This work aimed at investigating arsenic adsorption capacity of three soil samples from Minas Gerais region and one tailing sample from Morro do Ouro, a gold mine owned by Rio Paracatu Mineração S.A. Maximum adsorption capacities of the samples were determined by a Langmuir type equation. Chemical and mineralogical characterization were carried out in order to determine the main minerals responsible for the adsorption process. The arsenic adsorption capacities were then correlated with the samples constituents. Based on the adsorption data and on the samples constituents, it was possible to select an appropriated soil for arsenic immobilization.
arsenic; adsorption; soils; environment
