Abstract

NOUBACTEP, C. Aqueous contaminant removal by metallic iron: is the paradigm shifting?. Water SA [online]. 2011, vol.37, n.3, pp.419-426. ISSN 1816-7950.

Chemical reduction has long dominated thinking about the mechanism of aqueous contaminant removal in the presence of metallic iron (e.g. Feº/H₂O systems). However, a large body of experimental evidence indicates that chemical reduction is not adequate to satisfactorily explain the efficiency of Feº/H₂O systems for several substances or classes of substances. By contrast, the alternative approach, that contaminants are fundamentally adsorbed and co-precipitated by iron corrosion products seems to provide a better explanation of observed efficiency. The new approach appears to not be fully understood. The present communication aims at clarifying this key issue. It seems that a paradigm shift is necessary for the further development of the technology using Feº for water treatment.

Keywords : contaminant removal; paradigm shift; removal mechanism; water treatment; zero-valent iron.

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