APPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY:
Removal of arsenic from
- Drinking water supply
- Power plant wastewater ponds
ADVANTAGES:
- High iron-ion production per reactor volume
- Anodes require less cleaning than competitors
- Compact size
ABSTRACT:
Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have developed an advanced device for removal of arsenic from drinking water. The Air-Cathode ECAR (ACE) is an air cathode coupled with an iron-electro-coagulation (Iron-EC) cell yielding a more efficient, compact device that requires less anode cleaning.
The addition of the air cathode causes generation of H2O2 on the cathode, blocking the green rust that can result from earlier technologies based on injecting a high current into the iron anode only. (Green rust limits the chemical conditions that remove arsenic from water sources.) The ACE anodes require less cleaning than the standard Iron-EC, and the device produces FE-II ions required for arsenic removal at a higher rate per reactor volume than Iron-EC. This yields a more compact device at a lower cost than competitive technologies.
DEVELOPMENT STAGE: Prototype
STATUS: Patent pending. Available for licensing or collaborative research.
SEE THESE OTHER BERKELEY LAB TECHNOLOGIES IN THIS FIELD:
ECAR: Low Cost Electrochemical Arsenic Removal from Drinking Water Supplies, IB-2126
Low Cost Fluoride Remediation for Groundwater in Developing Countries, 2015-125
FOR ADDITIONALÂ INFORMATION:
LBNL Tech Removes Arsenic and Excess Fluoride, Providing Safe Drinking Water in India (via AUTM)