Arsenic removal from drinking water using the coagulation/microfiltratin process

Abstract

The US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has promulgated the Arsenic Rule and lowered the arsenic maximum contaminant level from 50 μg/L to 10 μg/L. Many water systems will be faced with implementing a treatment technology for removing arsenic to meet the compliance deadline of January 23, 2006. Coagulation/microfiltration (C/MF) technology has been recognized by the USEPA as an emerging technology for the removal of arsenic from drinking water. During the past five years, the authors have implemented several pilot tests to evaluate the performance of the C/MF process. This pilot testing has shown that C/MF is a robust and cost‐effective technology for arsenic treatment. This article presents a summary of the process concepts, chemistry, and design considerations for the use of C/MF technology.