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Bismuth(III) Forms Exceptionally Strong Complexes with Natural Organic Matter
Dan B Kleja1, Jon Petter Gustafsson1, Vadim Kessler2
1Department of Soil and Environment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7014, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden.
Environmental Science & Technology
|February 7, 2022
Summary
Bismuth(III) strongly binds to soil organic matter, forming stable complexes that limit its environmental mobility. This research clarifies bismuth
Area of Science:
- Environmental Chemistry
- Geochemistry
- Biogeochemistry
Background:
- Increasing societal use of bismuth as a lead substitute raises concerns about its environmental fate.
- The environmental behavior and soil interactions of bismuth are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the binding of bismuth(III) to organic soil material.
- To assess the capacity of suwannee river fulvic acid (SRFA) in enhancing bismuth solubility.
Main Methods:
- Utilized extended X-ray absorption spectroscopy (EXAFS) to study bismuth binding.
- Conducted batch experiments and a long-term (2 years) equilibration study with SRFA.
Main Results:
- Bismuth(III) formed exceptionally strong complexes with organic soil material, with >99% bound to the solid phase even at pH 1.2.
- EXAFS data indicated a stable dimeric Bi3+ complex bridged by carboxylate groups.
- SRFA demonstrated significant capacity to bind bismuth, exceeding its carboxylic acid group density.
Conclusions:
- Bismuth(III) exhibits strong association with natural organic matter in soils, sediments, and waters.
- The unique structural stability of bismuth complexes limits its environmental mobility.
Keywords:
EXAFS spectroscopyX-ray diffractionbismuth(III)dimeric bismuth(III) complexelectron microscopyfulvic acidmetallic bismuthmor layerMore Related Videos
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