Adsorption of Arsenic from Aqueous Solutions by Iron Oxide Coated Sand Fabricated with Acid Mine Drainage

Abstract

To investigate the potential use of iron oxides originating from acid mine drainage (AMD), iron oxide coated sand (IOCS) was prepared from AMD and used to test arsenic adsorption. Batch tests were conducted to study the adsorption kinetics and isotherms of arsenic using IOCS. The maximum adsorption capacities of the IOCS for As(III) and As(V) were 56.6 mu g g(-1) and 99.0 mu g g(-1), respectively, at pH 7. Based on these results, IOCS fabricated from AMD had high arsenic adsorption capacities and can reuse the iron oxide in AMD to effectively remove arsenic in water purification systems.