Arsenic stabilization performance of a novel starch-modified Fe-Mn binary oxide colloid

Arsenic (As) is an environmentally hazardous contaminant and can be a serious threat to human health. In China, the remediation needs for a large number of As-contaminated sites renders a strong demand for efficient remedial reagents and cost-effective approaches. In this study, a novel starch-modified FeMn binary oxide (SFM), an amorphous colloidal material, has been synthesized as a remedial reagent and its As stabilization performance has been evaluated. A set of laboratory batch experiments were carried out with SFM of different dosages directly added into three contaminated soils to immobilize As. Results demonstrated that SFM could transform As in soil from non-specifically and specifically sorbed fractions to the more stable form bounded to amorphous iron hydrous oxides, thus reducing the As concentration in TCLP leachates by up to 93.2%. Results from adsorption tests and microscopic analysis indicated that the interactions between SFM and As are mainly controlled by adsorption, oxidation, and precipitation processes. SFM has abundant surface hydroxyl groups, with excellent adsorption properties for both As(V) and As(III), with the maximum adsorption capacities of 160.63 and 284.64 mg/g respectively at pH 7.0. The adsorption process closely fitted pseudo second-order kinetics and Freundlich isotherm model. SFM could increase soil Eh and oxidize As(III) to As(V), which facilitated the As stabilization in soil. Colloidal iron-based material directly used for stabilization in As contaminated soils is reported here for the first time. Starch modification improves both the reactivity and mobility of the stabilization agent in soil. Our findings propose an efficient and convenient reagent for As remediation in soil.