Arsenic removal from aqueous solution using ferrous based red mud sludge

Abstract

Ferrous based red mud sludge (FRS) which combined the iron–arsenic co-precipitation and the high arsenic adsorption features was developed aimed at low arsenic water treatment in rural areas. Arsenic removal studies shown that FRS in dosage of 0.2 or 0.3 g/l can be used effectively to remove arsenic from aqueous solutions when initial As(V) concentration was 0.2 or 0.3 mg/l. Meanwhile, turbidity of supernatant in disturbing water was lower than 2 NTU after 24 h. The pH range (4.5–8.0) for FRS in effective arsenic removal was applicable in natural circumstance. Phosphate can greatly reduce the arsenic removal efficiency while the presence of carbonate had no significant effect on arsenic removal. Arsenic fractionation experiments showed that amorphous hydrous oxide-bound arsenic was the major components. When aqueous pH was decreased from 8.0 to 4.5, arsenic in FRS was not obviously released. The high arsenic uptake capability, good settlement performance and cost-effective characteristic of FRS make it potentially attractive material for the arsenic removal in rural areas.