Impacts of Si on Se(IV) immobilization on ferrihydrite; An in situ ATR-IR spectroscopic study

Francisco, P. C. M.  ; Tachi, Yukio  

Immobilization of Se(IV) by adsorption on iron oxides exerts a key control on its mobility in a number of natural and engineered settings; however, the presence of other coexisting ligands may influence the extent and stability of adsorption. In this work, we investigated the impacts of Si, which is an abundant component of many natural waters, on Se(IV) adsorption and retention on ferrihydrite. Using in situ ATR-IR spectroscopy, we obtained time-resolved information on Se(IV) adsorption on ferrihydrite in the presence of Si at pH 5, 7, and 9. The results show that Si inhibited the adsorption of Se(IV) at all pH if Si was initially adsorbed on ferrihydrite. This was attributed to the oligomerization of Si on ferrihydrite, which blocked Se(IV) from binding to ferrihydrite. In experiments where Se(IV) was initially adsorbed, Si was found to induce Se(IV) desorption. Competitive adsorption experiments, where Se(IV) and Si were present in the same solution, showed that Si negligibly affected Se(IV) adsorption at pH 5 and 7, likely because of lower Si adsorption and the lack of considerable oligomerization. On the other hand, at pH 9, Se(IV) was initially adsorbed and then subsequently desorbed with increasing Si adsorption and oligomerization. Hence, Si affects Se(IV) adsorption over a narrower pH range than when it is preadsorbed on ferrihydrite. These results show that Si can enhance Se(IV) mobility and highlight the influence of pH and the timing of Si adsorption in inhibiting Se(IV) adsorption on ferrihydrite. This work offers the first direct insights into the dynamic processes underpinning Se(IV) and Si competitive adsorption, which may be useful in understanding Se(IV) behavior in a broad range of environmental settings.