New 'smart’ material improves removal of arsenic from drinking water

Scientists have created a new material that can remove double the amount of arsenic from water than the leading material for water treatment. Arsenic is a toxic element found naturally in groundwater. Long-term exposure over a number of years to elevated concentrations of arsenate, the chemical form of arsenic in water, is associated with debilitating, and potentially fatal, illnesses including cancer, heart and lung disease, gastrointestinal problems and neurological disorders Our new material can effectively and reliably remove arsenate from water and our initial tests suggest that it is a significant step up from what is currently available Arsenic-contaminated drinking water has been identified in many countries across the globe, including Bangladesh, Chile, Mexico, Argentina, Australia, USA and parts of the UK. Recent estimates suggest that more than 200 million people are unknowingly exposed to unsafe levels of arsenic in their drinking water. In a new study published in Chemistry - A European Journal , scientists at Imperial College London have designed, tested and patented a new zinc-based material that can selectively bind to arsenate with strong affinity. The scientists hope this material could ultimately be used to improve quality of domestic water filters and reduce the amount of arsenic that people are exposed to, in areas with known or suspected high arsenic content. In 2006 the World Health Organization issued guidelines defining safe concentration levels of arsenic as 10 parts per billion but several countries affected by arsenic-contaminated groundwater have legal concentration limits above this guideline and recent evidence suggests that long-term exposure to smaller concentrations can be harmful.