Arsenic remobilization in water treatment adsorbents under reducing conditions: Part I. Incubation study

The redox transformation and mobility of arsenic in spent adsorbents under reducing conditions were studied using an incubation test with mixed reducing bacteria, high-performance liquid chromatography-atomic fluorescence spectrometry for speciation of soluble arsenic (As), and thermodynamic calculations. The spent adsorptive media, including granular ferric hydroxide, granular ferric oxide, titanium dioxide, activated alumina and modified activated alumina, were collected from pilot-scale filters that were tested for removal of arsenate [As(V)] from groundwater in New Jersey, USA. During 65 days of incubation of the spent adsorbents with nutrient media in closed containers, the electron activity, pe, was reduced from about 1.7 to − 7. Meanwhile, reduction of Fe(III) to Fe(II), As(V) to arsenite [As(III)], and sulfate to sulfide occurred. Less than 4% total As was released from iron-based media in the pe range between − 3 and − 7 due to reduction of As(V) to As(III) and reductive dissolution of ferric (hydr)oxides. Up to 38% As was released from the TiO2 adsorbent, which occurred at extremely low redox potential (i.e., pe < − 6). The findings of this study will improve our ability to predict arsenic mobility when As-containing spent media are disposed of in landfills and the environment.