Highlights:-Molybdenum(VI) is bound to ferrihydrite and aluminium hydroxide predominantly as tetrahedral, edge-sharing inner-sphere and outer-sphere complexes.-On natural organic matter, molybdenum(VI) is bound at low pH as an octahedrally coordinated monomeric complex.-Results for a spodic B horizon show an Al(OH) 3 -type phase to be an important sorbent for molybdenum(VI).-The results were used to suggest new complexation constants for the CD-MUSIC and Stockholm Humic models.
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AbstractDespite its importance as a trace element, the binding mechanisms of molybdenum in soils are not well known. In this study, we studied the binding of molybdenum onto selected soil samples, and we used X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) to characterise the coordination of molybdenum on three important environmental sorbents: ferrihydrite (Fh), amorphous aluminium hydroxide (Al(OH) 3 ) and fulvic acid. The X-ray near-edge structure (XANES) data showed that the added molybdenum(VI) was not reduced, although for the organic samples the coordination shifted from tetrahedral to octahedral. The EXAFS (extended X-ray absorption fine structure) analysis showed that molybdenum(VI) on Fh and Al(OH