Competing Interactions of As Adsorption and Fe(III) Polymerization during Ferric Coprecipitation Treatment

The nanoscale explanation of metal cations differences in enhancing the Fe(III) coagulation performance

Coagulation is a widely applied and important process for water treatment, and the development of improved coagulation reagents continues to be a practical objective. However, mechanisms guiding the development of composite coagulants remain insufficiently understood. In addressing this deficiency, this study has investigated the enhancement of conventional Fe(III) coagulation by composite coagulants that incorporate an additional metal salt (Me: Ca²⁺, Al³⁺, Ti⁴⁺, Zr⁴⁺), focusing on the mechanistic roles that Me constituents play in Fe-based coagulation. The effectiveness of composite coagulants was assessed through floc size and the removal of organics and phosphates. Results demonstrated that Me constituents enhance coagulation performances to varying extents, with Al³⁺ and Zr⁴⁺ showing the most significant improvements. FT-ICR MS analysis at the molecular scale reveals that additional Me facilitates the removal of humic acid, hydrophobic macromolecules, and highly aromatic organics containing polycarboxyl and secondary carbon structures. EXAFS results indicate that co-hydrolysis of Fe³⁺ with Me disrupts the formation of conventional ferrihydrite at the nanoscale of flocs and promotes the development of Fe-phosphate clusters. Me effectively reduces the corner- and edge-sharing coordination between FeO₆ octahedra within clusters, resulting in a more dispersed arrangement of FeO₆ polymers with available binding sites for the PO4 tetrahedron. The shortened Fe-P bond indicates that Me promotes a more compact link between FeO₆ octahedra and PO₄ tetrahedra. By revealing how cations in composite coagulants change the nanoscale structure of Fe flocs to affect macroscopic coagulation, this study enhances the understanding of metal ion interactions during co-hydrolysis and co-precipitation in natural systems.

In situ arsenic immobilization by natural iron (oxyhydr)oxide precipitates in As-contaminated groundwater irrigation canals

Arsenic-contaminated groundwater is widely used in agriculture. To meet the increasing demand for safe water in agriculture, an efficient and cost-effective method for As removal from groundwater is urgently needed. We hypothesized that Fe (oxyhydr)oxide (FeOOH) minerals precipitated in situ from indigenous Fe in groundwater may immobilize As, providing a solution for safely using As-contaminated groundwater in irrigation. To confirm this hypothesis and identify the controlling mechanisms, we comprehensively evaluated the transport, speciation changes, and immobilization of As and Fe in agricultural canals irrigated using As-contaminated groundwater. The efficiently removed As and Fe in the canals accumulated in shallow sediment rather than subsurface sediment. Linear combination fitting (LCF) analysis of X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES) indicated that As(V) was the dominant As species, followed by As(III), and there was no FeAsO4 precipitate. Sequential extraction revealed higher contents of amorphous FeOOH and associated As in shallower sediment than in the subsurface layer. Stoichiometric molar ratio calculations, SEM‒EDS, FTIR, and fluorescence spectroscopy collectively demonstrated that the microbial reductive dissolution of amorphous FeOOH proceeded via reactive dissolved organic matter (DOM) consumption in subsurface anoxic porewater environment facilitating high labile As, whereas in surface sediment, the in situ-generated amorphous FeOOH was stable and strongly inhibited As release via adsorption. In summary, groundwater Fe2+ can efficiently precipitate in benthic surface sediment as abundant amorphous FeOOH, which immobilizes most of the dissolved As, protecting agricultural soil from contamination. This field research supports the critical roles of the phase and reactivity of in situ-generated FeOOH in As immobilization and provides new insight into the sustainable use of contaminated water.

Antimony and arsenic interactions with iron oxides and aluminum oxides in surface environment: A review focused on processes and mechanisms

It has been assumed and widely reported that arsenic (As) and antimony (Sb) share some similarities but also exhibit significant differences in their geochemical behaviors. Their environmental fates are generally controlled by iron (Fe) oxides and aluminum (Al) oxides. The mechanistic differences in their interactions, especially under dynamic environmental conditions, remain poorly understood, which hinders the development and implementation of effective pollution prevention and control measures. Therefore, this review focuses on the processes and mechanisms of interactions between As/Sb and Fe oxides/Al oxides. Antimony exhibits a higher susceptibility to oxidation than As due to its larger atomic radius and lower electronegativity. The property is an important basis for explaining the differences in their interactions in the environment. To obtain a clearer understanding of interactions, a detailed adsorption theory (charge distribution multi-site ion complexation) for the Fe oxides and Al oxides and three primary adsorption mechanisms (electrostatic adsorption, chemical adsorption, and coprecipitation) were explored. Furthermore, the effects of various factors (pH, redox, surface coverage, competing ions, and types of Fe oxides and Al oxides) on the adsorption efficiency were evaluated. We discussed the mechanisms and efficiency of Sb and As adsorption on Fe oxides and Al oxides, and the differences in Sb and As adsorption for various valence states. To efficiently control Sb and As pollution, some differences between Sb and As need to be taken into account.

Advanced spectroscopic evidence for the sequestration of heavy metals via repetitive in situ synthesis of Fe oxide

The in situ synthesis of Fe oxide is an established method for stabilizing metals and metalloids (Me) in contaminated soils. Nevertheless, the potential for enhanced Me sequestration through repeated Fe oxide application and the fundamental mechanisms of this process yet to be systemically investigated. In this study, the means by which repetitive Fe oxide synthesis enhances the immobilization of Cd, Zn, and As was investigated using batch experiments. The first synthesis resulted in surface-adsorbed Cd, Zn, and As levels of 68.7, 37.5, and 22.6 %, respectively. The second synthesis reduced the surface-adsorbed Cd and Zn levels to 53.9 % and 23.3 %, respectively, while the As level remained unchanged (22.8 %) owing to its structural incorporation and the occurrence of OH- induced desorption/re-adsorption. The third synthesis further decreased the surface-adsorbed metal levels, surpassing the reduction achieved by a single synthesis with an increased Fe content. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure analysis revealed peak shifts in the Me K-edge-fitted spectra, distinguishing incorporated metals from surface-adsorbed metals. In addition, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy revealed decreased heavy-metal concentrations on the surfaces and cross-sections of the repeatedly synthesized Fe oxide particles, indicating encapsulation by the hydrolyzed Fe species. While conventional methods rely on single applications, repetitive Fe oxide synthesis non-specifically sequesters surface-adsorbed metals through encapsulation. This repetitive approach achieved the enhanced immobilization of weakly adsorbed metals, rendering it potentially effective in soils exhibiting different properties, and indicating its possibility for use as a viable remediation strategy.

Control of arsenic methylation in paddy soils by iron nanoparticles

Rice, as the most essential food grain, is frequently exposed to high concentrations of arsenic. Among the arsenic species, dimethylarsenate (DMAs(V)) is preferentially translocated from paddy soils to rice grains, posing serious threats to food safety and yield. Herein, we report an efficient strategy for DMAs(V) mitigation in paddy soils with nanoscale Zero-Valent Iron (nZVI). Species and concentrations of arsenic in paddy porewater were monitored during a 28-d soil-water incubation. Effects of nZVI dose towards microbial sulfate reduction and methane generation potential in paddy soils, which are crucial for arsenic methylation and demethylation, were analyzed via metagenomic sequencing. Results demonstrated that the maximal DMAs(V) concentration in paddy porewater decreased from 0.37 to 0.04 μM in arsenic-contaminated paddy soils with nZVI dose increasing from 0 to 5.0 g/kg. Accordingly, the maximal concentration of inorganic arsenite (iAs(III)), which is the precursor of DMAs(V), decreased from 1.39 to 0.23 μM. Furthermore, the application of nZVI reshaped the structure of microbial community in paddy soils. Specifically, the relative abundance of δ-proteobacteria involved in sulfate reduction, which is crucial for iAs(III) methylation, waned from 7.62 % to 3.17 %, while that of Methanomicrobia for DMAs(V) demethylation and methanogenesis proliferated from 7.03 % to 13.62 %, with nZVI dose increasing from 0 to 5.0 g/kg. Via simultaneous inhibition of DMAs(V) formation and acceleration of DMAs(V) transformation, nZVI efficiently controls the accumulation of DMAs(V) in paddy porewater. In conclusion, these findings prove the efficient performance for DMAs(V) mitigation with nZVI and uncover its underlying mechanisms.

Enhancing and sustaining arsenic removal in a zerovalent iron-based magnetic flow-through water treatment system

In areas affected by arsenicosis, zerovalent iron (ZVI)/sand filters are extensively used by households to treat groundwater, but ZVI surface passivation and filter clogging limit their arsenic (As) removal performance. Here we present a magnetic confinement-enabled column reactor coupled with periodic ultrasonic depassivation (MCCR-PUD), which efficiently and sustainably removes As by reaction with continuously generated iron (oxyhydr)oxides from ZVI oxidative corrosion. In the MCCR, ZVI microparticles self-assemble into stable millimeter-scale wires in forest-like arrays in a parallel magnetic field (0.42-0.48 T, produced by two parallel permanent magnets), forming a highly porous structure (87 % porosity) with twice the accessible reactive surface area of a ZVI/sand mixture. For a feed concentration of 100 μg/L As(III), the MCCR-PUD, with a short empty bed contact time (1.6 min), treated ca. 7340 empty bed volume (EBV) of water at breakthrough (10 μg/L), 9.4 folds higher than that of a ZVI/sand filter. Due to the large interspace between ZVI wires, the MCCR-PUD effectively prevented column clogging that occurred in the ZVI/sand filter. The high water treatment capacity was attributed to the much enhanced ZVI reactivity in the magnetic field, sustained through rejuvenation by PUD. Furthermore, most of As was structurally incorporated into the produced iron (oxyhydr)oxides (mostly ferrihydrite) in the MCCR-PUD, as revealed by Mössbauer spectroscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and sequential extraction experiments. This finding evinced a different mechanism from the surface adsorption in the ZVI/sand filter. The structural incorporation of As also resulted in much less As remobilization from the produced corrosion products during aging in water, in total ∼1 % in 28 days. Furthermore, the MCCR-PUD exihibted robust performance when treating complex synthetic groundwater containing natural organic matter and common ions (∼3700 EBV at breakthrough). Taken together, our study demonstrates the potential of the magnetic confinement-enabled ZVI reactor as a promising decentralized As treatment platform.

Transformation of dissolved organic matter during groundwater arsenite removal using air cathode iron electrocoagulation

Dissolve organic matters (DOM) usually showed negative effect on the removal of inorganic arsenic (As) in groundwater by electrochemical approaches, yet which parts of sub-component within DOM played the role was lack of evidence. Herein, we investigated the effects of land-source humic-like acid (HA) on groundwater As(III) removal using air cathode iron electrocoagulation, based on the parallel factor analysis of three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix and statistical methods. Our results showed that the land-source HA contained five kinds of components and all components presented significantly negative correlations with the removal of both As(III) and As(V). However, the high aromatic fulvic-like acid and low aromatic humic-like acid components of land-source HA presented the opposite correlations with the concentration of As(III) during the reaction. The high aromaticity fulvic-like components of land-source HA (Sigma-Aldrich HA, SAHA) produced during the reaction facilitated the oxidation of As(III) due to its high electron transfer capacities and good solubility in wide pH range, but the low aromaticity humic-like ones worked against the oxidation of As(III). Our findings offered the novel insights for the flexible activities of DOM in electron Fenton system.

Impact of organic phosphates on the structure and composition of short-range ordered iron nanophases

Organic phosphates (OP) are important nutrient components for living cells in natural environments, where they readily interact with ubiquitous iron phases such as hydrous ferric oxide, ferrihydrite (FHY). FHY partakes in many key bio(geo)chemical reactions including iron-mediated carbon storage in soils, or iron-storage in living organisms. However, it is still unknown how OP affects the formation, structure and properties of FHY. Here, we document how β-glycerophosphate (GP), a model OP ligand, affects the structure and properties of GP-FHY nanoparticles synthesized by coprecipitation at variable nominal molar P/Fe ratios (0.01 to 0.5). All GP-FHY precipitates were characterized by a maximum solid P/Fe ratio of 0.22, irrespective of the nominal P/Fe ratio. With increasing nominal P/Fe ratio, the specific surface area of the GP-FHY precipitates decreased sharply from 290 to 3 m2 g-1, accompanied by the collapse of their pore structure. The Fe-P local bonding environment gradually transitioned from a bidentate binuclear geometry at low P/Fe ratios to monodentate mononuclear geometry at high P/Fe ratios. This transition was accompanied by a decrease in coordination number of edge-sharing Fe polyhedra, and the loss of the corner-sharing Fe polyhedra. We show that Fe(iii) polymerization is impeded by GP, and that the GP-FHY structure is highly dependent on the P/Fe ratio. We discuss the role that natural OP-bearing Fe(iii) nanophases have in biogeochemical reactions between Fe-P and C species in aquatic systems.

Local Structure and Crystallization Transformation of Hydrous Ferric Arsenate in Acidic H2O-Fe(III)-As(V)-SO42- Systems: Implications for Acid Mine Drainage and Arsenic Geochemical Cycling

Hydrous ferric arsenate (HFA) is a common thermodynamically metastable phase in acid mine drainage (AMD). However, little is known regarding the structural forms and transformation mechanism of HFA. We investigated the local atomic structures and the crystallization transformation of HFA at various Fe(III)/As(V) ratios (2, 1, 0.5, 0.33, and 0.25) in acidic solutions (pH 1.2 and 1.8). The results show that the Fe(III)/As(V) in HFA decreases with decreasing initial Fe(III)/As(V) at acidic pHs. The degree of protonation of As(V) in HFA increases with increasing As(V) concentrations. The Fe K-edge extended X-ray absorption fine structure and X-ray absorption near-edge structure results reveal that each FeO6 is linked to more than two AsO4 in HFA precipitated at Fe(III)/As(V) < 1. Furthermore, the formation of scorodite (FeAsO4·2H2O) is greatly accelerated by decreasing the initial Fe(III)/As(V). The release of As(V) from HFA is observed during its crystallization transformation process to scorodite at Fe(III)/As(V) < 1, which is different from that at Fe(III)/As(V) ≥ 1. Scanning electron microscopy results show that Oswald ripening is responsible for the coarsening of scorodite regardless of the initial Fe(III)/As(V) or pH. Moreover, the formation of crystalline ferric dihydrogen arsenate as an intermediate phase at Fe(III)/As(V) < 1 is responsible for the enhanced transformation rate from HFA to scorodite. This work provides new insights into the local atomic structure of HFA and its crystallization transformation that may occur in AMD and has important implications for arsenic geochemical cycling.

Deep-dive into iron-based co-precipitation of arsenic: A review of mechanisms derived from synchrotron techniques and implications for groundwater treatment

The co-precipitation of Fe(III) (oxyhydr)oxides with arsenic (As) is one of the most widespread approaches to treat As-contaminated groundwater in both low- and high-income settings. Fe-based co-precipitation of As occurs in a variety of conventional and decentralized treatment schemes, including aeration and sand filtration, ferric chloride addition and technologies based on controlled corrosion of Fe(0) (i.e., electrocoagulation). Despite its ease of deployment, Fe-based co-precipitation of As entails a complex series of chemical reactions that often occur simultaneously, including electron-transfer reactions, mineral nucleation, crystal growth, and As sorption. In recent years, the growing use of sophisticated synchrotron-based characterization techniques in water treatment research has generated new detailed and mechanistic insights into the reactions that govern As removal efficiency. The purpose of this critical review is to synthesize the current understanding of the molecular-scale reaction pathways of As co-precipitation with Fe(III), where the source of Fe(III) can be ferric chloride solutions or oxidized Fe(II) sourced from natural Fe(II) in groundwater, ferrous salts or controlled Fe(0) corrosion. We draw primarily on the mechanistic knowledge gained from spectroscopic and nano-scale investigations. We begin by describing the least complex reactions relevant in these conditions (Fe(II) oxidation, Fe(III) polymerization, As sorption in single-solute systems) and build to multi-solute systems containing common groundwater ions that can alter the pathways of As uptake during Fe(III) co-precipitation (Ca, Mg bivalent cations; P, Si oxyanions). We conclude the review by providing a perspective on critical knowledge gaps remaining in this field and new research directions that can further improve the understanding of As removal via Fe(III) co-precipitation.

Enhanced immobilization of Arsenic(III) and Auto-oxidation to Arsenic(V) by titanium oxide (TiO2), due to Single-Atom vacancies and oxyanion formation

Pollution control of As(III), a naturally occurring carcinogen, has recently gained a global attention, while due to the dominance of neutral H3AsO3 over a wide pH range, As(III) immobilization by most minerals is not efficient as As(V) immobilization. TiO2 shows promise for controlling As(III) pollution, and herein, a comprehensive study about As(III) adsorption by TiO2 and oxyanion formation is conducted by means of DFT + D3 methods. Both anatase and rutile are effective for As(III) adsorption, while As(III) adsorption affinities differ significantly and are -1.48 and -3.79 eV for pristine surfaces, ascend to -3.85 and -5.08 eV for O vacancies, and further to -5.37 and -5.26 eV for Ti vacancies, respectively. The bidentate binuclear complexes dominate for pristine surfaces, and O vacancies prefer OAs insertion into TiO2 lattice, while for Ti vacancies, all As(III) centers are auto-oxidized to As(V). Ti-3d, O-2p or/and As-4p rather than other orbitals contribute significantly to As adsorption, and O and Ti vacancies promote adsorption through stronger orbital hybridization. The superior adsorption for Ti vacancies originates from As(V) formation instead of bonding interactions. The formation of As oxyanions, which may occur spontaneously at pristine surfaces and is greatly promoted by O and Ti vacancies, enhances As(III) adsorption pronouncedly and becomes a viable strategy for As(III) immobilization. H2AsO3- and HAsO32- dominate for pristine surfaces and O vacancies, and for Ti vacancies, H2AsO4- and HAsO42- dominate over anatase whereas AsO43- also makes an important contribution over rutile. Results rationalize experimental observations available, and provide significantly new insights about the migration, bioavailability and fate of As(III) over TiO2 surfaces that facilitate the exploration of scavengers for As and other pollutants.

Coal gangue-based magnetic porous material for simultaneous remediation of arsenic and cadmium in contaminated soils: Performance and mechanisms

Remediation of arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) co-contaminated soil is a challenge in environmental remediation. In this study, coal gangue-based magnetic porous material (MPCG) was designed for simultaneous immobilization of As and Cd in contaminated soil. After the incubation experiment, the effects of CG and MPCG on the availability and fractions of As and Cd and the related microbial functional genes were analyzed to explore the potential remediation mechanisms of MPCG for As and Cd in contaminated soil. The results showed that the stabilization effect of MPCG on As and Cd was significantly higher than that of coal gangue. It reduced the available As and Cd by 17.94-29.81% and 14.22-30.41%, respectively, and transformed unstable As/Cd to stable. The remediation mechanisms of MPCG on As included adsorption, oxidation, complexation and precipitation/co-precipitation. Meanwhile, the remediation mechanisms of MPCG for Cd included adsorption, ion exchange, complexation and precipitation. In addition, MPCG increases the abundance of sulfate-reducing bacteria (dsrA) by 43.39-381.28%, which can promote sulfate reduction. The sulfide can precipitate with As and Cd to reduce the availability of As and Cd in soil. Thus, MPCG is a promising amendment for achieving the remediation of As and Cd co-contaminated soil.

Unveiling the crucial role of iron mineral phase transformation in antimony(V) elimination from natural water

Antimony (Sb) in natural water has long-term effects on both the ecological environment and human health. Iron mineral phase transformation (IMPT) is a prominent process for removing Sb(V) from natural water. However, the importance of IMPT in eliminating Sb remains uncertain. This study examined the various Sb-Fe binding mechanisms found in different IMPT pathways in natural water, shedding light on the underlying mechanisms. The study revealed that the presence of goethite (Goe), hematite (Hem), and magnetite (Mag) significantly affected the concentration of Sb(V) in natural water. Elevated pH levels facilitated higher Fe content in iron solids but impeded the process of removing Sb(V). To further our understanding, polluted natural water samples were collected from various locations surrounding Sb smelter sites. Results confirmed that converting ferrihydrite (Fhy) to Goe significantly reduced Sb levels (<5 μg/L) in natural water. The emergence of secondary iron phases resulted in greater electrostatic attraction and stabilized surface complexes, which was the most likely cause of the decline of Sb concentration in natural water. The comprehensive findings offer new insights into the factors governing IMPT as well as the Sb(V) behavior control.

Immobilization of As(III) by gibbsite and catalytic oxidation to As(V): Profound impacts of doping and unraveling of associated mechanisms

As(III) is highly toxic, and its adsorption and oxidation to As(V) by minerals represent two effective approaches to remediate As(III)-contaminated sites. Gibbsite, one of the most abundant natural minerals, shows decent adsorption for As(III), and in this study, mechanisms of As(III) immobilization and oxidation by gibbsite with different dopants (M = Fe(III), Mn(III), Mn(IV)) are addressed by periodic DFT calculations. Influences of Fe(III) content and Mn oxidation state are also inspected. Although a majority remain structurally similar to those of pristine gibbsite, new adsorption configurations emerge due to doping: Inner-sphere complexes with M - As bonds for all doping, bidentate binuclear complexes for double Fe(III) doping, and physisorption with weak O_Mn-As interactions for Mn(IV) doping. As(III) adsorption affinities are significantly altered by doping and rely on dopants, while inner-sphere complexes with M-O_As bonds are always lowest-energy except doping Mn(III) that prefers trigonal bipyramidal coordination and impedes As(III) chemisorption. Doping causes strong M-3d and O_As-2p orbital interactions that facilitate As(III) adsorption whereas disappear for pristine gibbsite. Double Fe(III)- and Mn(IV)-doped gibbsite materials are effective for As(III) oxidation to As(V), and mechanisms differ significantly although all are characterized by dual electron transfers. Activation barriers for the most favorable reaction paths amount to 1.02 and 1.26-1.31 eV, respectively. Physisorbed and outer-sphere As(III) complexes exhibit comparable reactivities as chemisorbed complexes that become focus of literature reports, and may also be involved during interfacial and environmental reactions. Results rationalize experimental observations available, and provide significantly new insights that conduce to manage As-associated pollution and design efficient As(III) scavengers and oxidation catalysts.

UV-induced highly efficient removal of As(III) through synergistic photo-oxidation in the presence of Fe(II)

In polluted waters, arsenic (As) poses substantial risks to the environment and human health. Inorganic As mainly exists as As(V) and As(III), and As(III) usually shows higher mobility and toxicity and is more difficult to be removed by coagulation. The oxidation of coexisting Fe(II) can accelerate As(III) oxidation and removal by promoting the generation of reactive intermediates and Fe(III) coagulant in the presence of dissolved oxygen. However, the removal efficiency of As from acidic wastewaters is far from satisfactory due to the low Fe(II) oxidation rate by dissolved oxygen. Herein, UV irradiation was applied to stimulate the synergistic oxidation of Fe(II)/As(III), and the effects of coexisting Fe(II) concentration and pH were also evaluated. The synergistic oxidation of Fe(II)/As(III) significantly enhanced the removal of As from acidic waters. Under UV irradiation, Fe(II) significantly promoted the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), thereby facilitating As(III) oxidation. In addition, the formation of ferric arsenate and amorphous ferric (hydr)oxides contributed much to As removal. In the As(III)-containing solution with 200 μmol L^-1 Fe(II) at initial pH 4.0, the total arsenic (As(T)) concentration decreased from 67.0 to 1.3 and 0.5 μmol L^-1, respectively, at 25 and 120 min under UV irradiation. The As(T) removal rate increased with increasing Fe(II) concentration, and first increased and then decreased with increasing initial pH from 2.0 to 6.0. This study clarifies the mechanism for the synergistic photo-oxidation of Fe(II)/As(III) under UV irradiation, and proposes a new strategy for highly efficient As(III) removal from acidic industrial and mining wastewaters.

Effects of phosphate, silicate, humic acid, and calcium on the release of As(V) co-precipitated with Fe(III) and Fe(II) during aging

The effects of phosphate (P), silicate (Si), humic acid (HA), and calcium (Ca) on the release of As(V) co-precipitated with Fe(III) and Fe(II) during aging were investigated. As(V) in synthetic groundwater could be efficiently removed by both Fe(III) and Fe(II) processes. The addition of P remarkably decreased As(V) removal efficiency while no obvious release of As(V) during aging was observed. Si and HA reduced As(V) removal to a less extent than P but caused notable As(V) release during aging. FTIR spectra and particle size of the precipitates before and after aging indicated that As(V) release in the presence of Si was due to the serious structural transformation and particle aggregation of the precipitates during aging. While for HA, As(V) release was caused by sorption of HA on the precipitates and dissolution of the precipitates by HA. The addition of Ca partially counteracted the adverse impacts of P, Si, and HA and promoted As(V) removal efficiency but had limited inhibitory effect on As(V) release as it induced more serious particle aggregation during aging. The results demonstrated that the release of As(V) caused by Si and HA should be considered when using Fe coagulation for in-situ treatment of As(V) contaminated groundwater.

Molecular structures of dissolved and colloidal AsV-FeIII complexes and their roles in the mobilization of AsV under strongly acidic conditions

The effect of high concentration of iron (Fe^III) on the speciation and mobility of arsenic (As) under strongly acidic conditions remains unclear. This work studied the redistribution and speciation of As^V and Fe^III at Fe/As molar ratio of 1-14 and pH 1.5-2.0 in the dissolved, colloidal, and solid phases. Results showed that the elevated Fe^III induced the decomposition of the precipitated poorly crystalline ferric arsenate by forming dissolved (< 3 kDa) and colloidal (3 kDa-0.1 µm) As-Fe complexes. The fraction of particulate As (> 0.1 µm) decreased from 70-90% to less than 20% when the Fe/As molar ratio increased from 1 to 14. The particle size of the bulk samples decreased significantly with the increase of Fe^III concentration. The FTIR results suggested that As^V in dissolved/colloidal As-Fe complexes dominantly occurred as HAsO₄^2- species. The EXAFS results indicated that each HAsO₄^2- coordinated with approximately two Fe atoms in dissolved/colloidal As-Fe complexes at Fe/As ≥ 2. The findings suggest that high aqueous Fe^III concentration can promote the mobility of As by forming dissolved/colloidal Fe-As complexes in acidic waters, potentially accelerating As transport from source to downstream in acid mine drainage systems.

Humic acids restrict the transformation and the stabilization of Cd by iron (hydr)oxides

Iron (hydr)oxides and their association with organic matter significantly affect the mobility of heavy metals in natural soils and sediments. However, the behavior of cadmium (Cd) during crystalline iron (hydr)oxide formation in the presence of humic acid (HA) is still unknown. In this study, the speciation of Cd in iron (hydr)oxide-HA coprecipitates were studied by extraction, surface complexation model (SCM) calculation and characterization of the composites during the aging. The results showed that aging promoted the stabilization of ~30-50% of the added Cd ions with minerals in the binary iron (hydr)oxide systems. The reduction of Cd occurred earlier than hematite formation, indicating that the aggregation of amorphous iron (hydr)oxide led to the initial immobilization of Cd. The presence of HA restricted the crystallization of iron (hydr)oxide by the formation of tight mineral nanoparticle-HA aggregates, while there were negligible changes in the speciation of Cd and Fe during aging at high HA concentrations. Therefore, HA promoted the adsorption of Cd onto amorphous iron (hydr)oxide but limited the partition of Cd to mineral aggregates. The knowledge about the role of HA in iron (hydr)oxide transformation and Cd speciation is of great significance for the prediction of heavy metal behavior in soils and sediments.

The stability of poorly crystalline arsenical ferrihydrite after long-term soil suspension incubation

2- Line ferrihydrite (Fh) is widely used as a robust amendment for rapid arsenic removal or remediation in water or soil. However, the poorly crystalline phase of Fh is unstable and leads to arsenic leaching after long-term submergence in reductive aquatic and soil environments. In this study, the synthesized As(V)-bound Fh was characterized by various spectral approaches to investigate the factors that may affect the variation in As(V)-Fh in long-term continuously submerged soil suspensions. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) results showed that hematite was the main product and that goethite was the byproduct after 360 d of incubation. Approximately 12-17% and 4-5% Fh were transformed at As/Fe mole ratios of 0.005 and 0.05, respectively. After 360 d of incubation, the hematite morphology was clearly observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the As(V)-Fh surface areas were also decreased by 17.3-27.6% and 11.9-16.6% for As/Fe mole ratios of 0.005 and 0.05, respectively. In a comparison of the two tested soils (soils sampled in Sichuan Province (SC) and Hunan Province (HN)), As(V)-Fh transformed faster in HN soil suspensions, and more hematite and goethite were formed. Furthermore, during the incubation period, As(V) was transformed to As(III), and both species were released into the suspension from the As(V)-Fh surface. It was suggested that soil pH and Fe(II) concentration were key factors controlling the As(V)-Fh transformation process, and the differences between the two soils were due to the different soil pH values and contents of available Fe. Arsenic release was mainly caused by Fh transformation and ligand competition with soil organic matter (SOM).

Mechanistic insight into pH-dependent adsorption and coprecipitation of chelated heavy metals by in-situ formed iron (oxy)hydroxides

Fe(III) coagulation-precipitation process has been widely used to remove heavy metals from industrial effluents; however, the influences of organic ligands on the sequestration of different heavy metals in the Fe(III)/metal-EDTA ternary system are not well understood. In this study, the pH-dependent mechanisms of Cu^II-EDTA and Ni^II-EDTA removed by in-situ formed iron (oxy)hydroxides were studied using surface complex modeling and a suite of characterization techniques. Results of surface complex model indicated that there should be minimal difference between removal of Cu^II-EDTA and Ni^II-EDTA by iron (oxy)hydroxides if adsorption was the dominant mechanism. However, through the speciation analysis and characterization of the precipitates generated after coagulation and precipitation, we have demonstrated that at neutral pH the complexation of Fe(III) and EDTA influenced the surface properties of iron (oxy)hydroxides formed, with the higher removal of Cu²⁺ (compared to Ni²⁺) contributed by its coprecipitation with Fe(III). Moreover, at basic pH, decomplexation of Cu^II-EDTA occurred on the iron (oxy)hydroxides surface with the released copper ions involved in the formation of (oxy)hydroxides. The low removal of nickel (from Ni^II-EDTA) was ascribed to the higher conditional stability constant of Ni^II-EDTA. Results of this study have advanced our understanding of the complicated interactions among Fe(III), organic ligands and heavy metals in the industrial effluents, and provide insight to optimization of the process efficiency.

Molecular Insights into Roles of Dissolved Organic Matter in Cr(III) Immobilization by Coprecipitation with Fe(III) Probed by STXM-Ptychography and XANES Spectroscopy

The coprecipitation of heavy metals (HMs) with Fe(III) in the presence of dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a crucial process to control the mobility of HMs in the environment, but its underlying immobilization mechanisms are unclear. In this study, Cr(III) immobilization by coprecipitation with Fe(III) in the presence of straw-derived DOMs under different Fe/C molar ratios, pHs, and ionic strengths was investigated using scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) and ptychography and X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. The results showed that Cr(III) retention was enhanced in the presence of DOM, a maximum of which was achieved at an Fe/C molar ratio of 0.5. The increase of pH and ionic strength could also promote Cr(III) immobilization. Cr K-edge XANES results indicated that Fe (oxy)hydroxide fractions, instead of organics, provided the predominant binding sites for Cr(III), which was directly confirmed by high spatial resolution STXM-ptychography analysis at the sub-micron- and nanoscales. Moreover, organics could indirectly facilitate Cr immobilization by improving the aggregation and deposition of coprecipitate particles through DOM bridging or electrostatic interactions. Additionally, C K-edge XANES analysis further indicated that the carboxylic groups of DOM were complexed with Fe (oxy)hydroxides, which probably contributed to DOM bridging. This study provides a new insight into Cr(III) immobilization mechanisms in its coprecipitation with Fe(III) and DOM, which could have important implications on the management of Cr(III)-enriched soils, particularly with crop straw returning.

Contradictory tendency of As(V) releasing from Fe-As complexes: Influence of organic and inorganic anions

The strong ability of ferrihydrite and its aged minerals for fixing arsenate is a key factor in remediating arsenate-polluted environments. It is therefore crucial to clarify the stability of Fe-As complexes and the release conditions for As(V). The As(V) release amount was evaluated and compared in the presence of six representative anions, namely, phosphate, silicate, sulfate, inositol hexaphosphate, citrate, and oxalate. It was found that the As(V) release amount changed with the aging time of ferrihydrite and that this tendency generally followed two rules. These are, longer aging time leads to lower As(V) release (Rule 1), and longer aging time leads to higher As(V) release (Rule 2). Whether Rule 1 or Rule 2 dominated As release depended on the number of surface groups, size of competing anions, and contribution of As(V) re-adsorption. Characterization results using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) provided evidence for the predicted mechanisms of As(V) release under various circumstances. In this work, it was demonstrated that when inorganic anions such as sulfate and silicate are present, ferrihydrite with longer aging time led to decreased As(V) release. When organic anions are present, ferrihydrite with less aging time results in reduced As(V) leaching. For anions such as phosphate, the As(V) release amount in relation to the ferrihydrite aging time depends on the concentration of phosphate ions. Nevertheless, the ligand concentration and As(V) loading rate on ferrihydrite should be simultaneously considered for the rule governing As(V) releasing.

Recovery of iron from iron-rich pickling sludge for preparing P-doped polyferric chloride coagulant

The pickling sludge produced from rolling process contains a large amount of Fe, Ca, Al as well as other metals. If these metals can be extracted and used, it will promote the recycling of pickling sludge. Herein, we proposed a two-step extraction method to extract Fe ions out from the pickling sludge, and then the extracted Fe was oxidized by H₂O₂ and prepared into Fe-containing coagulant in the presence of Na₂HPO₄ as stabilizer. The three main factors that affect the color removal efficiency and COD removal efficiency are identified as P:Fe ratio, H₂O₂ adding amount, and curing time. Results show that the optimal preparation conditions are: P:Fe = 0.05, H₂O₂ amount = 115%, and the curing time = 6 d, at which the color and COD removal efficiency reached 96.25% and 65.91%, respectively. The assessment of toxicity of the PPFC indicated that the content of harmful substances meets the thresholds in Chinese national standard GB141591-2016. The findings in this study are expected to provide new implications in treating different kinds of Fe-containing sludge.

Rice husk-derived biochar can aggravate arsenic mobility in ferrous-rich groundwater during oxygenation

Elevated As(III) and Fe(II) in shallow reducing groundwater can be frequently re-oxidized by introducing O₂ due to natural/anthropogenic processes, thus leading to oxidative precipitation of As as well as Fe. Nevertheless, the geochemical process may be impacted by co-existing engineered black carbon due to its considerable applications, which remains poorly understood. Taking rice husk-derived biochar prepared at 500 °C as an example, we explored its impact on the process particularly for the As(III) oxidation and (im)mobilization during the oxygenation. The presence of the biochar had a negligible effect on the As(III) oxidation and immobilization extents within 1 d, while accelerating their rates. However, the immobilized As(III) was significantly liberated from the formed Fe(III) minerals afterward within 21 d, which was 2.2-fold higher than that in the absence of the biochar. The enhanced As(III) liberation was attributed to the presence of the surface silicon-carbon structure, consisting of the outer silicon and inner carbon layers, of the rice husk-derived biochar. The outer silicon components, particularly for the dissolved silicate primarily promoted the As(III) release via ligand exchange, while significantly impeding the transformation of ferrihydrite to lepidocrocite and goethite still resulted secondarily in the As(III) release. Our findings reveal the possible impact of biochar on the environmental behavior and fate of As(III) in the Fe(II)-rich groundwater during the oxygenation. This work highlights that biochar, particularly for its structural features should be a concern in re-mobilizing As in such scenarios when the oxygenation time reaches several days or weeks.

Stability of Fe-As composites formed with As(V) and aged ferrihydrite

During the aging process, ferrihydrite was transformed into mineral mixtures composed of different proportions of ferrihydrite, goethite, lepidocrocite and hematite. Such a transformation may affect the fixed ability of arsenic. In this study, the stability of Fe-As composites formed with As(V) and the minerals aged for 0, 1, 4, 10 and 30 days of ferrihydrite were systematically examined, and the effects of molar of ratios Fe/As were also clarified using kinetic methods combined with multiple spectroscopic techniques. The results indicated that As(V) was rapidly adsorbed on minerals during the initial polymerization process, which delayed both the ferrihydrite conversion and the hematite formation. When the Fe/As molar ratio was 1.875 and 5.66, the As(V) adsorbed by ferrihydrite began to release after 6 hr and 12 hr, respectively. The corresponding release amounts of As(V) were 0.55 g/L and 0.07 g/L, and the adsorption rates were 92.43% and 97.50% at 60 days, respectively. However, the As(V) adsorbed by the transformation products aged for 30 days of ferrihydrite began to release after adsorbed 30 days. The corresponding release amounts of As(V) were 0.25 g/L and 0.03 g/L, and the adsorption rates were 84.23% and 92.18% after adsorbed 60 days, for the Fe/As=1.875 and 5.66, respectively. Overall, the combination of As(V) with ferrihydrite and aged products transformed from a thermodynamically metastable phase to a dynamically stable state within a certain duration. Moreover, the aging process of ferrihydrite reduced the sorption ability of arsenate by iron (hydr)oxide but enhanced the stability of the Fe-As composites.

Enhanced Arsenite Removal from Silicate-containing Water by Using Redox Polymer-based Fe(III) Oxides Nanocomposite

The efficient removal of arsenite [As(III)] from groundwater remains a great challenge. Nanoscale oxides of Fe(III), Zr(IV), and Al(III) can selectively remove arsenic from groundwater through inner-sphere complexation. However, owing to polysilicate coatings formation on nanoparticles surface, the ubiquitous silicate exerts remarkably adverse effects on As(III) removal. Herein, we propose a new strategy to enhance silicate resistance of nanoscale oxides by embedding them inside the redox polymer host. As a proof-of-concept, the nanocomposite HFO@PS-Cl was employed to remove As(III) from silicate-containing water. The polymer host (PS-Cl) contains active chlorine to oxidize As(III) into arsenate [As(V)], and the embedded Fe(III) oxides enabling specific adsorption toward arsenic. Silicate exerts negligible effects on As(III) removal by HFO@PS-Cl in pH 3-7, but increasing the residual arsenic concentration from 49 µg/L to 166 µg/L for the solutions treated by HFO@PS-N, i.e., the nanoscale Fe(III) oxides embedded inside the polymer host without active chlorine. During the six cyclic decontamination-regeneration assays, HFO@PS-Cl steadily reduces As(III) below 10 µg/L. As for HFO@PS-N, however, the residual arsenic increases to ~57 µg/L in the sixth run. In column mode, HFO@PS-Cl column generates >3200-bed volume (BV) clean water ([As]<10 µg/L) from the simulated As(III)-contaminated groundwater. In contrast, the values for As(V)-contaminated water and HFO@PS-N column are only ~650 BV and ~608 BV, respectively. The stoichiometric assays, XPS, and in-situ ATR-FTIR analysis demonstrate that silicate polymerization is intensively suppressed by the protons produced during As(III) oxidation, thus rendering HFO@PS-Cl with excellent silicate resistant properties.

Removal of aqueous As(III) Sb(III) by potassium ferrate (K2FeO4): The function of oxidation and flocculation

This study investigated the effects of potassium ferrate (K₂FeO₄) dosage, pH, and reaction time on the removal of aqueous As(III) and Sb(III), and revealed the oxidation and flocculation mechanism of K₂FeO₄. The results show that the removal efficiencies of As(III) and Sb(III) were highly related to the hydrolysate of K₂FeO₄ under acidic conditions, while the efficiencies were low under alkaline condition, owning to the electrostatic repulsion between iron nanoparticles and charged As/Sb species. The increased dosage and reaction time improved the adsorption performance. Based on the comparative experiments with FeCl₃, the simultaneous removal of As(III) and Sb(III) by K₂FeO₄ suggested that As(III) was eliminated due to the processes of oxidation, flocculation, and chemical precipitation, while Sb(III) was removed mostly by oxidation and flocculation. The generated precipitates were characterized with surface analysis and the results support that the oxidization property of K₂FeO₄ was essential during the removal of As(III) and Sb(III), and removal mechanisms between both elements were different.

Lead immobilization by phosphate in the presence of iron oxides: Adsorption versus precipitation

As a commonly used corrosion inhibitor, phosphate (PO₄) has a complicated effect on the fate and transport of lead (Pb) in drinking water systems. While the formation of pyromorphite has been recognized to be the major driving force of the Pb immobilization mechanism, the role of adsorption on iron oxides is still not clear. This study aims to clarify the contributions of adsorption and precipitation to Pb removal in a system containing both iron oxides and PO₄. A combination of batch experiments, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and electron spectroscopy was employed to distinguish the adsorbed and precipitated Pb species. The results indicated that the adsorption of Pb on iron oxides still occurred even when the solution was supersaturated to pyromorphite (i.e., 5 mg/L P with 0.1-30 mg/L Pb in 0.01 M NaCl solution at neutral pH). In the tap water containing 0.92 mg/L P and 1 mg/L Pb, adsorption on iron oxides contributed more (62-67%) than precipitation (33-38%) in terms of Pb removal. Surprisingly, the pre-formed pyromorphite is transformed to adsorbed species after mixing with iron oxides in water for 24 h. The illustration of this transformation is important to understand the immobilization mechanisms and transport behaviors of Pb in drinking water systems after the utilization of PO₄.

Challenges of arsenic removal from municipal wastewater by coagulation with ferric chloride and alum

Discharge of treated municipal wastewater containing arsenic (As) may cause adverse effects on the environment and drinking water sources. Arsenic concentrations were measured throughout the treatment systems at two municipal wastewater plants in New Jersey, USA. The efficiency of As removal by ferric chloride and alum coagulants were evaluated. Besides, the effects of suspended solids in the mixed liquor, pH, and orthophosphate (PO₄^3-) on As removal were investigated. The total recoverable As (TAs) concentrations in the influent and effluent of Plant A were in the ranges of 2.00-3.00 and 1.50-2.30 μg/L, respectively. The results indicated that <30% of the As was removed by the conventional biological wastewater treatment processes. The influent and effluent TAs concentrations at Plant B was below 1.00 μg/L. The bench-scale coagulation results demonstrated for the first time that the coagulation treatment could not effectively remove As from the municipal wastewater to <2.00 μg/L. Very high doses of the coagulants (8 and 40 mg/L of Fe(III) or Al(III)) were required to reduce the TAs from 2.84 and 8.61 μg/L in the primary clarifier effluent and arsenate-spiked effluent samples to <2.00 μg/L, respectively, which could be attributed to the high concentrations of PO₄^3- and dissolved organic matters (DOM) in the wastewater. The protein DOM in wastewater may negatively impact removal efficiencies more than the DOM in natural water, which mainly consists of humic substances. Furthermore, an artificial neural network was constructed to determine the relative importance of different parameters for As removal. Under the experimental conditions, the importance followed the order: coagulant dose>dissolved PO₄^3- > initial As concentration > pH. The findings of this study will help develop effective treatment processes to remove As from municipal wastewater.

Identifying the existence and molecular structure of the dissolved HCO3-Ca-As(V) complex in water

Calcium (Ca²⁺) and bicarbonate (HCO₃^-) ions co-exist with arsenic (As) in natural water systems, while Ca-based materials such as lime and cement are widely used to immobilize As(V) in contaminated solids. In this paper, a new dissolved ternary complex, HCO₃-Ca-As(V), was discovered and its molecular structure was identified. The results from the batch experiments showed that adding As(V) to the solutions containing Ca²⁺ and HCO₃^- increased the dissolved Ca concentration from 4.8 to 73.2 mg/L at pH 11. Both infrared and X-ray absorption spectroscopy indicated the presence of dissolved HCO₃-Ca-As(V) complex. Based on the quantitative geometric information obtained from the spectroscopic results, the molecule of (OH)OC-O-(OH₂)₄Ca-O₂-As(OH)₂ was identified by the density functional theory (DFT) calculation. Although Ca²⁺ and As(V) can form complex without HCO₃^-, the presence of HCO₃^- further enhanced the stability of the dissolved Ca complex, as evidenced by the lower binding energy (BE) of HCO₃-Ca-As(V) (-329.1959 kJ/mol) than Ca-As(V) (4.7171 kJ/mol). The discovery of dissolved HCO₃-Ca-As(V) complex is important for understanding the mobility of As(V) in natural water, and the possible release of As(V) in contaminated solids treated with Ca-based materials.

Coupled As and Mn Redox Transformations in an Fe(0) Electrocoagulation System: Competition for Reactive Oxidants and Sorption Sites

Iron electrocoagulation (EC) can be used for the decentralized treatment of arsenic(As)-contaminated groundwater. Iron EC involves the electrolytic dissolution of an Fe(0) electrode to Fe(II). This process produces reactive oxidants, which oxidize As(III) and Fe(II) to As(V) and a range of Fe(III) (oxyhydr)oxide phases. Here, we investigated the impact of manganese (Mn) on As removal, since the two often co-occur in groundwater. In the absence of Mn(II), we observed rapid As(III) oxidation and the formation of As(V)-Fe(III) polymers. Arsenic removal was achieved upon aggregation of the As(V)-Fe(III) polymers. In the presence of Mn, the mechanism of As removal varied with pH. At pH 4.5, As(III) was oxidized rapidly by OH^• and the aggregation of the resulting As(V)-Fe(III) polymers was enhanced by the presence of Mn. At pH 8.5, As(III) and Mn(II) competed for Fe(IV), which led As(III) to persist in solution. The As(V) that did form was incorporated into a mixture of As(V)-Fe(III) polymers and a ferrihydrite-like phase that incorporated 8% Mn(III); some As(III) was also sorbed by these phases. At intermediate pH values, As(III) and Mn(II) also competed for the oxidants, but Mn(III) behaved as a reactive intermediate that reacted with Fe(II) or As(III). This result can explain the presence of As(V) in the solid phase. This detailed understanding of the As removal mechanisms in the presence of Mn can be used to tune the operating conditions of Fe EC for As removal under typical groundwater conditions.

Microbial driven iron reduction affects arsenic transformation and transportation in soil-rice system

The microbe-driven iron cycle plays an important role in speciation transformation and migration of arsenic (As) in soil-rice systems. In this study, pot experiments were used to investigate the effect of bacterial iron (Fe) reduction processes in soils on As speciation and migration, as well as on As uptake in soil-rice system. During the rice growth period, pH and electrical conductivity (EC) in soil solutions initially increased and then decreased, with the ranges of 7.4-8.8 and 116.3-820 mS cm-1, respectively. The concentrations of Fe, total As and As(III) showed an increasing trend in the rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil solutions with the increasing time. Fe concentrations were significantly positively correlated with total As and As(III) concentrations (***p < 0.001) in the soil solutions. The abundances of the arsenate reductase gene (arsC) and the As(III) S-adenosylmethionine methyltransferase gene (arsM) in rhizosphere soils were higher than those in non-rhizosphere soils, while the abundance of the Fe-reducing bacteria (Geo) showed an opposite trend. Moreover, it showed that the Geo abundance was significantly positively correlated with that of the arsC (***p < 0.001) and arsM (**p < 0.01) genes, respectively. The abundances of Geo, arsC and arsM genes were significantly positively correlated with the concentrations of Fe, total As and As(III) in the soil solutions (*p < 0.05). Moreover, the abundances of arsC and arsM genes were significantly negatively correlated with total As and As(III) in rice grains (*P < 0.05). These results showed that the interaction of bacterial Fe reduction process and radial oxygen loss from roots promoted the reduction and methylation of As, and then decreased As uptake by rice, which provided a theoretical basis for alleviating As pollution in paddy soils.

Efficient U(VI) adsorption on iron/carbon composites derived from the coupling of cellulose with iron oxides: Performance and mechanism

Novel iron/carbon composites were successfully prepared via coupling of cellulose with iron oxides (e.g. α-FeOOH, Fe₂O₃ and Fe(NO₃)₃·9H₂O) at different temperatures under nitrogen atmosphere. Characterization by various techniques implied that chemical interaction between cellulose and Fe₃O₄/Fe⁰ existed in the as-prepared iron/carbon composites. The site of interaction between cellulose and iron precursors was illustrated (mainly combined with COO-). The self-reduction of Fe³⁺ to Fe²⁺ or even Fe⁰ and the interaction between carbon and Fe₃O₄/Fe⁰ in the calcination process realized the strong magnetism of the composites. Batch experiments and spectroscopic techniques indicated that the maximum adsorption capacity of MHC-7 for U(VI) (105.3 mg/g) was significantly higher than that of MGC-7 (86.0 mg/g) and MFC-7 (79.0 mg/g), indicating that Fe₂O₃ can be regarded as the remarkable iron resource for the iron/carbon composites. XPS results revealed that the oxygen-containing groups were responsible for the adsorption process of U(VI) on iron/carbon composites, and the adsorption of carbon and reduction of Fe⁰/Fe₃O₄ toward U(VI) were synergistic during the reaction process. In addition, the iron/carbon composites exhibited a good recyclability, recoverability and stability for U(VI) adsorption in the regeneration experiments. These findings demonstrated that the iron/carbon composites can be considered as valuable adsorbents in environmental cleanup and the Fe₂O₃ was a promising iron resource for the preparation of iron/carbon composites.

Long-term stability of the Fe(III)-As(V) coprecipitates: Effects of neutralization mode and the addition of Fe(II) on arsenic retention

The coprecipitation of arsenic with Fe(III) by lime neutralization is widely used in industrial practices to treat arsenic-containing waste waters generated from mineral processing operations. In this work, coprecipitation was conducted directly at pH 8 to simulate the operations in hydrometallurgical practices, which differed from the conventional laboratory operations. Moreover, although ferric is the major species of iron in arsenic-containing waste waters, the coexistence of ferrous ions cannot be ignored. Therefore, the effect of different neutralization modes, as well as the effect of ferrous ions on the removal of arsenic and the stability of the generated arsenic-bearing wastes, was systematically investigated. The result showed that arsenic was still released back into the liquid phase under alkaline conditions even for the samples formed directly at alkaline pH. It was found that the extra addition of Fe(II) may exert negative effect on the stability of the as-formed Fe(II)-Fe(III)-As(V) coprecipitates at pH 7 - 10. The concentration of ferrous ions in the liquid/solid phase decreased with increasing pH for each sample formed at different Fe(II)/Fe(tot). The results indicated that complete oxidation of the ferrous ions before coprecipitation with arsenic should be conducted to achieve optimal stability of the arsenic-bearing wastes for hydrometallurgical practice and waste disposal.

Arsenic mobilization from soils in the presence of herbicides

Arsenic (As) mobilization in soils is a fundamental step controlling its transport and fate, especially in the presence of the co-existing components. In this study, the effect of two commonly used herbicides, glyphosate (PMG) and dicamba, and two competing ions including phosphate and humic acid, on As desorption and release was investigated using batch and column experiments. The batch kinetics results showed that As desorption in the presence of competing factors conformed to the pseudo-second order kinetics at pH range of 5-9. The impact of phosphate on desorption was greatest, followed by PMG. The competitive effect of dicamba and humic acid was at the same level with electrolyte solution. In situ flow cell ATR-FTIR analysis was performed to explore the mechanism of phosphate and PMG impact on As mobilization. The results showed that PMG promoted As(III) desorption by competiting for available adsorption sites with no change in As(III) complexing structure. On the other hand, phophate changed As(III) surface complexes from bidentate to monodentate structures, exhibiting the most siginficant effect on As(III) desorption. As(V) surface complexes remained unchanged in the presence of PMG and phosphate, implying that the competitive effect for As(V) desorption was primarily determined by the available adsorption sites. Long-term (10 days) soil column experiments suggested that the effect of humic acid on As mobilization became pronounced from 3 days (18 PVs). The insights of this study help us understand the transport and fate of As due to herbicides application.