Distribution and treatment of groundwater contaminated by both fluoride and arsenic

Abstract

The presence of high fluoride concentrations in groundwater has prompted many scientific studies around the world. Arsenic contamination of groundwater is a widespread phenomenon, affecting many countries in the world. Therefore, the research on groundwater contaminated with fluoride and arsenic is vital for people's health. The groundwater in many countries, including China, Mexico, Argentina and Pakistan was reported to be polluted by both fluoride and arsenic. Many provinces, including Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Qinghai and Jilin, are suffering from fluoride-arsenic contaminated groundwater. However, very few studies have investigated the co-removal of fluoride and arsenic from groundwater. Since most people drinking groundwater contaminated by both fluoride and arsenic live in the rural areas, the authors believe that the modified slow filtration tank may be a good choice for co-removal of fluoride and arsenic to ensure the safety of drinking water.