SolmeteX®: Removal Arsenic from Drinking Water

ArsenX^np has a polymer based bead with hydrous iron oxide nano-particles impregnated throughout the bead. This advanced hybrid material combines the best arsenic-binding chemistry with the robustness of polymer resins.

• ArsenX^np is regenerable, making the technology very cost-effective.
• ArsenX^np does not collapse or break down, minimizing maintenance and back pressure.
• ArsenX^np does not need back washing.
• ArsenX^np does not create on-site arsenic residuals.
• ArsenX^np Nanoparticles yield optimum binding surface area for improved capacity and kinetics.
• ArsenX^np offers great fluid mechanics, increasing efficiency and reliability.

ArsenX^np is tested and certified by the Water Quality Association. For detailed information on how this ground-breaking technology is applied to the household point- of- entry program, visit www.npxtra.com.

The SolmeteX® arsenic removal technology

ArsenX^np is a results-oriented and efficient technology developed in collaboration with Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. The ANSI/NSF 61-approved, patent-pending ArsenX^np combines the proven, robust nature of polymer beads with the arsenic selective chemistry of iron media.

ArsenX^np technology requires lower system capital costs than traditional technologies. Simple to install and to operate, ArsenX^np systems do not require additional real estate or plumbing for backwash purposes. They have been used in applications ranging from the single household to municipalities treating over 3 million gpd.

ArsenX^np regenerable. Using the same material over and over again significantly reduces system life O&M costs. Regeneration is done off-site, stripping the arsenic off the media at a central facility, to be disposed of properly at a hazardous material facility. The potential liability of arsenic leaching from the media in a local landfill is thus eliminated.

 

Arsenic Contamination: Scope and Health Effects

Arsenic is widely distributed throughout the earth's crust, Arsenic contamination is largely the result of minerals from weathered rocks and soils which become dissolved in ground water. Tasteless and odorless, arsenic is highly toxic and carcinogenic. Long-term exposure to even low levels has been proven to be detrimental to human health. Arsenic in drinking water has been linked to cancer of the bladder, lungs, skin, kidney, nasal passages, liver and prostate. Ingestion of arsenic can also have non-cancer effects in the cardio-vascular, pulmonary, immunological, neurological and endocrine systems.

In January 2006, the nationally mandated maximum contaminant limit (MCL) for arsenic in drinking water was lowered to 10 micrograms per liter (or 10 ppb). In the United States, there are over 4,000 municipalities that have drinking water with higher levels of arsenic than this maximum contaminant limit (MCL). Additionally, there are 14 million American homes with private wells that exceed the MCL.

Articles of Interest

Troubled Waters Ahead - Henry Nowicki and Barbara Sherman, Water Quality Products, October, 2005

Total Package - Amy Osgood, Water Quality Products, May, 2006

Point-of-Entry Arsenic Removal Systems - Paul Sylvester, Ph. D., ASHI Reporter, September 2006