Photoreductive Dissolution of Schwertmannite with Incorporated As(V) Induced by Oxalate and the Mobilization of As(V)

Abstract

Schwertmannite (Sh), a poorly crystalline iron (hydr)oxide that usually appears in acid mine drainage, plays a significant role in the immobilization of As(V). In this study, the effects of UV irradiation and oxalate on the dissolution of Sh with structurally incorporated As(V) [Sh–As(V)] and the subsequent mobilization of As(V) were investigated at pH 3.0. In the dark, more total dissolved Fe was produced (the maximum value was 33.2 mg/L) in the suspensions of Sh–As(V) with oxalate than in those without oxalate. UV irradiation slightly enhanced the mobilization of As(V) for the system of Sh–As(V)-1 and Sh–As(V)-2 in the absence of oxalate compared with that in the dark. However, in the presence of oxalate, UV irradiation caused the concentration of mobilized As(V) to decline by 630–875% compared with that in the dark. This study enhanced our understanding of the mobilization of As(V) and demonstrated that UV irradiation could contribute to the immobilization of As(V) on Sh in aqueous environments containing oxalate.

Keywords

Schwertmannite / Photoreductive dissolution / Oxalate / As(V) / Mobilization

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