Chemical extraction of arsenic from contaminated soil

A series of batch extraction experiments were conducted using a fortified soil with different extracting solutions such as inorganic acids (hydrochloric acid (HCl), sulfuric acid (H2SO4), phosphoric acid (H3PO4), perchloric acid (HClO4), or nitric acid (HNO3)), organic acids (acetic acid (C2H4O2), citric acid (C6H8O7)) and alkaline agent (NaOH). Various concentrations were used to investigate the removal efficiency and to optimise the concentration of each extractant. In the present investigation a Kuroboku soil contaminated with arsenite (As(III)) was used as a model soil. Arsenic was extracted most efficiently by 5% H3PO4 with a maximum of more than 99% from the model soil. Sulfuric acid also showed high percentage extraction efficiency. On the other hand, C2H4O2 and oxidizing acids such as HNO3 and HClO4 showed low efficiency of As extraction compared with C6H8O7. Although, NaOH also showed higher extraction efficiencies compared with organic and oxidizing acids but mainly arsenate (As(V)) was found to be the major component. A significant fraction of the As(III) was oxidized to As(V) during mineral acid and alkaline extraction and extraction efficiency also varied with the concentration of the acid and alkali solution.