Utilization of anion exchange resin Spectra/Gel for separation of arsenic from water

Arsenic in drinking water is one of the most challenging health hazards facing mankind today. Arsenic is a naturally occurring carcinogen and creates epidemiological problems through chronic ingestion from drinking water. Arsenic is present in water primarily as As(III) or As(V). Removal of both As(III) and As(V) from water by adsorption on strong base anion-chloride has been studied. Arsenic concentration was measured by Inductively Coupled Argon Plasma (ICP) analysis. The resin was regenerated and the adsorbed arsenic fractions were eluted by using 2 M NaCl. The effect of different parameters that influence adsorption process, such as relative arsenic and resin concentrations, retention time, and pH, were investigated. Results obtained revealed that As(III) was poorly adsorbed, whereas As(V) was successfully retained on the resin. The adsorption process was optimized by using 1 g resin for 16 ppm As(V) at pH 9 for 30 min. The removal efficiency of As(V) was 99.2%.