Abstract
A serious disease caused by exposure to arsenic via drinking water from wells has been observed in wide areas of Asia. We investigated the suitability of the agro-byproducts, rice husk ash and bone ash of livestock, as low cost As adsorbent for use in water purification in developing countries. The result showed that bone ash had higher adsorption capacity than rice husk ash, and concentrations of elements such as Cd and Mn dissolved from the bone ash were within the concentration criteria for drinking water. In addition, since the amount of adsorbed As from As(III) solution was higher than that from As(V) solution, we thought that As(III) oxidizing treatment was not necessary for As adsorption by the bone ash. We also found that As concentration was lower than 50 μg/L in the liquid phase, which is the standard value for drinking water in Bangladesh, when 0.5 mg/L As(III) solution was treated with bone ash at solid-liquid ratio higher than 0.075 (3 g : 40 mL).
