Arsenite and arsenate leaching and retention on iron (hydr)oxide-coated sand column

Arsenite and arsenate leaching from iron (hydr)oxides is one major parameter affecting the mobility of arsenic in the natural environment. In the process of arsenic transfer to groundwater, the retention capacity of arsenic by different iron (hydr)oxides needs to be investigated. The aim of this study is to determine the retention capacity of arsenite or arsenate from the ferrihydrite, lepidocrocite, or magnetite-coated sand column in the leaching process as well as the influence factors on leaching. The leaching of arsenite and arsenate from columns loaded with ferrihydrite, magnetite, or lepidocrocite-coated quartz sand was examined, and the influence factors such as pH, phosphate, and humic acid (HA) contents on leaching and retention were also investigated. The retention performance of As(III) and As(V) depended on the type of iron (hydr)oxides: ferrihydrite > magnetite > lepidocrocite. The retention capacities of As(III) and As(V) by amorphous ferrihydrite versus magnetite and lepidocrocite are 3.25, 5.63 (As(III)) and 1.75, 3.65 (As(V)) times higher. The retention capacity of arsenic is largely affected by the pH of leaching solutions. The retention of As(III) by ferrihydrite is efficient in near-neutral or slightly acidic environments. The addition of phosphate or HA significantly affected the leaching and retention. The addition of phosphate severely inhibited the leaching and retention of As(III) and As(V) by ferrihydrite, and the inhibitory effect was more obvious along with the increase of phosphate concentration. The retention of As(III) and As(V) by ferrihydrite was significantly enhanced by the addition of low-dose HA but was inhibited by the addition of excessive HA. Retention performance of As(III) and As(V) from a ferrihydrite-coated sand column is greater than a magnetite- or a lepidocrocite-coated sand column, and the influence factors such as pH, phosphate, and HA affect the leaching and retention of As(III) and As(V). The results theoretically underlie the application of iron (hydr)oxide in arsenic pollution control.