Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of iron oxide on antimony(V) adsorption in natural soils: transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements

  • Soils, Sec 3 • Remediation and Management of Contaminated or Degraded Lands • Research Article
  • Published:
Journal of Soils and Sediments Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Antimony (Sb) contamination in the environment is a worldwide concern. To address such contamination issues, we studied the adsorption of Sb in four different types of soils. We investigated the main chemical and physical factors that influenced the adsorption of Sb, and distinguished between the different adsorption abilities of naturally occurring crystalline and amorphous iron (Fe) compounds in these soils.

Materials and methods

Adsorption of Sb in ferrosol, primosol, isohumosol, and sandy soil was studied using batch experiments. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to examine the character and location of Sb adsorbed on individual particles in these soils without affecting its geochemical environment. In addition, the crystalline and amorphous Fe compounds in these soils were separated and analyzed using X-ray diffraction. The relationship between these Fe compounds and Sb adsorption was also explored.

Results and discussion

The sorption capacities of the four soils increased on addition of Sb in solution, reaching values of 10.8, 4.33, 5.45, and 1.19 g kg−1 for ferrosol, primosol, isohumosol, and sandy soil, respectively. The adsorption of Sb in ferrosol was much higher than for other soils because of its higher Fe oxide content. In fact, the Sb content adsorbed on ferrosol showed a good exponential relationship with its Fe content. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results indicated that the Fe2p and O1s binding energies decreased after the adsorption of Sb in the ferrosol. This suggests that an electron transfer occurred between Sb and Fe through an oxidation-reduction reaction, after Sb adsorption in the ferrosol.

Conclusions

The adsorption abilities of Sb in the four soils were in the order of ferrosol > isohumosol > primosol > sandy soil. The amounts of Sb adsorbed by these soils were significantly positively correlated with their Fe contents (Sb = −3.78 + 2.88 × Fe, P < 0.01), but were negatively correlated with their sand contents (Sb = 12.30 − 0.12 × Sand, P < 0.01). The X-ray diffraction analysis results showed that crystalline Fe compounds have a higher capacity for Sb adsorption than amorphous Fe compounds.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bagherifam S, Lakzian A, Fotovat A, Khorasani R, Komarneni S (2015) In situ stabilization of As and Sb with naturally occurring Mn, Al and Fe oxides in a calcareous soil: bioaccessibility, bioavailability and speciation studies. J Hazard Mater 273:247–252

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Choi H, Lee JH, Kim YR, Song D, Kang SW, Lee SS et al (2014) Tetrathiafulvalene as an electron acceptor for positive charge induction on the surface of silver nanoparticles for facilitated olefin transport. Chem Commun 50:3194–3196

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cornell RM, Schwertmann U (2006) The iron oxides: structure, properties, reactions, occurrences and uses. Wiley, Weinheim, Germany

    Google Scholar 

  • Crist BV (2007) XPS handbook: elements & native oxides. XPS International

  • De Jong BHWS, Ellerbroek D, Spek AL (1994) Low-temperature structure of lithium nesosilicate, Li4SiO4, and its Li1s and O1s X-ray photoelectron spectrum. Acta Crystallogr B 50:511–518

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ding MBHW, De Jong BHWS, Roosendaal SJ, Vredenberg AXPS (2000) XPS studies on the electronic structure of bonding between solid and solutes: adsorption of arsenate, chromate, phosphate, Pb2+, and Zn2+ ions on amorphous black ferric oxyhydroxide. Geochim Cosmochim Ac 64:1209–1219

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dousova B, Buzek F, Herzogova L, Machovic V, Lhotka M (2015) Effect of organic matter on arsenic(V) and antimony(V) adsorption in soils. Eur J Soil Sci 66:74–82

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fan JX, Wang YJ, Cui XD, Zhou DM (2013) Sorption isotherms and kinetics of Sb(V) on several Chinese soils with different physicochemical properties. J Soils Sediments 13:344–353

  • Fawcett SE, Jamieson HE, Nordstrom DK, McCleskey RB (2015) Arsenic and antimony geochemistry of mine wastes, associated waters and sediments at the Giant Mine, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. Canada Appl Geochem. doi:10.1016/j.apgeochem.2014.12.012

    Google Scholar 

  • Guo X, Wu Z, He M, Meng X, Jin X, Qiu N et al (2014) Adsorption of antimony onto iron oxyhydroxides: adsorption behavior and surface structure. J Hazard Mater 276:339–345

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hockmann K, Tandy S, Lenz M, Reiser R, Conesa HM, Keller M et al (2015) Antimony retention and release from drained and waterlogged shooting range soil under field conditions. Chemosphere 134:536–543

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hou H, Takamatsu T, Koshikawa M, Hosomi M (2005) Migration of silver, indium, tin, antimony and bismuth, and variations in their chemical speciation on addition to uncontaminated soils. Soil Sci 170:624–639

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hu X, He M, Li S (2015) Antimony leaching release from brake pads: effect of pH, temperature and organic acids. J Environ Sci 29:11–17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang Y, Chen Z, Liu W (2012) Influence of iron plaque and cultivars on antimony uptake by and translocation in rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedlings exposed to Sb(III) or Sb(V). Plant Soil 352:41–49

  • Huang Y, Ruiz P (2006) The nature of antimony-enriched surface layer of Fe–Sb mixed oxides. Appl Surf Sci 252:7849–7855

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ilgen AG, Trainor TP (2012) Sb(III) and Sb(V) sorption onto Al-rich phases: hydrous al oxide and the clay minerals kaolinite KGa-1b and oxidized and reduced nontronite NAu-1. Environ Sci Technol 46:843–851

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Klitzke S, Lang F (2009) Mobilization of soluble and dispersible lead, arsenic, and antimony in a polluted, organic-rich soil—effects of pH increase and counterion valency. J Environ Qual 38:933–939

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lei M, Tie BQ, Song ZG, Liao BH, Lepo JE, Huang YZ (2015) Heavy metal pollution and potential health risk assessment of white rice around mine areas in Hunan Province, China. Food Security 7:1–10

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leuz A, Mönch H, Johnson CA (2006) Sorption of Sb(III) and Sb(V) to goethite: influence on Sb(III) oxidation and mobilization. Environ Sci Technol 40(23):7277–7282

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu ZM, Akhter S, Roop B, White JM (1988) Surface photochemistry. 4. Quenching of methyl iodide on platinum (111). J Am Chem Soc 110:8708–8710

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Maher WA (2009) Antimony in the environment—the new global puzzle. Environ Chem 6:93–94

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Majzlan J, Lalinská B, Chovan M, Bläß U, Brecht B, Göttlicher J et al (2011) A mineralogical, geochemical, and microbiogical assessment of the antimony-and arsenic-rich neutral mine drainage tailings near Pezinok, Slovakia. Am Mineral 96:1–13

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Majzlan J, Lalinská B, Chovan M, Jurkovič LU, Milovská S, Göttlicher J (2007) The formation, structure, and ageing of As-rich hydrous ferric oxide at the abandoned Sb deposit Pezinok (Slovakia). Geochim Cosmochim Ac 71:4206–4220

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Martínez-Lladó X, Valderrama C, Rovira M, Martí V, Giménez J, de Pablo J (2011) Sorption and mobility of Sb(V) in calcareous soils of Catalonia (NE Spain): batch and column experiments. Geoderma 160:468–476

  • Mitsunobu S, Muramatsu C, Watanabe K, Sakata M (2013) Behavior of antimony(V) during the transformation of ferrihydrite and its environmental implications. Environ Sci Technol 47:9660–9667

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mitsunobu S, Takahashi Y, Terada Y, Sakata M (2010) Antimony(V) incorporation into synthetic ferrihydrite, goethite, and natural iron oxyhydroxides. Environ Sci Technol 44:3712–3718

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nakamaru Y, Tagami K, Uchida S (2006) Antimony mobility in Japanese agricultural soils and the factors affecting antimony sorption behavior. Environ Pollut 141:321–326

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sh T, Liu CQ, Wang L (2012) Antimony coordination to humic acid: nuclear magnetic resonance and X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy study. Microchem J 103:68–73

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Song Y, Chen X, Qian L, Li C, Li Y, Li X et al (2014) Distribution and composition of loess sediments in the Ili Basin, Central Asia. Quatern Int 334:61–73

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Telford K, Maher W, Krikowa F, Foster S, Ellwood MJ, Ashley PM et al (2009) Bioaccumulation of antimony and arsenic in a highly contaminated stream adjacent to the Hillgrove Mone, NSW, Australia. Environ Chem 6:133–143

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tighe M, Lockwood P, Wilson S (2005) Adsorption of antimony(V) by floodplain soils, amorphous iron(III) hydroxide and humic acid. J Environ Monit 7:1177–1185

  • U.S. Geological Survey (2015) Mineral commodity summaries 2014. U.S. Geological Survey, Washington, p 19

    Google Scholar 

  • Ungureanu G, Santos S, Boaventura R, Botelho C (2015) Arsenic and antimony in water and wastewater: overview of removal techniques with special reference to latest advances in adsorption. J Environ Manage 151:326–342

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vithanage M, Rajapaksha AU, Dou X, Bolan NS, Yang JE, Ok YS (2013) Surface complexation modeling and spectroscopic evidence of antimony adsorption on iron-oxide-rich red earth soils. J Colloid Interf Sci 406:217–224

  • Wang L, Wan CL, Zhang Y, Lee DJ, Liu X, Chen XF et al (2015) Mechanism of enhanced Sb(V) removal from aqueous solution using chemically modified aerobic granules. J Hazard Mater 284:43–49

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson SC, Lockwood PV, Ashley PM, Tighe M (2010) The chemistry and behaviour of antimony in the soil environment with comparisons to arsenic: a critical review. Environ Pollut 158:1169–1181

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xi JH, He MC, Lin CY (2010) Adsorption of antimony(V) on kaolinite as a function of pH, ionic strength and humic acid. Environ Earth Sci 60:715–722

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xu W, Wang HJ, Liu RP, Zhao X, Qu JH (2011) The mechanism of antimony(III) removal and its reactions on the surfaces of Fe–Mn binary oxide. J Colloid Interf Sci 363:320–326

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the Chinese National Natural Science Foundation (41271338), the Chinese National Key Foundation for Exploring Scientific Instruments (2011YQ14014908), and a major national science and technology project (2012ZX07503-003).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China

    Yuxian Shangguan & Linquan Wang

  2. State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, No. 8 Dayangfang, Beijing, 100012, China

    Yuxian Shangguan, Xiaopeng Qin, Long Zhao & Hong Hou

Authors
  1. Yuxian Shangguan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Xiaopeng Qin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Long Zhao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Linquan Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Hong Hou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Linquan Wang or Hong Hou.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Jan Schwarzbauer

Linquan Wang and Hong Hou, contributed equally to this work.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Table S1

Physiochemical properties of soils (DOC 44 kb)

Fig. S1

Soil Fe content in the original soil and the separated soil (DOC 201 kb)

Fig. S2

XRD spectra of the different soils and the soils separated by density (D-Soils) (DOC 1018 kb)

Fig. S3

XPS results of (a) O1S core level photoelectron spectra of Ferrosol and Ferrosol+Sb (DOC 336 kb)

Fig. S4

O1s XPS spectra of (a) ferrosol, (b) ferrosol +Sb (DOC 284 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Shangguan, Y., Qin, X., Zhao, L. et al. Effects of iron oxide on antimony(V) adsorption in natural soils: transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements. J Soils Sediments 16, 509–517 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-015-1229-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-015-1229-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation