Ferrate VI: An Environmentally Friendly Oxidant for Water Treatment

Water contamination is a common problem all over the world. Safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene are crucial to human health and well-being. Some of the common water purification methods are sedimentation or settling, boiling/distillation, chemical treatment, disinfection, and filtration. Chlorine and its compounds can kill waterborne bacteria and viruses, and they are used as disinfectants in water treatment. However, some of their byproducts can cause harmful health effects. The higher oxidation state of iron i.e., Ferrate (VI) possesses relatively higher redox potential as compared to other commonly used oxidants (chlorine dioxide, iodine, bromide, ozone), in water treatment. Further, Ferrate (VI) forms non-toxic, non-mutagenic, and non-carcinogenic byproducts during water treatment processes [1]. This research focuses on three important aspects that make Ferrate (VI) a preferred environmentally friendly oxidant for water treatment; namely: i) removal of toxic heavy metals like Cadmium - Cd (II) [2]; ii) destruction and removal of antibiotics, such as tetracycline; and iii) destruction of bacteria such as tetracycline-resistant E. coli from wastewater [1] This project is conducted online by using, summarizing, analyzing, and organizing relevant literature, articles, and scientific journal data that are available via open sources, library databases, and the world wide web. The project will present some properties of Ferrate (VI), such as a competent disinfectant and an environmentally friendly or green oxidant, that makes it one of the most popular agents for the wastewater treatment processes to benefit human wellness and the aquatic environment in the long term