Realizing the potential of metallic iron for environmental remediation: Flee or adapt?

Abstract

The evidence that metallic iron (Fe0) is not an environmental reducing agent has been declared to be a claim. Researchers presenting their findings in a scientific journal have to accept the burden of proving that their argumentation has any validity. This 30-year-lasting discussion within the Fe0 remediation community is alien to graduate chemists, as it is a century old electrochemistry knowledge. Nevertheless, the peer review literature on "remediation using Fe0" seems to be aggressively controlled by self-appointed experts (e.g., journal editors) who are not tolerating any alternative thinking. This communication demonstrates the fallacy of the view that Fe0 donates any electron to a dissolved species. The sole goal is to reconcile a proven efficient technology with his scientific roots, and enable the design of better Fe0 remediation systems.