Arsenic (III) Removal from Real-Life Groundwater by Adsorption on Neem Bark (Azadirachta indica)

The adsorption characteristics of arsenic on neem bark, a low-cost natural adsorbent, were studied in the laboratory scale using real-life sample. Neem bark has tremendous potential as a remediation material for the removal of arsenic from groundwater. The present work investigates the possibility of the use of neem bark adsorption technology without any pretreatment in the removal of arsenic from aqueous media. Various conditions that affect the adsorption/desorption of arsenic are investigated. Adsorption column methods show the maximum removal of As (III) under the following conditions: initial arsenic concentration, 100 µg/L; neem bark amount, 5 g; average particle size, 0.595 mm; treatment flow rate, 1.67 mL/min; and pH, 6.9; respectively. The desorption efficiencies with 1M of HCl after the treatment of groundwater were in the range of 79%. The present study might provide new avenues to achieve the arsenic concentration for drinking water recommended by Bangladesh and the World Health Organization (WHO).