Iron oxide-modified nanoporous geopolymers for arsenic removal from ground water

Composite materials of hierarchically porous geopolymer and amorphous hydrous ferric oxide were produced and characterized as a new potentially cost-effective arsenic adsorbent. The arsenic removal capabilities of the iron (hydr)oxide (HFO) media were carried out using batch reactor experiments and laboratory scale continuous flow experiments. The Rapid Small-Scale Column Tests (RSSCT) were employed to mimic a scaled up packed bed reactor and the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) test of arsenic adsorbed solid material was carried out to investigate the mechanical robustness of the adsorbent. The best performing media which contained ~20 wt% Fe could remove over 95 g of arsenic per gram of dry media from arsenic only water matric. The role of the high porosity in arsenic adsorption characteristics was further quantified in conjunction with accessibility of the adsorption sites. The new hierarchically porous geopolymer-based composites were shown to be a good candidate for cost-effective removal of arsenic from contaminated water under realistic conditions owing to their favorable adsorption capacity and very low leachability.