Technological Role in the Development of Arsenic Contamination in Minerals and Its Purification: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Arsenic pollution is a long term international environmental and human health issue that is linked to natural geological, mineral and ground water and industrialization processes. Arsenic is in a natural form as sulphide minerals like arsenopyrite, pyrite and galena, which are normally found in geologic deposits in relation to metallic minerals. Even though geochemical natural processes contribute to the low levels of arsenic in the soils and groundwater, technological activities associated with mining, mineral processing, agriculture, and industrial production have increased the rate of release into the ecosystems (Bundschuh et al., 2021; Wang et al., 2021). Arsenic pollution has therefore become a very common environmental problem in developed and developing parts of the world.

There has been a vast literature on the environmental and health effects of arsenic contamination especially in areas where groundwater has become the major source of drinking water (Rahman et al., 2020). Exposure to water contaminated with arsenic has been known to lead to severe health diseases such as arsenicosis, cancer, cardiovascular disease and neurological diseases that arise due to long-term exposure (Kumar et al., 2024). These dangers show the significance of considering natural and technological factors that determine arsenic mobilization in the environmental setting.

The literature review combines multidisciplinary research data on historical background of arsenic contamination, natural and human sources of arsenic in mineral, technological influences on arsenic mobilization, regional patterns of contamination, and purification technologies in arsenic-contamination remedial efforts. The review highlights the two-sidedness of technology as a source of contamination but the next-generation of remediation (Liu et al., 2024). The improvement of analytical techniques of detection, adsorption systems, membrane filtration, and biological remediation techniques have enhanced the management of arsenic, but the application of these methods still faces challenges in developing areas (Frisbie and Mitchell, 2022).

The research reveals gaps in the literature related to integrated remediation technologies, sustainable mining procedures, and purification systems that are scalable, and interdisciplinary teamwork is needed to mitigate the risks of a global exposure to arsenic.