Residual Aluminium in Water Intended for Human Consumption

Abstract

Aluminium is one of the environmental factors that may have an impact on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Some epidemiological studies show a relationship between the concentration of aluminium in drinking water and the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease. The article presents and discusses the results of research on the effect of the type and dose of non-prehydrolyzed aluminium coagulants on the concentration of residual aluminium in water intended for human consumption. Aluminium sulphate (VI) and sodium aluminate were tested as coagulants. Analysis of the obtained test results showed that lower concentrations of residual aluminium were found after coagulation with aluminium sulphate (VI), which is hydrolyzed acidally, lowering the pH of the water in the range of 7.47 to 7.12 providing good conditions for the formation of Al(OH)<sub>3</sub>. A less useful coagulant due to the concentration of residual aluminium was sodium aluminate, which undergoes basic hydrolysis creating conditions for the transition of Al(OH)<sub>3</sub> into soluble Al(OH)<sub>4</sub><sup>−</sup>.