Nanofiltration for arsenic removal from natural contaminated groundwaters in Calabria region (Italy)

Arsenic is a toxic inorganic pollutant for both the environment and human health. The removal of arsenic is one of most problematic targets of hydrogeochemical research (Bhattacharya et al. 2002). The WHO drinking water guideline for As has been set to 10 ?g/L and it has been adopted by many countries as a drinking water standard (WHO, 2001). For reaching this new value, several separation techniques have been studied. Membrane technology is one of these and pressure driven operation as nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO), often applied on synthetic solutions, have been already proved to accomplish the arsenic value below the drinking water standard (Figoli et al., 2016; Ahmad et al. 2017). In this study, NF has been applied for treating As contaminated groundwaters, coming from an area located in the Sila Massif (Calabria, Italy). Sila Massif represents the major morphostructural high of the Ionian margin of north-eastern Calabria and fall in the northern sector of the Calabrian Peloritan Arc (CPA). The water samples collected, labeled GW1, GW2, GW3, have interacted with the Calabride Complex formed by Hercynian and pre-Hercynian gneiss, granite and phyllite, which underwent intense weathering processes (Van Dijk et al., 2002). The performance (water flux and arsenic rejection) of the membranes has been evaluated too.