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Antimony sorption at gibbsite-water interface
Sudipta Rakshit1, Dibyendu Sarkar, Pravin Punamiya
1Earth and Environmental Studies Department, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ, USA. rakshits@mail.montclair.edu
Chemosphere
|April 13, 2011
Summary
Antimony (V) strongly sorbs to gibbsite, a soil aluminum oxide mineral, particularly at low pH. This interaction suggests gibbsite plays a key role in immobilizing antimony in soil environments.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Chemistry
- Geochemistry
- Soil Science
Background:
- Antimony (Sb) is widely used in industrial applications.
- The geochemical behavior of antimony, especially in soils, is not well understood.
- Antimony (V) is the predominant species in soil environments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the sorption behavior of Antimony (V) on gibbsite.
- To understand how pH, ionic strength, and initial antimony concentrations affect sorption.
- To model the sorption data using surface complexation.
Main Methods:
- Batch sorption experiments were conducted with gibbsite.
- Varying conditions included pH (2-10), ionic strength (0.001-0.1M), and initial Sb concentrations (2.03-16.43 μM).
- Sorption-edge data were interpreted using a surface complexation model.
Main Results:
- Antimony (V) exhibits strong sorption to the gibbsite surface.
- A binuclear monodentate surface complex is likely formed via an inner-sphere mechanism.
- Sorption was highest at pH 2-4 and minimal at pH 10.
- A weak ionic strength effect was observed at low surface coverage.
Conclusions:
- Gibbsite effectively sorbs Antimony (V) across a range of conditions.
- The interaction suggests gibbsite is a significant factor in antimony immobilization in soils.
- Understanding these interactions is crucial for assessing antimony's environmental fate.
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