Synergistic release of Cd(II) and As(V) from ternary sorption systems containing ferrihydrite nanoparticles: The role of binary and ternary surface complexes

Cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As) generally exhibit mutually beneficial co-sorption behavior on iron oxyhydroxides through multiple mechanisms, including surface precipitation, ternary surface complexes, and electrostatic interactions. However, the numerous factors that control the immobilization of Cd and As in turn complicated the processes and mechanisms involved in their co-desorption from iron minerals, which hindered the full understanding of their geochemical behaviors. Here, the simultaneous release of Cd(II) and As(V) from newly precipitated ferrihydrite nanoparticles by either Ca or P was investigated through kinetics and isothermal desorption experiments. We showed that the Cd(II) and As(V) present two-phase desorption processes (rapid desorption and slow desorption) in both binary (Fe–Cd or Fe–As alone) and ternary systems (Fe–Cd–As co-presence). Compared to their binary counterparts, Cd(II) and As(V) in the ternary systems are more prone to detachment from ferrihydrite. Further desorption of Cd(II) and As(V) at different co-presence scenarios (different initial concentrations) demonstrated mutual promotion behaviour towards their counterparts; the co-presence of Cd(II) facilitates the desorption of As(V), while the co-presence of As(V) also promotes the desorption of Cd(II). XPS and FTIR results demonstrated that either Ca or P showed minor effects on the binding environment of Cd and As. Further results from the in-situ ATR-FTIR experiment and second derivative peak fitting analysis indicate that the enhanced detachment of Cd(II) and As(V) from the ternary system may be due to the synergistic desorption of the ternary surface complexes and other surface complex species. Our results provide new insights into the prediction of the environmental behaviour of the coexistence of Cd(II) and As(V) in iron-rich geological settings. The potential environmental risks of iron-based remediation methods should be considered due to the enhanced bioavailability of Cd(II) and As(V) in co-presence circumstances. © 2024 Elsevier Ltd