Instituto Mexicano de Tecnología del Agua (IMTA), Paseo Cuauhnáhuac 8532, Progreso, Jiutepec, Mexico.
J Environ Manage. 2013 Dec 15;131:103-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2013.09.037. Epub 2013 Oct 22.
Arsenic (As) in groundwater for domestic use poses a worldwide threat to public health, most notably in rural areas. The aims of this study were: first, determine groundwater composition in a mining area in central Mexico (Huautla); second, assess As exposure through human groundwater consumption and; third, develop and test a household filter to obtain drinking water for these rural communities. From the 17th century through the 1990s, mines in the area produced Ag-galena and sphalerite from volcanic rock. Groundwater flooded the mines when they were abandoned due to low silver prices. Local households now use the water to meet domestic needs. Water from the mines was found to have high As content (0.04-0.26 mg L(-1)) and Fe, Mn, Pb and Cd were also above Mexican drinking water standards and WHO guidelines. All the population in the Huautla community was exposed to the metalloid through water used in food preparation. The best As removal was obtained with a filter using oxidized commercial fiber (HCl 2N as oxidant). Concentrations in the effluent were below Mexican drinking water standards (0.025 mg As L(-1) water) during the 105-day (2520 h) filter operation, with a maximum As removal efficiency of 95.4%. The household filter was simple, low-cost and may be very attractive for As removal in rural areas in developing countries.
地下水砷（As）污染对全球公众健康构成严重威胁，尤其是在农村地区。本研究旨在：（一）查明墨西哥中部矿区（Huautla）地下水的成分；（二）评估人类通过饮用地下水摄入砷的情况；（三）研发并测试家用过滤设备，为这些农村社区提供饮用水。自 17 世纪至 20 世纪 90 年代，该地区的矿山从火山岩中开采银黝铜矿和闪锌矿。由于银价低迷，矿山被废弃后地下水涌入其中。现在当地家庭用水满足日常生活需求。结果表明，矿区水中砷含量很高（0.04-0.26mg/L），铁、锰、铅和镉含量也超过了墨西哥饮用水标准和世界卫生组织（WHO）的指导值。Huautla 社区所有居民都通过用于制备食物的水接触到这种类金属。使用氧化商用纤维（HCl 2N 作为氧化剂）的过滤器可获得最佳的除砷效果。在 105 天（2520 小时）的过滤操作中，出水浓度低于墨西哥饮用水标准（0.025mgAs/L 水），最大除砷效率达到 95.4%。家用过滤器结构简单、成本低，可能非常适合发展中国家农村地区的砷去除。
