Bench-scale experiments were performed to assess the effectiveness of
reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration (NF) membranes in removing ars
enic (As) from synthetic freshwater and source water. The authors exam
ined the effects of operational conditions (applied pressure and feedw
ater temperature) and solution chemical composition (As oxidation stat
e, pH, and presence of co-occurring inorganic solutes). Both As(V) and
As(III) were effectively removed from synthetic freshwater by RO and
tight NF membranes over a wide range of operational conditions. The re
latively large molecular weight (>125 g/mol) of the As species governe
d their separation behavior. Applied pressure had little effect on As
removal, but an increase in feedwater temperature decreased As removal
by a small percentage. Removals of As(III) and As(V) were comparable,
with no significant preferential rejection of As(V) over As(III). Var
iations in solution pH from 4 to 8 also did not affect the removal of
As species by the membranes tested, despite changes in the speciation
and charge of As (V). Co-occurring inorganic solutes had only a slight
effect on As removal. Removal of As from source water was comparable
to that obtained with synthetic freshwater, despite the presence of tu
rbidity, natural organic matter, and a variety of co-occurring solutes
.