A Comprehensive Review of the Latest Advancements in Controlling Arsenic Contaminants in Groundwater

Abstract

Water contaminated with arsenic is a worldwide problem. This review presents the arsenic contamination in groundwater, its sources, and possible health risk to humans. Groundwater pollution is the most common route of inorganic arsenic exposure in humans. Arsenic concentrations in different countries were analyzed and projected on a map. Because arsenic is widely spread throughout the Earth’s crust, it is present in trace amounts in practically all waterways. Harmful levels of this toxin have been identified in drinking water in some regions. For drinking purposes, the majority of people use groundwater; excess arsenic levels in groundwater have been linked to a variety of negative health impacts on people. Arsenic exposure is the world’s leading environmental cause of cancer. The main aim of this review is to summarize the effective technologies to remove arsenic from drinking water, such as ion exchange, coagulation/flocculation, and membrane technologies like ultra-filtration and electrodialysis, helping to deal with the adverse effects caused by arsenic exposure. All these technologies present different advantages and disadvantages. Electrocoagulation, adsorption, and phytoremediation are the most efficient and cost-effective technologies. The removal efficiencies of arsenic using these technologies and prospects were also included.

Keywords

• arsenic
• removal technologies
• toxicity
• health consequences