Dr.

Branislav Petrusevski
IHE Delft Institute for Water Education
 2

Two research lines:

a) development of PoU system for drinking water
production in developing countries:
 several MSc studies & staff research;
 adsorptive treatment (IOCS);
 financially supported by VEWIN, NORIT, Vitens, IHE.

b) centralised treatment for drinking water production and

industrial waste water treatment:
 several MSc studies & staff research;
 based on centralised adsorptive treatment with IOCS (iron
coated zeolites) and enhanced coagulation;
 financially supported by industry & Dutch government.
 3

 It is based on adsorption on
Iron Oxide Coated Sand (IOCS).
 IOCS is a by-product from
groundwater treatment plants
and consequently very cheap.
 Highly efficient for both As(III)
and As(V).
 IOCS arsenic adsorption
capacity comparable to
commercially available Virgin sand
(expensive) adsorbents. &
IOCS
 Low treatment costs.
4
 5

Collecting IOCS from Dutch groundwater treatment plant

 80 x
- Iron (hydro)oxides main components of IOCS
- Grain size : 2 - 5 mm
- Large surface area – BET - ~230 m2/g IOCS
- pH ZPC ~6.9

1500 X

2500x
 7

Freundlich adsorption isotherms 
for As(III) with the three IOCS samples

K n R2

WTP 1 2465 0.28 0.92

WTP 2 910 0.58 0.90

WTP 3 484 0.43 0.92

 8

Two applications:
 Arsenic removal “family filter”
(IHE-FF) tested in laboratory
and in operation for several
years in rural Bangladesh.
 Industrial-scale centralized
application (tested in
laboratory, Greece and
Hungary, Romania).

Arsenic removal family filter (IHE-FF) 

 9

laboratory testing of the IHE family

filter prototype

testing of 1st and 2nd generation

of prototypes in rural Bangladesh

testing of 3rd generation prototype

in rural Bangladesh
 10

 Laboratory prototype of IHE-FF

 3rd generation IHE-FF

1st generation IHE-FF 

 11

Vf = 0.21 m/h, h = 26 cm, VIOCS = 950 ml

 12

on/off hand operated valve

air release valve
tap

50

450

Vf: 0.25 m/h polishing IOCS

filter capacity: 100 L/day 100 IOCS
filter diameter: 150 mm supporting layer
adsorbent: IOCS (9 L) (coarse pumice)
 13

 11 shallow wells located in 5 Bangladeshi villages were

included in the study.

 Water used as “drinking water”.

 Groundwater composition:
 As = 180-710 μg/L
 Fe = 3.0-20.5 mg/L
 Mn = 0.13-3.13 mg/L
 NH3 = 0.44-5.2 mg/L
 PO43- = 0.4-2.1 mg P/L
 14

Ground water Filtrate WHO Guideline Bangladeschi standard

250
Arsenic concentration (µg/L)

200

150

100

50

0 200 400 600 800 1000

Filtrate run time [days]

Charpara village (Kushtia district)

GW: Fe=5.5-8.0 mg/L, Mn=0.1 mg/L, NH4+=3.8 mg/L,
PO4-=1.1mg/L, TOC=5.7mg/L, pH=6.9.
 15

Ground water Filtrate WHO Guideline Bangladeschi standard

400

300
Arsenic concentration (µg/L)

200

100

0
0 200 400 600 800 1000

Filter run time [days]

Tilok village (Kushtia district)

GW: Fe= 8.3-12.5 mg/L, Mn = 0.1- 0.3 mg/L, NH4+=5.0 mg/L,
PO4-=2.1 mg/L, TOC=3.0 mg/L, pH=7.1.
 16

 IHE Family Filter with IOCS has very high As(III) and As(V)
removal potential;
 no electricity required (operates under gravity);
 no chemicals needed;
 simple and affordable for rural communities;
 can be locally produced;
 capacity 100 litres of As-free water per day (sufficient for
drinking and cooking purposes of more than 20 people);
 >18 months of operation without adsorbent replacement or
regeneration.
17
18
 19

Two applications:
 Arsenic removal “family filter”
(IHE-FF) tested in laboratory
and in operation for several
years in rural Bangladesh.
 Industrial-scale centralized
application (tested in
laboratory, Greece, Jordan,
Hungary, and Romania).
 20

IHE‐ADART: Regeneration

 After some filtration time (e.g. days to months) arsenic

breakthrough (As>10 µg/l) will occur,

 An innovative, simple, cheap, in-situ procedure developed for

regeneration of (partially) arsenic saturated media,

 Cheap, widely available iron salts (approved for drinking water

treatment) used for the regeneration.
 21

 Suitable for centralized production of arsenic-free water by

water supply companies and industry.
 Treatment process: simple filtration through filter filled with
IOCS (by-product of drinking water industry).
 Filtration rate similar to filters treating groundwater without
arsenic (5 m/h).
 After some filtration time (e.g. days to months) arsenic
breakthrough (As>10 µg/l) will occur,
 An innovative simple, cheap, in-situ procedure developed
for regeneration of arsenic saturated adsorbent (IOCS).
 22

IHE‐ADART: Regeneration (con't)

Adsorption As(III) / As(V)

IOCS
 23

IHE‐ADART: Regeneration (con't)

Regeneration Fe(II)
(addition of
regenerant)

IOCS
 24

IHE‐ADART: Regeneration (con't)

O2 Fe(II) Fe(III)
Regeneration
(oxidation)

IOCS
 25

IHE‐ADART: Regeneration (con't)

Adsorption As(III) / As(V)

IOCS
26
 27

Rapid filter with IOCS: Vf=5m/h, H=2.5 m.

Model water: As(III)=250 µg/L, pH=7.7, HCO3-=250 mg/l.
 28

Rapid filter with IOCS: Vf=5m/h, H=2.5 m.

Model water: As(III)=250 µg/L, pH=7.7, HCO3-=250 mg/l.
 29

Rapid filter with IOCS: Vf=5m/h, H=2.5 m.

Model water: As(III)=250 µg/L, pH=7.7, HCO3-=250 mg/l.
 30

Rapid filter with IOCS: Vf=5m/h, H=2.5 m.

Model water: As(III)=250 µg/L, pH=7.7, HCO3-=250 mg/l.
 31

 Chalastra – 10,000 inhibitions in Northern Greece.

 Ground water with 200 μg As /L used as drinking water.

 Groundwater quality: high pH (8.1) , high HCO3-, presence

of phosphate.

 Demonstration scale arsenic removal pilot plant based on

adsorptive filtration with ICS as adsorbent.

 No additional chemical used, no backwashing of the filters.

 32

Filtrate was consistently As-free (<10 μg /L).

 33

Filtrate was consistently As-free (<10 μg /L).

 34

Results from pilot tests in well A (Feb - Apr 2003)

 35

Pilot plant: 3 rapid sand filters with 0.8 m IOCS (2003/2004)

 Mobile pilot plant (2 sea containers) provided by
Vitens , capacity 50 m3/day

regenerant dosing 

Filter 1  Aeration  Filter 2‐1  Filter 2‐2 

GW  Aeration  CWR 
NH4  As removal  As removal 

distribution system 
air blower  backwash 
 38

GW: mixture of >10 wells with NH3, CH4, PO43-, high HCO3- and pH.
 39

Pilot plant (Q = 50 m3/day) in operation May - Aug 07, Vf=5 m/h

GW: pH = 8.1-8.3, NH4 = 1.0-1.5 mg/L, PO4 = 0.3-0.9 mg/L,
Fe ≤ 0.03 mg/L, TOC = 1.8-5.3 mg/L.
 40

Pilot plant (Q = 50 m3/day) in operation May - Aug 07, Vf=5 m/h

GW: pH = 8.1-8.3, NH4 = 1.0-1.5 mg/L, PO4 = 0.3-0.9 mg/L,
Fe ≤ 0.03 mg/L, TOC = 1.8-5.3 mg/L.
Groundwater Quality:

- Anoxic groundwater,
- Arsenic: 80-140 µg/l,
- Arsenic present mainly as As(III),
- Iron (≤0.90 mg/l),
- Manganese (≤0.1 mg/l),
- Ammonia (≤1.0 mg/l),
- Phosphate (≤0.40 mg/l),
- pH=7.7 - 8.0
43
 180

160
140 GW‐IHE
120 GW‐Ars
100 GW‐PUC
Arsenic  (µg/l)

80 F1‐IHE
60 F1‐Ars
40 F1‐ PUC
20 F3 ‐IHE
0 F3‐Ars
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400
Run time (days)

Pilot plant: Aeration - RSF, two step IOCS filters (each with H=2.5m IOCS), Vf=5 m/h
 20

15

10 F3‐ IHE
Arsenic  (µg/l)

F3‐Ars
F3‐PUC
5

0
330 340 350 360 370 380 390
Run time (days)

Results from mobile pilot plant; adsorptive filter with IOCS (H=2.5m), Vf=5 m/h
- Anoxic groundwater,

- Very high arsenic: 220 - 300 µg/l,

- Arsenic present mainly as As(III),

- Presence of elevated: Iron (≤0.90 mg/l) , Manganese (≤0.1 mg/l),

Ammonia (≤1.0 mg/l), Phosphate (≤0.40 mg/l), pH=7.7-8.0
 Pilot plant in operation from June 2012 (Aeration-Filtration) and August
31, 2012 (complete pilot),

 Pilot capacity up to 20 m3/h,

 Plant equipped with state-of-the-art- Scada system, suitable for

continuous automatic operation and remote control,

 Pilot provided by Foundation: Water is Our World and Vitens

 300

250
Arsenic (µg/l)

200

150

100

50

0
30/aug 29/sep 29/okt 28/nov 28/dec 27/jan 26/feb 28/mrt 27/apr 27/mei

RW‐PUC RW‐Ars RW‐ZZJZ F2‐PUC F2‐Ars F2 ZZJZ

.
Filter F2 with IOCS, H=2.50m , Q=5-10 m3/h,
 25
PUC Lab Arsenator Public Health Lab

20
Arsenic (µg/l)

15

10

0
30/aug 29/sep 29/okt 28/nov 28/dec 27/jan 26/feb 28/mrt 27/apr
 Ground Water Treated Water
300

250
Arsenic (µg/l)

200

150

100

50

0
 Plant capacity 1.000 m3/day;

 Treatment process:
- Aeration-Rapid Sand Filtration
- Adsorptive filtration with IOCS
- Polishing filtration with GFH

 Plant in continues operation from

June 2014;

 Plant consistently provides

arsenic–free drinking water to
10.000 people in North of Jordan;

 Very smooth operation, consistent

and complete arsenic removal
even after IOCS filters

 No operational problems worth

mentioning.
 50
Ground wa ter
40 a fter IOCS filter
Arsenic (μg/L)

30

20

10

0
Jul '14 Ja n '15 Jul '15 Ja n '16
Sampling date
 54

 Life cycle cost analysis made for application of the

Dutch arsenic removal technology in the MTV water
supply system (Hungary).

 Cost calculations expressed in €/m3 of produced

drinking water.

 All costs expected during the life time of plant taken into
account.

 Calculations made for systems with capacity of

200-12.000 m3/d.
 55

Effect of plant capacity on unit treatment cost

(Investment costs based on top quality materials and
steel pressure filters produced in The Netherlands)
 56

 The Dutch groundwater treatment including arsenic

removal is cost attractive.
 Unit treatment costs strongly influenced by the size
(capacity) of the plant.
 As expected, small plants have higher unit treatment costs
(note: costs of transport/distribution mains not taken into
account).
 For treatment plant for typical arsenic containing
groundwater in Hungary of medium to high capacity (8.000
m3/day or more) expected total treatment costs:
0.05 – 0.10 €/m3
 57

Technology won price as the best

water related invention in The
Netherlands in 2004.

UNESCO-IHE protected the

technology world-wide by
the patent.
 58

 Characterization of (saturated) IOCS required.

 Arsenic removal family filter: limited removal of (Mn solved)
and ammonia.
 Effect of GW quality matrix not yet fully understood.
 Variable IOCS quality.
 Limited quantities of IOCS produced in The Netherlands
(+ transport costs).
 In-situ production of iron oxide coated media (very
promising preliminary results).
 59

- Ongoing lab research

- In-situ (in-filter) coating of virgin filter media (e.g. pumice)
- Coating with Fe solution; coating time 5-7 days
Coating time
Tap water Iron stock solution

Supernatant

S1 (influent)

IOCP (top)

S2

Pumice S3

IOCP (middle)

S4

S5
Media depth
IOCP (bottom)

Support material
Filtrate Backwash
 60

Model water: As (III) = 250 ± 20, pH = 7 ± 0.2, HCO3 ≈ 122 mg/L,

Lab pilot filter: Vf = 5 m/h, IOCP (5 days coating) bed depth = 2.5 m
IHE Delft is open for:

- Joint research on arsenic removal;

- Support to Central/Local Government, industry, NGOs, water supply

companies to (jointly) develop appropriate arsenic removal solutions,

- Support on groundwater quality assessment and establishing of optimal

arsenic removal systems (inc. pre- and post-treatment;

- Support to research and project implementation (analytical techniques,

pilot set-up, SEM – EDX, BET, ..);

- Support in implementation of IHE ADART technology, selection and

supply of optimal IOCS (Aqua Delft), start-up, plant operation &
optimisation.