PNNL

Abstract

The redox state and speciation of metalloid arsenic (As) determine its toxicity and mobility. Knowledge of biogeochemical processes influencing the As redox state is therefore important to understand and predict its environmental behavior. Many previous studies examined As(III) oxidation by various Mn-oxides, but little is known the environmental influences (e.g. co-existing ions) on such process. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms of As(III) oxidation by a poorly crystalline hexagonal birnessite (d-MnO2) in the presence of Fe(II) using X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), Mössbauer spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). As K-edge X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES) analysis revealed that, at low Fe(II) concentration (100 µM), As(V) was the predominant As species on the solid phase, while at higher Fe(II) concentration (200-1000 µM), both As(III) and As(V) were sorbed on the solid phase. As K-edge extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (EXAFS) analysis showed an increasing As-Mn/Fe distance over time, indicating As prefers to bind with the newly formed Fe(III)-(hydr)oxides. As adsorbed on Fe(III)-(hydr)oxides as a bidentate binuclear corner-sharing complex. Both Mössbauer and TEM-EDS investigations demonstrated that the oxidized Fe(III) products formed during Fe(II) oxidation by d-MnO2 were predominantly ferrihydrite, goethite, and ferric arsenate like compounds. However, Fe EXAFS analysis also suggested the formation of a small amount of lepidocrocite. The Mn K-edge XANES data indicated that As(III) and Fe(II) oxidation occurs as a two electron transfer with d-MnO2 and the observed Mn(III) is due to conproportionation of surface sorbed Mn(II) with Mn(IV) in d-MnO2 structure. This study reveals that the mechanisms of As(III) oxidation by d-MnO2 in the presence of Fe(II) are very complex, involving many simultaneous reactions, and the formation of Fe(III)-(hydr)oxides plays a very important role in reducing As mobility.