Essential and Toxic Elements in Drinking Water: Water Treatment and Wastewater Treatment

Abstract Drinking water quality is a priority in most countries. Drinking water is the essential medium for food production, and while it must be free of harmful substances, it also must have a composition that is beneficial to health. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of water and wastewater treatment on reducing concentrations of zinc, nickel, iron, manganese, copper, lead, and arsenic. The analysis was performed with inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrophotometry (ICP-AES). The water treatment process reduced the concentrations of these compounds in water by a range of 48.5 to 97%. The concentrations of trace elements (>LOD) in drinking water were below maximum acceptable concentrations (MAC). Sewage treatment reduced the concentrations of trace elements by a range of 28.6 to 60.8%. Trace element concentrations in treated sewage were below MAC values in all the samples tested, and were from 1.15% (Pb) to 6.23% (As) MAC for toxic elements. Concentrations of both essential (Zn, Ni, Fe, Mn, Cu) and toxic (Pb, As) elements in drinking water were below the MACs. Water treatment had a significant (p<0.05) effect on decreasing concentrations of trace elements.