Adsorption and desorption of cadmium by goethite pretreated with phosphate

The adsorption of Cd by oxides or soils have been extensively studied, however, the desorption has received relatively limited attention, especially in the presence of phosphate. In this study, a batch equilibration method was used to investigate Cd sorption and desorption by goethite pretreated with phosphate. Phosphate not only enhanced Cd adsorption, but also accelerated the adsorption process. Compared with Cd adsorption by goethite alone, phosphate substantially moved the adsorption curves (edges) to lower pH range, indicative of enhancement of Cd sorption. The Cd adsorption by the pretreated goethite reached apparent equilibrium within 24 h at 20 °C, while such equilibrium was not observed after 4 weeks in the absence of phosphate. Cadmium was more readily released from phosphate-treated goethite. It is believed that phosphate blocked the pores on goethite surface, which lead to the fast adsorption kinetics and high extraction percentage. These results provided strong support for the diffusion of Cd into goethite particles.