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Higher sorption of arsenate versus arsenite on amorphous Al-oxide, effect of ligands

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Abstract

Arsenic pollution is currently a major health issue because As is toxic for human beings, animals, and plants. Knowledge of As mobility is therefore important to assess health risk. The sorption of arsenite and arsenate on metal oxides in the presence of various anionic ligands is closely linked to the mobility, bioavailability, and risk. It was reported that the sorption mechanisms and characteristics of arsenite and arsenate on Al-oxides were different from that on Fe-oxides. Previous work reports the sorption of arsenite and arsenate on Fe-oxides in the presence of ligands. Whereas there is few knowledge on the sorption of arsenite and arsenate by Al-oxides in the presence of ligands. Here, we studied the sorption of arsenite and arsenate on amorphous Al-oxide by batch experiments. We tested the effect of organic ligands: oxalate, malate, tartrate, citrate; and inorganic ligands: sulfate, phosphate, selenate, selenite. Results show that amorphous Al-oxide has more sorption affinity for arsenate than arsenite. The inhibition of As sorption by ligands at pH 6 is higher for arsenite than arsenate. For arsenite, the As sorption inhibition decreases in the order phosphate, citrate, malate, selenite, oxalate, tartrate, sulfate, and selenate. For arsenate, the As sorption inhibition decreases in the order phosphate, malate, citrate, selenite, tartrate, oxalate, sulfate, and selenate.

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Acknowledgments

The research was financially supported by Italian Research Program of National Interest (PRIN) (Grant number 2006073324).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agriculture, University of Naples Federico II, Via University 100, 80055, Portici, Naples, Italy

    Jun Zhu, Massimo Pigna, Vincenza Cozzolino, Antonio Giandonato Caporale & Antonio Violante

  2. Key Laboratory of Arable Land Conservation (Middle and Lower Reaches of Yangtze River), Ministry of Agriculture, College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China

    Jun Zhu

Authors
  1. Jun Zhu
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  2. Massimo Pigna
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  3. Vincenza Cozzolino
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  4. Antonio Giandonato Caporale
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  5. Antonio Violante
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Correspondence to Antonio Violante.

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Zhu, J., Pigna, M., Cozzolino, V. et al. Higher sorption of arsenate versus arsenite on amorphous Al-oxide, effect of ligands. Environ Chem Lett 11, 289–294 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-013-0405-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-013-0405-7

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