Treatment of Arsenic in Small Drinking Water Systems Using Self-Assembled Monolayers on Mesoporous Supports, A High-Capacity Selective Sorbent

HydroPure Technologies, working with Battelle Pacific Northwest Division, is proposing to determine the commercial feasibility of the high-capacity selective sorbent, self-assembled monolayers on mesoporous supports (SAMMS) as an effective and commercially viable process. This sorbent has the potential advantage of fully treating arsenic (As) in drinking waters to the new Drinking Water Standard. Evaluation will include applications for new treatment systems and retrofitting to existing systems as either incorporation into existing unit operations, or as an add-on process. SAMMS is produced from a base, nano-sized pore media that is functionalized in a patented process to create a monolayer covering that provides reactive potential. For As treatment, two types of SAMMS will be tested in laboratory transfer rate and isotherm experiments to determine the kinetics, phase distribution of As(V), and affinity of the SAMMS for As(V). A specialized SAMMS that concurrently oxidizes As(III) and sorbs As(V) also will be tested. The technical testing will determine the critical design parameters by testing actual groundwater samples with known or spiked As species. This information will provide the basis for engineering evaluation and commercialization potential of the SAMMS treatment process. Application modes for SAMMS in the removal of As include granular media beds or columns as the most likely unit configuration, although there may be applications of a powdered SAMMS, coupled with solids separation unit operations. SAMMS has the potential to serve as a stand-alone unit for waters with only As concentration problems, as a new or retrofit process for As removal, or as a polishing step for processes that treat As, but cannot meet the more stringent concentration requirement of 10 ¿g/L.