Executive Summary : | Groundwater in India is a major source of drinking water, and consuming contaminated groundwater increases health risks. Arsenic and fluoride are toxic metalloids that can enter groundwater through weathering and biological activity. The World Health Organization and United States Environmental Protection Agency set standards for arsenic in drinking water at 10 µg/L. Zero-valent iron ZVI has been used for the removal of arsenic and fluoride from aqueous solutions, but its long-term viability and sustainability have been limited due to toxicity and high costs. A low-cost, eco-friendly, single-step procedure using plant extracts to obtain nanoscale ZVI has been proposed. The study proposes developing a low-cost household-based filter unit based on biochar-supported green ZVI for efficient removal of arsenic and fluoride from groundwater. The proposed low-cost technology could replace existing chemical-intensive methods for treating hazardous compounds like arsenic and fluoride from groundwater, benefiting millions of people relying on contaminated groundwater resources. |