Open-access Adsorption of arsenate (HAsO42-) by the clay fraction of soils of the Keller and Barton Peninsulas, King George Island, Maritime Antarctic

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to determine the maximum capacity for the adsorption of As(V) in the form of HAsO42- (MACAs) by the clay fraction of soils in different environments of the Keller and Barton Peninsulas, King George Island, Maritime Antarctic. Chemical and particle size analyses were carried out on air-dried fine earth. The amorphous material and MACAs in the clay fraction were quantified. Data from the chemical analysis, particle size analysis and clay fraction were correlated with the MACAs. The MACAs was low (3,554 mg kg-1), with the profile under the ornithological influence of penguins displaying the highest values. The basic pH of the saturated solutions did not favour the adsorption of the deprotonated HAsO42- species. The amount of clay in the soil was less important than the mineralogical composition in the dynamics of HAsO42- retention, with the amorphous oxides of Al and Fe being mainly responsible for the adsorption of the pollutant.

Key words: Environmental pollution; Specific and non-specific adsorption; Amorphous material

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