Arsenic mobilization from iron oxides in the presence of oxalic acid under hydrodynamic conditions

Arsenic redistribution associated with Fe(II)-induced jarosite transformation in the presence of polygalacturonic acid

Jarosite exists widely in acid-sulfate soil and acid mine drainage polluted areas and acts as an important host mineral for As(V). As a metastable Fe(III)-oxyhydoxysulfate mineral, its dissolution and transformation have a significant impact on the biogeochemical cycle of As. Under reducing conditions, the trajectory and degree of abiotic Fe(II)-induced jarosite transformation may be greatly influenced by coexisting dissolved organic matter (DOM), and in turn influencing the fate of As. Here, we explored the impact of polygalacturonic acid (PGA) (0-200 mg·L-1) on As(V)-coprecipitated jarosite transformation in the presence of Fe(II) (1 mM) at pH 5.5, and investigated the repartitioning of As between aqueous and solid phase. The results demonstrated that in the system without both PGA and Fe(II), jarosite gradually dissolved, and lepidocrocite was the main transformation product by 30 d; in Fe(II)-only system, lepidocrocite appeared by 1 d and also was the mainly final product; in PGA-only systems, PGA retarded jarosite dissolution and transformation, jarosite might be directly converted into goethite; in Fe(II)-PGA systems, the presence of PGA retarded Fe(II)-induced jarosite dissolution and transformation but did not alter the pathway of mineral transformation, the final product mainly still was lepidocrocite. The retarding effect on jarosite dissolution enhanced with the increase of PGA content. The impact of PGA on Fe(II)-induced jarosite transformation mainly was related to the complexation of carboxyl groups of PGA with Fe(II). The dissolution and transformation of jarosite drove pre-incorporated As transferred into the phosphate-extractable phase, the presence of PGA retarded jarosite dissolution and maintained pre-incorporated As stable in jarosite. The released As promoted by PGA was retarded again and almost no As was released into the solution by the end of reactions in all systems. In systems with Fe(II), no As(III) was detected and As(V) was still the dominant redox species.

Chemical-microbial effects of acetic acid, oxalic acid and citric acid on arsenic transformation and migration in the rhizosphere of paddy soil

Low-molecular-weight organic acids (LMWOAs) are essential components of rice roots exudates and an important source of soil organic carbon. The chemical-microbial pathway by which LMWOA affects arsenic (As) cycling in the rhizosphere of paddy soils is still unclear. In this study, three typical LMWOAs (acetic acid (AA), oxalic acid (OA), and citric acid (CA)) in rice root exudates were added to As-contaminated soil at a concentration of 10 mM, mimicking the rhizosphere environment. The results showed that the addition of AA and OA inhibited the mobilization of As in the rhizosphere soil. After 14 days of incubation, the content of As in the porewater of AA and OA decreased by 40% and 22%, respectively, compared with the control. AA hindered the mobilization of As in soil via promoting the formation of secondary minerals. The addition of OA inhibits the mobilization of As via increasing the proportion of As (V) in porewater and promoting the formation of secondary minerals in soil. In addition, OA addition not only significantly increased the aioA gene abundance but also notably enriched the microorganisms containing As (III) methylation functional genes (arsM). The addition of CA greatly expedited the release of As from the soil solid phase through the solubilization of Fe/Mn minerals via the effects of both soil chemistry and microbial action. Furthermore, linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) revealed the possibility that bacteria such as Burkholderia, Magnetospirillum, and Mycobacterium were involved in the reduction or methylation of As in the rhizosphere of paddy soil. This study revealed the internal causes of LMWOAs regulating As transformation and mobilization in flooded paddy soil and provided theoretical support for reducing As accumulation in rice by breeding rice varieties with high AA and OA secretions.

Soil washing of arsenic from mixed contaminated abandoned mine soils and fate of arsenic after washing

Arsenic contamination in abandoned soils is a global concern which warrants an effective method of remediation. In this study, two organic acids and one biodegradable chelating agent were used to treat arsenic (As) contaminated abandoned mine soils. The concentration of As was 19,100 and 75,350 (mg/kg) for Webbs Consols (WC) and Mole River (MR) samples, respectively. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy confirmed that tooeleite, arsenopyrite, scorodite and quartz were the major minerals in these soils. A major portion of the As was composed of amorphous and crystalline oxides of Fe and Al determined by sequential extraction. Among the three washing reagents (oxalic acid, citric acid and EDDS) oxalic acid showed the best performance for extracting As. Based on the batch experiment, 0.5 M oxalic acid and 3 h of washing was the most efficient treatment to extract As and other trace elements. Extraction of As, Fe, and Pb was 70, 55, and 48% respectively for WC, while 68, 45 and 63% respectively for MR soil. Oxalic acid extracted 75 and 83% of As and Fe, respectively from tooeleite. Leachability and bioaccessibility of As and Fe in the treated soil was reduced due to washing. However, bioaccessibility and leachability of Pb in soil and Fe and As in tooeleite increased in washed samples. Though the leachability and bioaccessibility of As and Fe in soil was reduced in the treated soil, As still exceeded the USEPA criteria (5 mg/L) which is needed to successfully remediate soil by washing. Soil washing and subsequent solidification/stabilization could be an alternative option to remediate extremely contaminated abandoned mine soil.

Ameliorative effects of plant growth promoting bacteria, zinc oxide nanoparticles and oxalic acid on Luffa acutangula grown on arsenic enriched soil

Arsenic (As) contamination and bioaccumulation are a serious threat to agricultural plants. To address this issue, we checked the efficacy of As tolerant plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB), zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and oxalic acid (OA) in Luffa acutangula grown on As rich soil. The selected most As tolerant PGPB i.e Providencia vermicola exhibited plant growth promoting features i.e solubilzation of phosphate, potassium and siderophores production. Innovatively, we observed the synergistic effects of P. vermicola, ZnO NPs (10 ppm) and OA (100 ppm) in L. acutangula grown on As enriched soil (150 ppm). Our treatments both as alone and in combination alleviated As toxicity exhibited by better plant growth and metabolism. Results revealed significantly enhanced photosynthetic pigments, proline, relative water content, total sugars, proteins and indole acetic acid along with As amelioration in L. acutangula. Furthermore, upregulated plant resistance was manifested with marked reduction in the lipid peroxidation and electrolyte leakage and pronounced antagonism of As and zinc content in leaves under toxic conditions. These treatments also improved level of nutrients, abscisic acid and antioxidants to mitigate As toxicity. This marked improvement in plants' defense mechanism of treated plants under As stress is confirmed by less damaged leaves cell structures observed through the scanning electron micrographs. We also found substantial decrease in the As bioaccumulation in the L. acutangula shoots and roots by 40 and 58% respectively under the co-application of P. vermicola, ZnO NPs and OA in comparison with control. Moreover, the better activity of soil phosphatase and invertase was assessed under the effect of our application. These results cast a new light on the application of P. vermicola, ZnO NPs and OA in both separate and combined form as a feasible and ecofriendly tool to alleviate As stress in L. acutangula.

The chemical-microbial release and transformation of arsenic induced by citric acid in paddy soil

Citric acid (CA) is the major exudate of rice roots, yet the effects of CA on arsenic (As) transformation and microbial community in flooded paddy soil have not been clearly elucidated. In this study, microcosms were established by amending CA to As contaminated paddy soils, mimicking the rhizosphere environment. Results showed that 0.5% CA addition significantly enhanced As mobilization after one-hour incubation, increased total As in porewater by about 20-fold. CA addition induced arsenate release into porewater, and subsequently formed ternary complex of As, iron and organic matters, inhibiting further As transformation (including arsenate reduction and arsenite methylation). Furthermore, the results of linear discriminant analysis (LDA) effect size (LEfSe) and network analysis revealed that CA addition significantly enriched bacteria associated with arsenic and iron reductions, such as Clostridium (up to 35-fold) and Desulfitobacterium (up to 4-fold). Our results suggest that CA exhibits robust ability to mobilize As through both chemical and microbial processes, increasing the risk of As accumulation by rice. This study sheds light on our understanding of As mobilization and transformation in rhizosphere soil, potentially providing effective strategies to restrict As accumulation in food crops by screening or cultivating varieties with low CA exuding.

Bacterially mediated release and mobilization of As/Fe coupled to nitrate reduction in a sediment environment

Metal-reducing bacteria play an important role in the release and mobilization of arsenic from sediments into groundwater. This study aimed to investigate the influence of nitrate on arsenic bio-release. Microcosm experiments consisting of high arsenic sediments and indigenous bacterium Bacillus sp. D2201 were conducted and the effects of nitrate on the mobilization of As/Fe determined. The results show arsenic release is triggered by iron reduction, which is regulated by nitrate. Increasing the nitrate concentration from 0 to 1 and 3 mM decreased Fe(III) reduction by 62.5% and 16.9% and decreased As(V) bio-release by 41.5% and 85.5%, respectively. Moreover, the results of step-wise Wenzel sequential extractions indicate nitrate addition prevents the transformation of poorly crystalline iron oxides to well crystalline iron oxides. Overall, nitrate appears to have a dual effect, inhibiting both iron reduction and arsenic release by incubation strain D2201. This study offers new insights regarding the biogeochemistry of arsenic in groundwater systems.

Redox Dependent Arsenic Occurrence and Partitioning in an Industrial Coastal Aquifer: Evidence from High Spatial Resolution Characterization of Groundwater and Sediments

Superlative levels of arsenic (As) in groundwater and sediment often result from industrial pollution, as is the case for a coastal aquifer in Southern Italy, with a fertilizer plant atop. Understanding conditions under which As is mobilized from the sediments, the source of that As, is necessary for developing effective remediation plans. Here, we examine hydrogeological and geochemical factors that affect groundwater As concentrations in a contaminated coastal aquifer. Groundwater has been subject to pump-and-treat at a massive scale for more than 15 years and is still ongoing. Nevertheless, As concentrations (0.01 to 100 mg/L) that are four orders of magnitude more than Italian drinking water standard of 10 μg/L are still present in groundwater collected from about 50 monitoring wells over three years (2011, 2016, and 2018). As was quantified in three different locations by sequential extractions of 29 sediment cores in 2018 (depth 2.5 m to −16.5 m b.g.l.), combined with groundwater As composition, the aqueous and solid partitioning of As were evaluated by partition coefficient (Kd) in order to infer the evolution of the contaminant plumes. Most sediment As is found in easily extractable and/or adsorbed on amorphous iron oxides/hydroxides fractions based on sequential extractions. The study shows that As contamination persists, even after many years of active remediation due to the partitioning to sediment solids. This implies that the choice of remediation techniques requires an improved understanding of the biogeochemical As-cycling and high spatial resolution characterization of both aqueous and solid phases for sites of interest.

Fate of oxalic-acid-intervened arsenic during Fe(II)-induced transformation of As(V)-bearing jarosite

Jarosite is a metastable Fe(III)-oxyhydroxysulfate mineral that can act as an excellent scavenger for arsenic (As) in acid sulfate soils (ASSs) and in areas polluted by acid mine drainage (AMD). The Fe(II)-induced transformation of jarosite can influence the As mobility in reducing soil and sediment systems. Although organic acids are prevalent in these environments, their influence on the behavior of As during the Fe(II)-induced transformation of jarosite is yet to be fully understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of oxalic acid on the partitioning of As into dissolved, adsorbed, poorly crystalline, and residual phases during the Fe(II)-induced transformation of As(V)-bearing jarosite at pH 5.5 and 1 mM Fe(II) concentration. The results demonstrated that jarosite frequently transformed to lepidocrocite in treatments without oxalic acid or with low oxalic acid (0.1 mM), and As was typically redistributed in the surface-bound exchangeable and residual phases. While a high concentration of oxalic acid (1 mM) retarded the transformation of jarosite and produced goethite as the primary end product, it also changed the Fe(II)-induced transformation pathway and drove most As into the residual phase (approximately 92%). The results indicated that oxalic acid exerts a significant influence on the partitioning and speciation of As during the above-mentioned transformation. X-ray photo electron spectroscopy analysis of the reaction products also revealed that As(V) may be still the dominant redox species. Overall, this study provides critical information for understanding the fate of As during the transformation of secondary minerals under complex influencing factors, thereby assisting in more accurately predicting the geochemical cycling of As in natural systems.

The catalytic degradation of nitrobenzene by the Cu-Co-Fe-LDH through activated oxygen under ambient conditions

Efficient and low-cost catalysts for catalytic wet air oxidation (CWAO) under ambient conditions are of great significance for the degradation of hydrophobic organic contaminants. In this study, four LDH catalysts were prepared and their catalytic performance was studied by the degradation of nitrobenzene. The CuCoFe-LDH shows the best catalytic activity with an NB removal efficiency of 41.2%. The CuCoFe-LDH exhibited a typical layer structure, with a specific surface area of 167.32 m² g^-1, and Cu²⁺, Co²⁺ and Fe³⁺ were evenly dispersed on the crystal. The NB removal efficiency was increased by 12.5% through adding formic acid. After five recycling processes, the NB removal efficiency was 18.9% because 3.8 mg g^-1 of Co was leached out of the LDH. In the CWAO process, H₂O₂, ˙OH, ˙O₂^- and ¹O₂ were successfully formed through activated oxygen by the CuCoFe-LDH catalyst under ambient conditions. This work further broadens the application scope of layered double hydroxides (LDHs) in the degradation of organic pollutants by CWAO under ambient conditions.