Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2004AK21B

Short- and Long-term As-Aluminium Oxyhydroxide Sorption Interactions in Aquatic and Soil Environments

Institute: Alaska
Year Established: 2004 Start Date: 2004-03-01 End Date: 2005-03-01
Total Federal Funds: $25,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $8,277

Principal Investigators: Silke Schiewer, Paras Trivedi

Project Summary: The fate of anthropogenically released trace metal contaminants, such as arsenic, in aquatic and soil environments, is largely influenced by sorption onto the microporous hydrated oxides of aluminum, iron, and manganese. However, there is a lack of thermodynamic and mechanistic knowledge with respect to accurate description of the long-term fate of As in the presence of these oxides. Therefore, the primary objective of the proposed research is to estimate transport parameters and develop thermodynamic correlations that will improve the capability of the current transport models for predicting the long-term mobility and bioavailability of this important oxy-anion in aqueous and aerial environments. To accomplish this goal, short- and long-term macroscopic sorption studies will be conducted and modeled as a function of pH, sorbate/sorbent ratios, temperature, and reaction time. Most importantly, this research will also serve as an important tool for evaluating the short- and long-term potentials of microporous sorbents, such as aluminum hydroxide, in terms of its sorption potential and the stability of the complexes, both of which are critical in developing effective solid- and aqueous-waste treatment programs.