Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Chemistry of arsenic in soils: I. Sorption of arsenate and arsenite by four Australian soils

Journal Article · · Journal of Environmental Quality

Ten soils varying widely in chemistry and mineralogy were used to examine the physical and chemical properties that influence As sorption processes in soils. The sorption of As was measured using a batch technique with As{sup V} and As{sup III} concentrations added in background solutions of NaNO{sub 3} and a range of pH values. The soils generally sorbed more As{sup V} than As{sup III} at equivalent As concentrations. In general, highly oxidic soils sorbed three times more As{sup V} than soils containing small amounts of oxidic minerals. The effect of pH on As sorption varied considerably among the soils. In soils with low concentrations of oxidic minerals, increasing pH had little affect on the amount of As{sup V} sorbed while in highly oxidic soils, sorption of As{sup V} decreased with increasing pH. This decrease was attributed to two interacting factors, the increasing negative surface potential on the plane of sorption and increasing amount of negatively charged As{sup V} species present in soil solution. In contrast to As{sup V}, sorption of As{sup III} increased with increasing pH. The effect of ionic strength on As sorption varied between the As species. In general, there was a pH below which As{sup V} sorption decreased with increasing ionic strength and above which the reverse occurred. For As{sup III} species, increasing ionic strength had little effect on the amount of As sorbed.

Research Organization:
Univ. of Adelaide, SA (AU)
OSTI ID:
20006676
Journal Information:
Journal of Environmental Quality, Journal Name: Journal of Environmental Quality Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 28; ISSN JEVQAA; ISSN 0047-2425
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Similar Records

Solution composition effects on cadmium sorption by forest soil profiles
Journal Article · · J. Environ. Qual.; (United States) · OSTI ID:5405413

Anion sorption on a calcareous, montmorillonitic soil-Arsenic
Journal Article · · Soil Science Society of America Journal; (USA) · OSTI ID:5568139

Arsenite sorption and desorption in soils
Conference · · Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J.; (United States) · OSTI ID:6294087