Arsenic and fluoride removal from contaminated drinking water with Haix-Fe-Zr and Haix-Zr resin beads

The objective of the study was to carry-out batch tests to examine the effectiveness of Haix-Fe-Zr and Haix-Zr resin beads in the removal of As(III), As(V) and F⁻ from groundwater with a similar geochemistry to a site where a community-based drinking water plant has been installed in West Bengal, India. The groundwater was spiked separately with ∼200 μg/L As(III) and As(V) and 5 mg/L F⁻. Haix-Zr resin beads were more effective than Haix-Fe-Zr resin beads in removing As(III) and As(V). Haix-Zr resin beads showed higher removal of As(V) compared to As(III). Haix-Zr resin beads removed As(V) below the WHO (10 μg/L) drinking water standards at 8.79 μg/L after 4 h of shaking, while As(III) was reduced to 7.72 μg/L after 8 h of shaking. Haix-Fe-Zr resin beads were more effective in removing F⁻ from the spiked groundwater compared to Haix-Zr resin beads. Concentrations of F⁻ decreased from 6.27 mg/L to 1.26 mg/L, which is below the WHO drinking water standards (1.5 mg/L) for F⁻, after 15 min of shaking with Haix-Fe-Zr resin beads. After 20 min of shaking in groundwater treated with Haix-Zr resin beads, F⁻ concentrations decreased from 6.27 mg/L to 1.43 mg/L. In the removal of As(III), As(V), and F⁻ from the groundwater, Haix-Fe-Zr and Haix-Zr resin beads fit the parabolic diffusion equation (PDE) suggesting that adsorption of these contaminants was consistent with inter-particle diffusion.