) impregnated granular activated carbon (GAC-Fe). Fe(2+), Fe(3+) and Mn(2+) have also been considered along with arsenic species in the water sample. Similar study has also been done with untreated granular activated carbon (GAC) for comparison. The effects of adsorbent dose, particle size of adsorbent and initial arsenic concentration on the removal of As(T), As(III), As(V), Fe(2+), Fe(3+) and Mn(2+) have been discussed. Under the experimental conditions, the optimum adsorbent doses for GAC-Fe and GAC have been found to be 8 g/l and 24 g/l, respectively with an agitation time of 15 h. Particle size of the adsorbents (both GAC and GAC-Fe) has shown negligible effect on the removal of arsenic and Fe species. However, for Mn removal the effect of adsorbent particle size is comparatively more. Percentage removal of As(T), As(V) and As(III) increase with the decrease in initial arsenic concentration (As(0)). However, the increase in percentage removal of all the arsenic species with decrease in As(0) are less for higher value of As(0) (3000-500 ppb) than those of the lower value of As(0) (500-10 ppb). The % removal of As(T), As(III), As(V), Fe, and Mn were approximately 95%, 92.4%, 97.6%, 99% and 41.2%, respectively when 8 g/l GAC-Fe was used at the As(0) value of 200 ppb. However, for GAC these values were approximately 55.5%, 44%, 71%, 98% and 97%. The pH and temperature of the study were 7+/-0.1 and 30+/-1 degrees C, respectively.

Thiol metabolism and antioxidant systems complement each other during arsenate detoxification in Ceratophyllum demersum L

Ceratophyllum demersum L. is known to be a potential accumulator of arsenic (As), but mechanisms of As detoxification have not been investigated so far. In the present study, we analyzed the biochemical responses of Ceratophyllum plants to arsenate (As(V); 0-250 microM) exposure to explore the underlying mechanisms of As detoxification. Plants efficiently tolerated As toxicity up to concentrations of 50 microM As(V) and durations of 4 d with no significant effect on growth by modulating various pathways in a coordinated and complementary manner and accumulated about 76 microg As g(-1)dw. Significant increases were observed in the levels of various thiols including phytochelatins (PCs), the activities of enzymes of thiolic metabolism as well as arsenate reductase (AR). These primary responses probably enabled plants to detoxify at least some part of As(V) through its reduction and subsequent complexation. The maximum proportion of As chelated by PCs was found to be about 30% (at 50 microM As(V) after 2 d). Simultaneously, a significant increase in the activities of antioxidant enzymes was observed and hence plants did not experience oxidative stress when exposed to 50 microM As(V) for 4 d. Exposure of plants to higher concentrations (250 microM As(V)) and/or for longer durations (7 d) resulted in a significant increase in the level of As (maximum 525 microgg(-1)dw at 250 microM after 7 d) and an inverse relationship between As accumulation and various detoxification strategies was observed that lead to enhanced oxidative stress and hampered growth.

Remediation of heavy metal contaminated groundwater originated from abandoned mine using lime and calcium carbonate

Column and pilot scale experiments for a chemical treatment involving the use of coagulants to remediate heavy metal contaminated groundwater were performed. Granulated lime (Ca(OH)(2)) and calcium carbonate (CaCO(3)) were used as coagulants and contaminated groundwater obtained at an abandoned Fe-mine in Korea was used for the experiments. The main removal mechanism of heavy metals in the experiments was "sweep precipitation" by coagulation. Using granulated lime as a coagulant in the column experiment, more than 98% of As and Ni were removed from artificially contaminated water. When granulated calcium carbonate was used in the artificially contaminated water, the removal efficiencies of Ni and Zn were more than 97%, but As removal efficiency was lower than 50%. For the continuous column experiment with mixed lime and calcium carbonate at a 1:1 (v/v) ratio, almost all As was removed and more than 98 % of Ni was removed. For pilot scale experiments (acryl tank: 34 cm in length and 24 cm in diameter), the removal efficiencies of As and Cd were above 96% for 150l groundwater treatment and their accumulated removal capacities linearly maintained. This suggests that coagulants could treat more than 22 times greater groundwater volume compared with the volume of coagulants used.

A laboratory study for the treatment of arsenic, iron, and manganese bearing ground water using Fe(3+) impregnated activated carbon: effects of shaking time, pH and temperature

This paper deals with the experimental investigation related to removal of arsenic from a simulated contaminated ground water by the adsorption onto Fe(3+) impregnated granular activated carbon (GAC-Fe) in presence of Fe(2+), Fe(3+), and Mn(2+). Similar study has also been done with granular activated carbon (GAC) for comparison. The effects of shaking time, pH, and temperature on the percentage removal of As(T), As(III), As(V), Fe(2+), Fe(3+), and Mn have been discussed. The shaking time for optimum removal of arsenic species has been noted as 8h for GAC-Fe and 12h for GAC, respectively. As(T) removal was less affected by the change in pH within the pH range of 2-11. Maximum removal of As(V) and As(III) was observed in the pH range of 5-7 and 9-11, respectively, for both the adsorbents. Under the experimental conditions at 30 degrees C, the optimum removal of As(T), As(III), As(V), Fe, and Mn are 95.5%, 93%, 98%, 100%, and 41%, respectively, when GAC-Fe is used. For GAC these values are 56%, 41%, 71%, 99%, and 98%. The adsorbent dose (AD) and its particle size (PS) for both GAC and GAC-Fe were 30 g/l and 125-150 mum, respectively. The initial arsenic concentration in the synthetic water sample was 200 ppb.

Phytochelatins and antioxidant systems respond differentially during arsenite and arsenate stress in Hydrilla verticillata (L.f.) Royle

Serious contamination of aquatic systems by arsenic (As) in different parts of the world calls for the development of an in situ cost-effective phytoremediation technology. In the present investigation, plants of Hydrilla verticillata (L.f.) Royle were exposed to various concentrations of arsenate (As(V)) (0-250 microM) and arsenite (AsIII) (0-25 microM) and analyzed for accumulation responses vis-à-vis biochemical changes. Total As accumulation was found to be higher in plants exposed to AsIII (315 microg g(-1) dw at 25 microM) compared to As(V) (205 microg g(-1) dw at 250 microM) after 7 d of treatment. Plants tolerated low concentrations of As(III) and As(V) by detoxifying the metalloid through augmented synthesis of thiols such as phytochelatins and through increased activity of antioxidant enzymes. While As(V) predominantly stimulated antioxidant enzyme activity, As(III) primarily caused enhanced levels of thiols. The maximum amount of As chelated by PCs was found to be about 39% in plants exposed to As(III) (at 10 microM) and 35% in As(V) exposed plants (at 50 microM) after 4 d. Only the respective highest concentrations of As(III) (25 microM) and As(V) (250 microM) proved toxic for normal plant growth after prolonged treatment. Thus, H. verticillata forms a promising candidate for the phytoremediation of As contaminated water.

Arsenic removal from water/wastewater using adsorbents--A critical review

Arsenic's history in science, medicine and technology has been overshadowed by its notoriety as a poison in homicides. Arsenic is viewed as being synonymous with toxicity. Dangerous arsenic concentrations in natural waters is now a worldwide problem and often referred to as a 20th-21st century calamity. High arsenic concentrations have been reported recently from the USA, China, Chile, Bangladesh, Taiwan, Mexico, Argentina, Poland, Canada, Hungary, Japan and India. Among 21 countries in different parts of the world affected by groundwater arsenic contamination, the largest population at risk is in Bangladesh followed by West Bengal in India. Existing overviews of arsenic removal include technologies that have traditionally been used (oxidation, precipitation/coagulation/membrane separation) with far less attention paid to adsorption. No previous review is available where readers can get an overview of the sorption capacities of both available and developed sorbents used for arsenic remediation together with the traditional remediation methods. We have incorporated most of the valuable available literature on arsenic remediation by adsorption ( approximately 600 references). Existing purification methods for drinking water; wastewater; industrial effluents, and technological solutions for arsenic have been listed. Arsenic sorption by commercially available carbons and other low-cost adsorbents are surveyed and critically reviewed and their sorption efficiencies are compared. Arsenic adsorption behavior in presence of other impurities has been discussed. Some commercially available adsorbents are also surveyed. An extensive table summarizes the sorption capacities of various adsorbents. Some low-cost adsorbents are superior including treated slags, carbons developed from agricultural waste (char carbons and coconut husk carbons), biosorbents (immobilized biomass, orange juice residue), goethite and some commercial adsorbents, which include resins, gels, silica, treated silica tested for arsenic removal come out to be superior. Immobilized biomass adsorbents offered outstanding performances. Desorption of arsenic followed by regeneration of sorbents has been discussed. Strong acids and bases seem to be the best desorbing agents to produce arsenic concentrates. Arsenic concentrate treatment and disposal obtained is briefly addressed. This issue is very important but much less discussed.

Arsenic hazards: strategies for tolerance and remediation by plants

Arsenic toxicity has become a global concern owing to the ever-increasing contamination of water, soil and crops in many regions of the world. To limit the detrimental impact of arsenic compounds, efficient strategies such as phytoremediation are required. Suitable plants include arsenic hyperaccumulating ferns and aquatic plants that are capable of completing their life cycle in the presence of high levels of arsenic through the concerted action of arsenate reduction to arsenite, arsenite complexation, and vacuolar compartmentalization of complexed or inorganic arsenic. Tolerance can also be conferred by lowering arsenic uptake by suppression of phosphate transport activity, a major pathway for arsenate entry. In many unicellular organisms, arsenic tolerance is based on the active removal of cytosolic arsenite while limiting the uptake of arsenate. Recent molecular studies have revealed many of the gene products involved in these processes, providing the tools to improve crop species and to optimize phytoremediation; however, so far only single genes have been manipulated, which has limited progress. We will discuss recent advances and their potential applications, particularly in the context of multigenic engineering approaches.