Mine-related activities cause widespread contamination of aqueous environments with high concentrations of arsenic and accompanying heavy metals. The natural attenuation of As(V) in soils and groundwater under oxic conditions occurs mainly through sorption processes to iron and aluminum (hydr)oxides; as well as through the formation of highly insoluble heavy metal(II) arsenates.In the present investigation we used thermodynamic modeling to predict the environmental geochemical behavior of As(V) in the presence of Pb(II), Cu(II) and goethite, in an effort to approach the complexity of multi-component real contaminated scenarios. The key to this modeling was the coupling of a highly robust Surface Complexation Model of As(V) adsorption to goethite, which uses combined tenets of the Triple-Layer and CD-MUSIC models, together with appropriate metal(II) arsenate solid formation constants as well as those of all chemical equilibria taking place in the aqueous phase. Mixed-metal arsenates were predicted to form and increase the predominance region of the precipitation reactions for a highly surface-reactive goethite, at the expense of the adsorption mechanism, but the model yielded no aqueous As(V) released at any condition investigated.Keywords: Adsorption, precipitation, arsenate, goethite, lead, copper, Surface Complexation Model, Triple-Layer Model, CD-MUSIC Model.
Resumen
Las actividades relacionadas con la minería provocan contaminación extendida de ambientes acuosos conjuntamente de arsénico y metales pesados. La atenuación natural de As(V) en suelos y acuíferos en condiciones óxicas ocurre principalmente a través de procesos de adsorción a (hidr)óxidos de hierro y aluminio; así como a través de la formación de arseniatos de metales(II) pesados altamente insolubles. En esta investigación utilizamos modelación termodinámica para predecir el comportamiento geoquímico ambiental del As(V) en presencia de Pb(II), Cu(II) y goetita, tratando de aproximarnos a la complejidad de escenarios multicomponentes de contaminación