Ferrate as a sustainable and effective solution to cope with drinking water treatment plants challenges

Surface water quality is declining due to climate change, leading to increased concentrations of soluble metals, natural organic matter (NOM), turbidity, and algal blooms. These changes pose challenges to traditional water treatment plants, needing innovative approaches. Ferrate(VI) was explored as a potential solution to address climate change-related water emergencies, either alone or in combination with conventional reagents to producing potable water. Results show that Fe(VI) was more effective to remove soluble manganese compared to a conventional oxidant (permanganate), while requiring a lower stoichiometric dosage (<2mol of Fe(VI) per 3mol of Mn(II)) as the reaction byproducts of Fe(VI) reduction (eg., Fe3+) contributed to manganese removal. A slightly alkaline environment (pH >8.5) was crucial to maximize manganese oxidation since pH closer to neutral caused the reduction of Fe(VI) to Fe(III), thus decreasing its reduction potential. Fe(VI) was also effective toward NOM although its activation was necessary to provide noticeable effects. In combination to conventional coagulant/flocculant agents, Fe(VI) was able to provide noticeable increases in removal of turbidity (<0.30 NTU) while involving a simultaneous decrease in other chemicals requirement (>50%). Besides, Fe(VI) was also capable of providing algae removal of approximately 80% higher than conventional oxidizing agent, through simultaneous oxidation and flocculation.This study demonstrated that employing Fe(VI) as a treatment method for drinking water is very promising as it can serve as an alternative or complement conventional approaches in tackling the challenges presented by climate change and sustaining high-quality standard potable water.