Stability of As(V)-sorbed schwertmannite under porphyry copper mine conditions

Arsenic (As), a very poisonous inorganic pollutant is a major toxicant in tailings of porphyry copper deposits. Retention of As by Schwertmannite (a ferric-oxyhydroxysulfate mineral) has attracted much attention in recent years due to its strong binding affinity to toxic As species. The stability of As(V)-sorbed schwertmannite under copper mine waste conditions is not fully understood. The present study investigates the effect of Cu2+, Fe2+, pH, and ageing time on the stability of As(V)-sorbed schwertmannite (Sch-As). The results indicate that Cu2+ has no significant effect on the stability of Sch-As and that the As(V) incorporated in schwertmannite can retard or significantly inhibit Fe2+-catalyzed transformation of schwertmannite to goethite under acidic conditions (pH 3–4). The Sch-As aged at different pHs from 3 to 11 at 25 °C exhibits no mineralogical phase changes even after ageing for 120-days; however the concentration of As released from the solid phase appears to be strongly pH-dependent even after ageing for only 24 h. The release of As was negligible at pHs from 2 to 7, and there was considerable release of As at extremely acidic and alkaline conditions. This indicates that the release of As from Sch-As was controlled by environmental factors such as pH, Cu2+, and Fe2+ rather than time.