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The presence of contaminants such as arsenic and fluoride in drinking water is a major health concern for rural communities around the world. Some of the most severe cases are in South-Asian countries such as India and Bangladesh, several regions in South America, and Africa. Arsenic and fluorine fluoride are natural occurring elements widely distributed throughout the environment and are highly toxic in their inorganic form. People in these parts of the world are exposed to elevated levels of inorganic arsenic through contaminated groundwater, which is often used for drinking, food preparation, and irrigation. Long-term exposure to these inorganics can lead to chronic poisoning, severe cases of which may lead to organ failure and internal hemorrhageshemorrhaging.
A previous research team was able to successfully remove arsenic from contaminated synthetic groundwater by running the water through a sand filter in which the sand was coated in a coagulant, specifically polyaluminum chloride (PACl). This process, however, required frequent filter backwashing due to clogging seen through large pressure differentials. Despite being able to successfully remove arsenic from contaminated groundwater, the process was deemed inefficient due to its excessive consumption of treated water.
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