Determination of the Effect of Manganese(II) on the Removal of Arsenic in Contaminated Water (Spiked Solution) using Electrochemical Arsenic Remediation (ECAR)

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3, 6, and 11 emphasize the need for safe and clean water to create livable and sustainable human settlements. Arsenic contamination poses a significant challenge to these goals, threatening water safety and community health. Electrochemical Arsenic Remediation (ECAR) is an effective method for arsenic removal in water but is dependent on factors such as pH, dissolved oxygen, and ions such as calcium and magnesium. Electrocoagulation experiments were performed to determine the effect of manganese on the arsenic removal of ECAR at a low charge loading rate (5C/L) using arsenic and arsenic-manganese solutions. Results show that the percent arsenic removal for the control setup ranges from 61-96% and approximately 100% for the arsenic-manganese setup. The presence of 500 ppb manganese in the solution reduced arsenic concentration below the 10 ppb maximum limit set by WHO and DOH for drinking water for all arsenic-manganese setups which indicates that manganese has the potential to aid arsenic removal in water even at a low charge loading rate. Complete removal of manganese from the solution after ECAR was also observed. Statistical analysis shows that manganese and initial arsenic concentration significantly affect arsenic removal with an average estimated marginal effect of 0.4078 and 1.778, respectively. Results consequently illustrate that ECAR is a viable and effective technology in helping achieve SDGs 3, 6, and 11.