Arsenic removal from drinking water with Granular Ferric Hydroxide (GEH): Effect of vanadium and phosphorous on the adsorption capacity

Abstract

Groundwater contaminated with geogenic arsenic of volcanic origin typically also contains elevated concentrations of vanadium and phosphorus. Due to the chemical similarity of these three oxyanions, adsorption competition occurs, which leads to a reduction in the efficiency of drinking water treatment plants. Laboratory tests have shown that the competition between the three substances is equally high when adsorbed on Granular Ferric Hydroxide (GEH). The analysis of loaded adsorbents from existing waterworks confirmed this strong competition between arsenic and vanadium. In contrast, a lower competition effect was found for phosphorus, although the total effect of phosphorus is of course considerable due to the higher concentration in the water.