Participants On This Publication
Organisms In This Publication
Environmental Science & Technology, 2003      Photochemical Oxidation of As(III) in Ferrioxalate Solutions
Benjamin D. Kocar and William P. Inskeep
Environmental Science & Technology, 2003
Abstract

Photochemical reactions involving aqueous Fe(III) complexes are known to generate free radical species such as OHÂ¥ that are capable of oxidizing numerous inorganic and organic compounds. Recent work has shown that As- (III) can be oxidized to As(V) via photochemical reactions in ferric-citrate solutions; however, the mechanisms of As- (III) oxidation and the potential importance of photochemical oxidation in natural waters are poorly understood. Consequently, the objectives of this study were to evaluate oxidation rates of As(III) in irradiated ferrioxalate solutions as a function of pH, identify mechanisms of photochemical As(III) oxidation, and evaluate the oxidation of As(III) in a representative natural water containing dissolved organic C (DOC). The oxidation of As(III) was studied in irradiated ferrioxalate solutions as a function of pH (3-7), As(III), Fe- (III), and 2-propanol concentration. Rates of As(III) oxidation (0.5-254 µM h-1) were first-order in As(III) and Fe(III) concentration and increased with decreasing pH. Experiments conducted at pH 5.0 using 2-propanol as an OH* scavenger in light and dark reactions suggested that OH* is the important free radical responsible for As(III) oxidation. Significant rates of As(III) oxidation (4-6 µM hM-1) were also observed in a natural water sample containing DOC, indicating that photochemical oxidation of As(III) may contribute to arsenic (As) cycling in natural waters.

NOTE: the article text supplied here is for educational purposes only.
*Don't have Adobe Reader? Get the latest version.

NOTE: Some versions of Adobe Reader have problems with Google Chrome. Either resize the browser to view the paper or enable the Chrome internal PDF viewer by entering chrome://plugins in your address bar and clicking enable for the Chrome PDF Viewer plugin.