Electrocoagulation process for the removal of co-existent fluoride, arsenic and iron from contaminated drinking water

The study of the EC process on the removal of iron, fluoride and arsenic from drinking water is an important step on the development of effective water treatment technologies for some world regions where the presence of those contaminants is a major health concern. Experimental results show that arsenic can be easily removed even in the presence of the other contaminants. Despite the slight reduction on the arsenic removal rate in the presence fluoride, the total removal can be achieved in less than 30 min of EC operation. On the other hand, the presence of iron presents a positive effect on the arsenic removal rate. Both fluoride and iron removal seem to benefit from each other presence in the EC operation. Moreover, the removal of both components is not significantly affected by the presence of arsenic. The simultaneous removal of the three pollutants can be achieved in less than 1 h of operation.