Determination of arsenic at a gold-plated carbon paste electrode using constant current stripping analysis

A new stripping method for the determination of arsenic in water samples with a gold film-plated carbon paste electrode has been developed for the use in constant current stripping analysis (CCSA). In the novelized procedure, differentiation between As(III) and chemically pre-reduced As(V), the effect of Cu(II) on the response of arsenic, and the stability of sample solutions were studied in detail. Compared to the voltammetric approach, the method utilizing CCSA offers a more rapid procedure with improved analytical characteristics such as reproducibility, selectivity over the Cu(II) ions, or lower detection limit (3 ppb for As(III) and 0.5 ppb for As(V), respectively). The possibilities of the optimized method are demonstrated by determinations of As(III), As(V), and total arsenic in samples of polluted river water.     

Adsorption of As(III) from aqueous solutions by iron oxide-coated sand

Arsenic is a toxic element and may be found in natural waters as well as in industrial waters. Leaching of arsenic from industrial wastewater into groundwater may cause significant contamination, which requires proper treatment before its use as drinking water. The present study describes removal of arsenic(III) on iron oxide-coated sand in batch studies conducted as a function of pH, time, initial arsenic concentration, and adsorbent dosage. The results were compared with those for uncoated sand. The adsorption data fitted well in the Langmuir model at different initial concentration of As(III) at 20 g/l fixed adsorbent dose. Maximum adsorption of As(III) for coated sand is found to be much higher (28.57 microg/g) than that for uncoated sand (5.63 microg/g) at pH 7.5 in 2 h. The maximum As(III) removal efficiency achieved is 99% for coated sand at an adsorbent dose of 20 g/l with initial As(III) concentration of 100 microg/l in batch studies. Column studies have also been carried out with 400 microg/l arsenic (pH 7.5) by varying the contact time, filtration rate, and bed depth. Results of column studies demonstrated that at a filtration rate of 4 ml/min the maximum removal of As(III) observed was 94% for coated sand in a contact time of 2 h. The results observed in batch and column studies indicate that iron oxide-coated sand is a suitable adsorbent for reducing As(III) concentration to the limit (50 microg/l) recommended by Indian Standards for Drinking Water.     

Manganese doping of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles: tailoring surface reactivity for a regenerable heavy metal sorbent

A method for tuning the analyte affinity of magnetic, inorganic nanostructured sorbents for heavy metal contaminants is described. The manganese-doped iron oxide nanoparticle sorbents have a remarkably high affinity compared to the precursor material. Sorbent affinity can be tuned toward an analyte of interest simply by adjustment of the dopant quantity. The results show that following the Mn doping process there is a large increase in affinity and capacity for heavy metals (i.e., Co, Ni, Zn, As, Ag, Cd, Hg, and Tl). Capacity measurements were carried out for the removal of cadmium from river water and showed significantly higher loading than the relevant commercial sorbents tested for comparison. The reduction in Cd concentration from 100 ppb spiked river water to 1 ppb (less than the EPA drinking water limit of 5 ppb for Cd) was achieved following treatment with the Mn-doped iron oxide nanoparticles. The Mn-doped iron oxide nanoparticles were able to load ~1 ppm of Cd followed by complete stripping and recovery of the Cd with a mild acid wash. The Cd loading and stripping is shown to be consistent through multiple cycles with no loss of sorbent performance.     

Occurrence of uranium in groundwater of a shallow granitic aquifer and its suitability for domestic use in southern India

Groundwater used for domestic purpose without proper treatment should be free from chemical and biological contaminants. This study was carried out to assess the groundwater quality with respect to uranium in a part of Nalgonda district, Andhra Pradesh, India. Groundwater was regularly monitored for uranium concentration by collection of samples once every two months from March 2008 to November 2009 from 44 wells. The concentration of uranium in groundwater ranged from 0.2 to 118.4 ppb. Groundwater is unsuitable for domestic use in 2 % of this area based on the limit of 60 ppb prescribed by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board of India. However, due the wide variation in limit suggested by different organizations and countries, the no-observed-adverse-effect level and lowest-observed-adverse-effect level (in mg/kg day) was used to understand the dosage of uranium that reaches the people through drinking water pathway. This level varied from 0 to 0.02 mg/kg day and 0 to 0.08 mg/kg day based on an uncertainty factor of 10 and 50 respectively for the mean uranium concentration in groundwater in each well. With an uncertainty factor of 50, 5 groundwater samples had uranium above 0.06 mg/kg day which is the lowest-observed-adverse-effect level. This study showed that with the presence of present level of uranium concentration in groundwater of this area there is no major threat to humans through the drinking water pathway.     

Cathodic stripping voltammetric analysis of arsenic species in environmental water samples

A simple, fast and sensitive arsenic speciation method has been developed for environmental water analysis by using differential pulse cathodic stripping voltammetry (CSV) performed on a hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE). Electroactive As(III) is determined by direct CSV analysis. As(V) is converted to As(III) species first and is subsequently quantified by the concentration difference between total inorganic arsenic and As(III). A new batch-mode As(V) reduction procedure by l-cysteine was developed in this study. The optimized parameters for quantitative As(V) reduction include treatment with 20 mM l-cysteine and 0.03 M HCl for 6 min at 70 °C. Organic arsenic, including monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), can be decomposed to As(V) through UV photooxidation with peroxydisulfate and quantified through subtracting total inorganic arsenic from the total arsenic. At optimum condition, the detection limits for As(III), As(V), and organic arsenic (MMA and DMA) were all 0.3 μg/L and with the linear range from 2.5 to 190 μg/L. Interference from ions common in natural water (Mn, Fe, Cr, Cd, Ca, Zn, Mg, and phosphate) is minimal. The method was validated by analyzing the NIST 1640 natural water standard reference material and by recovery tests on spiked tap water and groundwater. When applied to on-site analysis of sediment pore water and stream water, the CSV results agree well with those obtained by inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP–MS) and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) methods.     

A stripping chronopotentiometric (SCP) method with a gold film electrode for determining inorganic arsenic species in seawater

An electrochemical method based on stripping chronopotentiometry (SCP) with a gold film electrode has been developed for determining arsenic in seawater. The detection limits were 0.053 ppb (0.71 nM) and 0.022 ppb (0.29 nM) for total inorganic As (As(T)) and As(III) after deposition times of 60 and 150 s, respectively. Compared to other stripping chronopotentiometric methods that use a gold macroelectrode to perform measurements of arsenic in seawater, the procedure described here exhibits better sensitivity and a fourfold shorter deposition time. Among the SCP methods, our procedure had proven its ability to analyse arsenic(III) in seawater. It therefore allows the concentrations of the various arsenic inorganic species in seawater—i.e. As(T), As(III) and As(V)—to be analysed. The proposed method is reliable, inexpensive and compact. It was successfully applied to the study of arsenic speciation along the salinity gradient of the Penzé estuary (NW France).     

Iron-modified light expanded clay aggregates for the removal of arsenic(V) from groundwater

Iron modified materials have been proposed as a filter medium to remove arsenic compounds from groundwater. This research investigated the removal of arsenate, As(V) from aqueous solutions by iron-coated light expanded clay aggregates (Fe-LECA). Arsenic is effectively adsorbed by Fe-LECA in the optimum pH range 6-7 by using a 10 mg mL^− 1 adsorbent dose. Kinetics experiments were performed to investigate the adsorption mechanisms. Electrostatic attraction and surface complexation were proposed to be the major arsenic removal mechanisms. The experimental data fitted the pseudo-first-order equation of Lagergren. For an arsenic concentration of 1 mg L^− 1, the rate constant (k₁) of pseudo-first-order was 0.098 min^− 1, representing a rapid adsorption in order to reach equilibrium early. Equilibrium sorption isotherms were constructed from batch sorption experiments and the data was best described by the Langmuir isotherm model. Large scale column experiments were conducted under different bed depths, flow rates, coating duration and initial iron salts concentration to determine the optimal arsenic removal efficiency by Fe-LECA column. Volumetric design as well as higher hydraulic detention time was proposed to optimize the efficiency of the column to remove arsenic. In addition, concentrated iron salts and longer coating duration were also found to be crucial parameters for arsenic removal. The maximum arsenic accumulation was 3.31 mg of As g^− 1 of Fe-LECA when the column was operated at a flow rate of 10 mL min^− 1 and the LECA was coated with 0.1 M FeCl₃ suspension for a 24 h coating duration.     

Radiochemical activation analysis of arsenic,selenium and antimony in biological samples

A method for the neutron activation analysis of arsenic, selenium and antimony has been developed. A radiochemical separation is performed by distillation followed by precipitation of the individual elements. Selenium and arsenic are precipitated by reduction to the elemental form while antimony is precipitated as sulfide. The chemical yields and detection limits using 0.5 g samples are the following: As 90–100%, 0.4 ppb, Se 80–100%, 8 ppb and Sb 50–70%, 0.2 ppb. Results from the analysis of nine international biological standard samples are given.     

Arsenic speciation in natural waters by cathodic stripping voltammetry

Contamination of groundwater with arsenic (As) is a major health risk through contamination of drinking and irrigation water supplies. In geochemically reducing conditions As is mostly present as As(III), its most toxic species. Various methods exist to determine As in water but these are not suitable for monitoring arsenic speciation at its original pH and without preparation. We present a method that uses cathodic stripping voltammetry (CSV) to determine reactive As(III) at a vibrating, gold, microwire electrode. The As(III) is detected after adsorptive deposition of As(OH)₃⁰, followed by a potential scan to measure the reduction current from As(III) to As(0). The method is suitable for waters of pH 7-12, has an analytical range of 1 nM to 100 μM As (0.07-7500 ppb) and a limit of detection of 0.5 nM with a 60 s deposition time. The As speciation protocol involves measuring reactive As(III) by CSV at the original pH and acidification to pH 1 to determine inorganic As(III) + As(V) by anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) using the same electrode. Total dissolved As is determined by ASV after UV-digestion at pH 1. The method was successfully tested on various raw groundwater samples from boreholes in the UK and West Bengal.     

Facile electrochemical synthesis of nano iron porous coordination polymer using scrap iron for simultaneous and cost-effective removal of organic and inorganic arsenic

An eco-economic and facile electrochemical method was developed to synthesize iron porous coordination polymers (Fe-PCPs) for the simultaneous removal of inorganic and organic arsenic from natural water.     

铁基水处理材料除砷技术的研究进展

自然环境中的砷污染问题被认为是全球最严重的环境威胁之一,人类长期暴露于含砷饮用水环境中会引起各种疾病的发生,因此,开发经济有效的除砷技术一直是砷污染治理领域的研究热点。铁基水处理材料由于其对砷的良好亲和力、表面反应活性强、价廉易制、便于回收等特点,一直备受关注。本文综述了近年来不同铁基水处理材料如铁(氢)氧化物、纳米零价铁、铁基多金属氧化物复合材料除砷技术的研究进展,论述了铁基水处理材料对水相中砷去除的影响因素及机理;同时,对影响铁基水处理材料砷解吸的因素和毒性评估研究进行了总结;指出了目前铁基水处理材料砷污染去除技术研究中存在的主要问题,并对水相砷污染去除技术研究中值得关注的重要发展方向进行了展望。     

S型Sb2WO6/g-C3N4复合光催化剂及其增强的可见光诱导的光催化氧化NO性能

近年来,随着工业化和城镇化的飞速发展,作为一种典型的空气污染物,NOx已经造成严重的环境问题,甚至威胁到人类的身体健康.为了解决这个问题,科研工作者研发了许多NOx去除技术,其中光催化技术被认为是一种能有效地去除空气中NOx的技术.作为一种廉价、无毒、热稳定性强、能带结构合适的光催化材料,石墨相氮化碳(g-C3N4)能够有效的利用可见光,将NO光催化氧化为NO3^-.但是由于自身的光生载流子复合率较高,光谱响应范围较窄等缺点,g-C3N4不能有效的光催化去除空气中持续流动的低浓度NO,限制了其在光催化领域中的实际应用.因此,有必要合成出高催化活性、高光响应范围的S型复合光催化剂来克服以上光催化材料的不足.为此,我们利用超声辅助法制备了一系列的S型Sb2WO6/g-C3N4复合光催化剂,呈现出优异的光催化活性:与其纯组分相比,所制备的15-Sb2WO6/g-C3N4复合光催化剂在可见光下照射30 min,可去除68%以上的持续流动的NO(初始浓度400 ppb),且五次循环实验后,Sb2WO6/g-C3N4复合光催化剂仍然具备良好的光催化活性和稳定性.透射电子显微镜结果清楚地表明,Sb2WO6颗粒已成功地均匀地负载到g-C3N4纳米片表面.紫外可见漫反射光谱的结果表明,Sb2WO6和g-C3N4的复合可以有效地提高对可见光的吸收能力.与纯g-C3N4样品相比,复合样的吸收带边具有明显的红移.光致发光光谱结果表明,在Sb2WO6/g-C3N4复合半导体中,光生载流子的复合受到抑制.光电流与电阻抗分析可知,与纯Sb2WO6和g-C3N4相比较,在15-Sb2WO6/g-C3N4复合光催化剂中的光生载流子的迁移速率和分离效率较高.通过对样品的能带结构分析并已有参考文献,我们认为Sb2WO6和g-C3N4的接触边界形成了S型异质结,使光生载流子的转移速率更快,改善了光生电子-空穴对分离,而且增强可见光的利用效率,从而提高了光催化性能.自由基捕获实验结果证实,?O2^-主导了Sb2WO6/g-C3N4复合光催化剂去除NO反应,h^+也在一定程度上参与了光催化氧化NO的反应.通过原位红外光谱技术研究了Sb2WO6/g-C3N4光催化NO氧化的反应机理,研究发现,Sb2WO6/g-C3N4复合光催化剂光催化去除是氧诱导的反应.具体反应机理是在可见光的驱动下,光催化剂表面的光生电子会与被吸附的O2反应生成?O2^-,并与光生h^+一起,共同将低浓度的NO光催化氧化为亚硝酸盐或硝酸盐.该研究有助于深入研究光催化氧化NO机理,并为设计高效光催化剂用于光催化氧化ppb级NO提供了一种极具前景的策略.     

Use of ferric-impregnated volcanic ash for arsenate (V) adsorption from contaminated water with various mineralization degrees

Ferric-impregnated volcanic ash (FVA) which consisted mainly of different forms of iron and aluminum oxide minerals was developed for arsenate (V) removal from an aqueous medium. The adsorption experiments were conducted in both DI water samples and actual water (Lake Kasumigaura, Japan) to investigate the effects of solution mineralization degree on the As(V) removal. Kinetic and equilibrium studies conducted in actual water revealed that the mineralization of water greatly elevated the As(V) adsorption on FVA. The experiment performed in DI water indicated that the existence of multivalence metallic cations significantly enhanced the As(V) adsorption ability, whereas competing anions such as fluoride and phosphate greatly decreased the As(V) adsorption. It is suggested that FVA is a cost-effective adsorbent for As(V) removal in low-level phosphate and fluoride solution. It was important to conduct the batch experiment using the actual water to investigate the arsenic removal on adsorbents.     

Synthesis and performance evaluation of chitosan/zinc oxide nanocomposite as a highly efficient adsorbent in the removal of reactive red 198 from water

In this study, Chitosan and Chitosan-zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocomposite were prepared and applied as a low-cost adsorbent with high adsorption capacity for removing reactive red 198 (RR 198) dye from contaminated water. After preparation, it was characterized using FT-IR, XRD, and SEM. The effect of pH, temperature, time, adsorbent amount, and initial dye concentration were investigated in the removal efficiency of RR 198. The maximum adsorption capacity (q_m) obtained from the Langmuir equation was 172.41 mg/g in adsorbent dose of 0.1 g/L, pH: 4, temperature of 25°C, adsorption time of 40 min. The thermodynamic parameters demonstrated the spontaneous and endothermic nature of the adsorption process. Due to the high efficiency of chitosan/ZnO nanocomposite in removal of RR 198 from water and advantages such as high adsorption capacity, simple synthesis, and easy application, it can be used as an effective method in the removal of RR 198 from water.     

Development of a microfluidics biosensor for agarose-bead immobilized Escherichia coli bioreporter cells for arsenite detection in aqueous samples

Contamination with arsenic is a recurring problem in both industrialized and developing countries. Drinking water supplies for large populations can have concentrations much higher than the permissible levels (for most European countries and the United States, 10 μg As per L; elsewhere, 50 μg As per L). Arsenic analysis requires high-end instruments, which are largely unavailable in developing countries. Bioassays based on genetically engineered bacteria have been proposed as suitable alternatives but such tests would profit from better standardization and direct incorporation into sensing devices. The goal of this work was to develop and test microfluidic devices in which bacterial bioreporters could be embedded, exposed and reporter signals detected, as a further step towards a complete miniaturized bacterial biosensor. The signal element in the biosensor is a nonpathogenic laboratory strain of Escherichia coli, which produces a variant of the green fluorescent protein after contact to arsenite and arsenate. E. coli bioreporter cells were encapsulated in agarose beads and incorporated into a microfluidic device where they were captured in 500 × 500 μm(2) cages and exposed to aqueous samples containing arsenic. Cell-beads frozen at -20 °C in the microfluidic chip retained inducibility for up to a month and arsenic samples with 10 or 50 μg L(-1) could be reproducibly discriminated from the blank. In the 0-50 μg L(-1) range and with an exposure time of 200 minutes, the rate of signal increase was linearly proportional to the arsenic concentration. The time needed to reliably and reproducibly detect a concentration of 50 μg L(-1) was 75-120 minutes, and 120-180 minutes for a concentration of 10 μg L(-1).     

Use of perchloric acid as a reaction medium for speciation of arsenic by hydride generation-atomic absorption spectrometry

Simple and inexpensive methods for the speciation of arsenite, arsenate, monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) in environmental water samples were developed. In these methods a hydride generation-atomic absorption spectrometry (HG-AAS) technique was employed and perchloric acid (as a reaction medium), L-cysteine (as a pre-reducing agent for a certain contact time between its addition and analysis) and sodium tetrahydroborate(III) (NaBH4, as a reducing agent) were used. The use of L-cysteine greatly enhances the absorption signals of all four arsenic species at low acid concentration (0.001-0.04 M). The methods developed for the determination of total arsenic and total inorganic arsenic and speciation of the four arsenic species in environmental water samples are as follows. (i) DMA: 0.005 M acid and 0.04% NaBH4 in the absence of L-cysteine. DMA can also be speciated in the presence of L-cysteine as follows: 2 M acid, 2.5% L-cysteine after a contact time of approximately 5 min and 0.6% NaBH4. (ii) As(III): 5 M acid and 0.08% NaBH4 in the absence of L-cysteine. (iii) Total inorganic arsenic (As(III) + As(V)]: 8 M acid and 0.6% NaBH4 in the absence of L-cysteine. (iv) Total arsenic: 0.01 M acid, 5% L-cysteine after a contact time of 5 min and 2% NaBH4. (v) MMA: 8 M acid, 3% L-cysteine after a contact time of 50 min and 0.6% NaBH4. (vi) As(V): by difference. Detection limits and recoveries of added spikes for all analyses were found to be 0.5-1.7 ppb and 90-112% respectively.     

A rapid field detection method for arsenic in drinking water.

In this study, a rapid colorimetric method for arsenic detection was developed. Different reagents containing magnesium turnings in combination with a series of acids were tested for arsine generation. The arsine was then allowed to react with auric chloride on Whatman filter paper No. 3, which in turn changed color. The detection time and detection limit were measured for each acid. Oxalic acid was found to be the most appropriate acid among all the acids used for detection in this study. It took 10 min to detect 10 ppb arsenic concentration and only 1 min to detect concentrations higher than 50 ppb. This method thus reduced the detection time for arsenic and has the potential to develop better field kit.     

Speciation analysis of arsenic in groundwater from Inner Mongolia with an emphasis on acid-leachable particulate arsenic

Arsenic in drinking water affects millions of people around the world. While soluble arsenic is commonly measured, the amount of particulate arsenic in drinking water has often been overlooked. We report here determination of the acid-leachable particulate arsenic and soluble arsenicals in well water from an arsenic-poisoning endemic area in Inner Mongolia, China. Water samples (583) were collected from 120 wells in Ba Men, Inner Mongolia, where well water was the primary drinking water source. Two methods were demonstrated for the determination of soluble arsenic species (primarily inorganic arsenate and arsenite) and total particulate arsenic. The first method used solid phase extraction cartridges and membrane filters to separate arsenic species on-site, followed by analysis of the individual arsenic species eluted from the cartridges and filters. The other method uses liquid chromatography separation with hydride generation atomic fluorescence detection to determine soluble arsenic species. Analysis of acidified water samples using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry provided the total arsenic concentration. Arsenic concentrations in water samples from the 120 wells ranged from <1 to ∼1000 μg L⁻¹. On average, particulate arsenic accounted for 39 ± 38% (median 36%) of the total arsenic. In some wells, particulate arsenic was six times higher than the soluble arsenic concentration. Particulate arsenic can be effectively removed using membrane filtration. The information on particulate and soluble arsenic in water is useful for optimizing treatment options and for understanding the geochemical behavior of arsenic in groundwater.     

金属有机框架材料UTSA-74高效去除水溶液中的砷

利用水热法合成金属有机框架材料UTSA-74,并用它同时去除水中的As(Ⅴ)和As(Ⅲ)。 批次实验结果表明,在低质量浓度情况下(~1 mg/L),UTSA-74对As(Ⅴ)的去除率高达95%。 对As(Ⅲ)的去除率达85%。 经拟合,本实验符合拟二级动力学及Freundlich等温吸附模型。 本文还探究了共存离子(如Cl^-、NO₃^-、PO₄^3-)干扰影响,结果表明PO₄^3-的存在会抑制吸附的进行,可能是由于竞争吸附位点所致。 此外,本文对吸附后的材料进行洗脱(0.1 mol/L NaOH),将洗脱后的UTSA-74材料再次进行吸附探究,反复3次,其去除率仍可达70%左右。 为探究其中机理,本文通过X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、红外光谱(IR)对吸附前后材料进行表征,结果表明吸附过程中可能形成了Zn—O—As,以此促进吸附反应的进行。 综上所述,UTSA-74可以作为一种处理砷的新型吸附剂,具有一定的实用价值。     

Adsorptive removal of arsenic from water by an iron-zirconium binary oxide adsorbent

Arsenate and arsenite may exist simultaneously in groundwater and have led to a greater risk to human health. In this study, an iron-zirconium (Fe-Zr) binary oxide adsorbent for both arsenate and arsenite removal was prepared by a coprecipitation method. The adsorbent was amorphous with a specific surface area of 339 m(2)/g. It was effective for both As(V) and As(III) removal; the maximum adsorption capacities were 46.1 and 120.0 mg/g at pH 7.0, respectively, much higher than for many reported adsorbents. Both As(V) and As(III) adsorption occurred rapidly and achieved equilibrium within 25 h, which were well fitted by the pseudo-second-order equation. Competitive anions hindered the sorption according to the sequence PO(4)(3-)>SiO(3)(2-)>CO(3)(2-)>SO(4)(2-). The ionic strength effect experiment, measurement of zeta potential, and FTIR study indicate that As(V) forms inner-sphere surface complexes, while As(III) forms both inner- and outer-sphere surface complexes at the water/Fe-Zr binary oxide interface. The high uptake capability and good stability of the Fe-Zr binary oxide make it a potentially attractive adsorbent for the removal of both As(V) and As(III) from water.