Adsorption and heterogeneous oxidation of arsenite on modified granular natural siderite: Characterization and behaviors

• Modified granular natural siderite (MGNS) was fabricated and fully characterized.
• MGNS had higher adsorption rate and capacity for As(III) relative to natural siderite.
• MGNS was a pH-insensitive, highly selective adsorbent for As(III) removal.
• Arsenic was effectively removed from real high-As groundwater by MGNS.
• A fast oxidation from As(III) to As(V) would occur after As(III) adsorption on MGNS.

Although natural siderite has been investigated to remove both As(III) and As(V), it has relatively low adsorption rate and capacity. It is crucial to enhance its adsorption characteristics for As removal prior to being used in practical application. Modified granular natural siderite (MGNS) was fabricated through addition of organic binder, extrusion granulation and calcination, and evaluated for adsorption characteristics by means of batch and column tests. Results showed that MGNS had higher adsorption rate and capacity for As(III) in comparison with natural siderite. Arsenic(III) adsorption achieved equilibrium at 24 h, with adsorption capacity of 9.43 mg/g estimated from Langmuir isotherm at 25 °C. Column tests showed that there was less difference in total As loads in MGNS-packed filters for As(III)-spiked deionized water, As(III)-spiked tap water, and real-world high-As groundwater. The coexistence of anions had no significant effect on As adsorption in both batch and column experiments. Results of XRD, SEM and BET analysis indicated that MGNS, as an Fe(II)/(III) hybrid system, had a much larger specific surface area relative to the pristine natural siderite due to massive spherical aggregates attaching to the siderite matrix. XANES spectra showed that As(V) was the major species in the adsorbent after As(III) adsorption. Its proportion in total As slightly increased with the increase in contact time. Adsorption and heterogeneous oxidation of As(III) were believed to be the main mechanisms of As(III) removal by MGNS. This study suggested that MGNS is a potential adsorbent for effectively removing As from As-contaminated groundwater in filter application.