Effect of operating conditions on iron corrosion rates in zero-valent iron systems for arsenic removal

Owing to newly established water quality standards, the use of the zero-valent iron (ZVI) method for arsenic removal is gaining attention. The spontaneous chemical oxidation of ZVI by dissolved oxygen, a complex process involving a variety of metastable ferrous–ferric intermediate species, was studied in short-term batch experiments using two different commercially available ZVI materials. Differences in corrosion rates may be attributed to the different specific reactivity of these materials. The effects of pH, ZVI loading, initial conductivity and dissolved oxygen concentration on both Fe(II) and Fe(III) kinetic profiles were investigated. ZVI corrosion rates in the presence of As(III) and As(V) were also studied. Depending on the pH, the concentrations of Fe(II) and Fe(III) are significantly influenced by the presence of As(III) and As(V). Our results may be important from a technological point of view, since it is well known that iron corrosion rates govern the generation of sites for arsenic removal.