Portable and sustainable activated carbon-based device for electro-assisted water purification

Abstract

Lead and arsenic are two of the most toxic common water contaminants. We report on a new type of portable and sustainable device designed for arsenic and lead removal from highly contaminated water sources. The device utilizes a combination of granular activated carbon (GAC) and an electrochemical deposition technique that increases the device's decontamination performance. This is the first low cost portable device that is designed to sustainably clean highly contaminated drinking water. The device removes 1 ppm of arsenic and lead simultaneously to reach a drinkable level using a 1.5 V AA battery as the power source. Using the device we were able to clean 1 L of highly contaminated water, 1 ppm of both metals, in 20 min before a regeneration process was required. We also report on strategies for the sustainable regeneration of the device and investigated the mechanism behind the removal and regeneration process. Finally, we discuss the use and scale up possibility of this approach as a temporary solution for water purification in low income populated areas.