Effective removal of selenite and selenate ions from aqueous solution by barite

Tokunaga, Kohei*   ; Takahashi, Yoshio*

In the present study, we explore a new application of barite (BaSO) as a sequestering phase for selenite (Se(IV)) and selenate (Se(VI)) ions from aqueous solutions due to the low solubility and high stability of barite. The uptake of Se(IV) and Se(VI) during coprecipitation with barite was investigated through batch experiments to understand the factors controlling effective removal of Se(IV) and Se(VI) from polluted water to barite. The uptake of Se(IV) by barite is dependent on pH, coexistent calcium ion, and sulfate concentration in the initial solution, possibly due to their effects on the chemical affinity and structural similarity. On the other hand, the uptake of Se(VI) by barite was strongly dependent on sulfate concentration in the initial solution, which is only related to the structural similarity. This study provides a good estimate of its ability to effectively remove Se(IV) and Se(VI) from aqueous solutions (more than 80%) under optimized experimental parameters.