Arsenic and iron speciation and binding in the surface soils in Ningyo-toge mill tailings pond using X-ray absorption fine spectroscopy

Tokunaga, Kohei   ; Takahashi, Yoshio*; Kozai, Naofumi   

The mobility of arsenic (As) in the environment is generally controlled by its association with iron minerals through adsorption, coprecipitation, or surface precipitation. In this study, the host phases of As in the surface soil of a mill tailings pond in Ningyo-toge center (Okayama, Japan) were determined using X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy. The XAFS analyses showed that (i) Fe is mainly present as Fe(III) (hydr)oxides such as ferrihydrite and goethite, (ii) As occurs as As(V) and may be retained on such (hydr)oxides via adsorption, and (iii) ferrihydrite and goethite are the host phases of As in the surface soil. Although As(V) retention by ferrihydrite in this mill tailings pond has already been reported, this is the first study to demonstrate As(V) retention by goethite in the field.