Sustainable engineered processes to mitigate the global arsenic crisis in drinking water: challenges and progress

Annu Rev Chem Biomol Eng. 2012:3:497-517. doi: 10.1146/annurev-chembioeng-062011-081101. Epub 2012 Apr 23.

Abstract

Millions of people around the world are currently living under the threat of developing serious health problems owing to ingestion of dangerous concentrations of arsenic through their drinking water. In many places, treatment of arsenic-contaminated water is an urgent necessity owing to a lack of safe alternative sources. Sustainable production of arsenic-safe water from an arsenic-contaminated raw water source is currently a challenge. Despite the successful development in the laboratory of technologies for arsenic remediation, few have been successful in the field. A sustainable arsenic-remediation technology should be robust, composed of local resources, and user-friendly as well as must attach special consideration to the social, economic, cultural, traditional, and environmental aspects of the target community. One such technology is in operation on the Indian subcontinent. Wide-scale replication of this technology with adequate improvisation can solve the arsenic crisis prevalent in the developing world.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adsorption
  • Arsenic / analysis
  • Arsenic / chemistry
  • Arsenic / isolation & purification*
  • Chemical Engineering / methods*
  • Developing Countries*
  • Drinking Water / analysis
  • Drinking Water / chemistry*
  • Ferric Compounds / chemistry
  • Filtration
  • India
  • Ion Exchange
  • Metal Nanoparticles / chemistry
  • Osmosis
  • Silicon Dioxide / chemistry
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / analysis
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / chemistry
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / isolation & purification*
  • Water Purification / methods*

Substances

  • Drinking Water
  • Ferric Compounds
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical
  • ferric oxide
  • Silicon Dioxide
  • Arsenic