Occurrence, Fate, and Remediation of Arsenic

Abstract

The contamination of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems by arsenic (As) is a very sensitive environmental issue due to its adverse impact on organisms. Although arsenic contamination is not only of anthropogenic origin, the problem of arsenic contamination in water sources in many areas has been considered calamitous because of its significant risk to different organisms. Many of the organisms are already suffering from the irreversible effects of arsenic poisoning. The disposal of industrial and mining waste has led to extensive contamination of land and water resources. It also causes a potential problem for food chain contamination. Awareness of arsenic poisoning to the mass majority of people has led to the development of efficient remediation technologies for its mitigation. There are many strategies for remediation such as coagulation-flocculation, membrane techniques, nanoparticles, and many more. In this chapter, different sources of arsenic contamination, health effects, and important management strategies currently being practiced for arsenic-contaminated areas (surface and groundwater) are shown. The chapter concludes with different remediation techniques for the removal of arsenic contaminants from water systems, and some are evolving as alternative green techniques. © 2021 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.