Antimony leaching release from brake pads: Effect of pH, temperature and organic acids

Metals from automotive brake pads pollute water, soils and the ambient air. The environmental effect on water of antimony (Sb) contained in brake pads has been largely untested. The content of Sb in one abandoned brake pad reached up to 1.62 × 10⁴ mg/kg. Effects of initial pH, temperature and four organic acids (acetic acid, oxalic acid, citric acid and humic acid) on Sb release from brake pads were studied using batch reactors. Approximately 30% (97 mg/L) of the total Sb contained in the brake pads was released in alkaline aqueous solution and at higher temperature after 30 days of leaching. The organic acids tested restrained Sb release, especially acetic acid and oxalic acid. The pH-dependent concentration change of Sb in aqueous solution was best fitted by a logarithmic function. In addition, Sb contained in topsoil from land where brake pads were discarded (average 9 × 10³ mg/kg) was 3000 times that in uncontaminated soils (2.7 ± 1 mg/kg) in the same areas. Because potentially high amounts of Sb may be released from brake pads, it is important that producers and environmental authorities take precautions.     

Antimony leaching release from brake pads: Effect of pH,temperature and organic acids

Metals from automotive brake pads pollute water, soils and the ambient air. The environmental effect on water of antimony(Sb) contained in brake pads has been largely untested. The content of Sb in one abandoned brake pad reached up to 1.62 × 104mg/kg.Effects of initial p H, temperature and four organic acids(acetic acid, oxalic acid, citric acid and humic acid) on Sb release from brake pads were studied using batch reactors.Approximately 30%(97 mg/L) of the total Sb contained in the brake pads was released in alkaline aqueous solution and at higher temperature after 30 days of leaching. The organic acids tested restrained Sb release, especially acetic acid and oxalic acid. The p H-dependent concentration change of Sb in aqueous solution was best fitted by a logarithmic function. In addition, Sb contained in topsoil from land where brake pads were discarded(average9 × 103mg/kg) was 3000 times that in uncontaminated soils(2.7 ± 1 mg/kg) in the same areas. Because potentially high amounts of Sb may be released from brake pads, it is important that producers and environmental authorities take precautions.? 2015 The Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences.     

Molecular diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi at a large-scale antimony mining area in southern China

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi(AMF) have great potential for assisting heavy metal hyperaccumulators in the remediation of contaminated soils. However, little information is available about the community composition of AMF under natural conditions in soils contaminated by antimony(Sb). The objective of this study was to investigate the characteristics of AMF molecular diversity, and to explore the effects of Sb content and soil properties on the AMF community structure in an Sb mining area. Four Sb mine spoils and one adjacent reference area were selected from around the Xikuangshan mine in southern China. The association of AMF molecular diversity and community composition with the rhizosphere soils of the dominant plant species was studied by Polymerase Chain Reaction-Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis(PCR-DGGE). Results from all five studied sites showed that the diversity of AMF decreased with increasing Sb concentration. Principal component analysis(PCA) indicated that the AMF community structure was markedly different among these groups. Further redundancy analysis(RDA) showed that Sb contamination was the dominating factor influencing the AMF community structure in the Sb mine area. However, the multivariate analysis showed that, apart from the soil Sb content, extractable nitrogen content and organic matter content also attributed to AMF sequence distribution type. Some AMF sequences were only found in the highly contaminated area and these might be ideal candidates for improving phytoremediation efficiency in Sb mining regions. Gene sequencing analysis revealed that most species were affiliated with Glomus, suggesting that Glomus was the dominant AMF genus in the studied Sb mining area.     

Molecular diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi at a large-scale antimony mining area in southern China

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) have great potential for assisting heavy metal hyperaccumulators in the remediation of contaminated soils. However, little information is available about the community composition of AMF under natural conditions in soils contaminated by antimony (Sb). The objective of this study was to investigate the characteristics of AMF molecular diversity, and to explore the effects of Sb content and soil properties on the AMF community structure in an Sb mining area. Four Sb mine spoils and one adjacent reference area were selected from around the Xikuangshan mine in southern China. The association of AMF molecular diversity and community composition with the rhizosphere soils of the dominant plant species was studied by Polymerase Chain Reaction-Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE). Results from all five studied sites showed that the diversity of AMF decreased with increasing Sb concentration. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that the AMF community structure was markedly different among these groups. Further redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that Sb contamination was the dominating factor influencing the AMF community structure in the Sb mine area. However, the multivariate analysis showed that, apart from the soil Sb content, extractable nitrogen content and organic matter content also attributed to AMF sequence distribution type. Some AMF sequences were only found in the highly contaminated area and these might be ideal candidates for improving phytoremediation efficiency in Sb mining regions. Gene sequencing analysis revealed that most species were affiliated with Glomus, suggesting that Glomus was the dominant AMF genus in the studied Sb mining area.     

The chemistry and behaviour of antimony in the soil environment with comparisons to arsenic: A critical review

This article provides a critical review of the environmental chemistry of inorganic antimony (Sb) in soils, comparing and contrasting findings with those of arsenic (As). Characteristics of the Sb soil system are reviewed, with an emphasis on speciation, sorption and phase associations, identifying differences between Sb and As behaviour. Knowledge gaps in environmentally relevant Sb data for soils are identified and discussed in terms of the limitations this imposes on understanding the fate, behaviour and risks associated with Sb in environmental soil systems, with particular reference to mobility and bioavailability.     

Oxidation of antimony (III) in soil by manganese (IV) oxide using X-ray absorption fine structure

The oxidation of antimony (III) in soils was studied using X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectra. An andosol soil sample and artificial soil samples (SiO₂ blended with iron (III) hydroxide and manganese (IV) oxide) were used herein. After adding antimony (III) oxide to all soil samples, the oxidation process was observed by recording the XAFS spectra of Sb K-edge, Fe K-edge, and Mn K-edge. The results indicated that manganese (IV) oxide played an important role in the oxidation of Sb(III); however iron (III) hydroxide was not directly related to the reaction. During a 2-hr continuous Sb K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) measurement with an interval of 1 min of one of the artificial soil samples (SiO₂ + MnO₂ + Sb₂O₃), a pseudo-first-order reaction was determined with an average estimated rate of 0.52 ± 0.04 hr^? 1. Compared to the lower oxidation rate of andosol, it is suggested that because of the low concentration of Mn(IV) in natural soils, the oxidation process of Sb(III) might be relatively slow and require more time to convert Sb(III) to Sb(V).     

Antimony sorption at gibbsite-water interface

Antimony (Sb) is extensively used in flame retardants, lead-acid batteries, solder, cable coverings, ammunition, fireworks, ceramic and porcelain glazes and semiconductors. However, the geochemical fate of antimony (Sb) remained largely unexplored. Among the different Sb species, Sb (V) is the dominant form in the soil environment in a very wide redox range. Although earlier studies have examined the fate of Sb in the presence of iron oxides such as goethite and hematite, few studies till date reported the interaction of Sb (V) with gibbsite, a common soil Al-oxide mineral. The objective of this study was to understand the sorption behavior of Sb (V) on gibbsite as a function of various solution properties such as pH, ionic strength (I), and initial Sb concentrations, and to interpret the sorption-edge data using a surface complexation model. A batch sorption study with 20 g L⁻¹ gibbsite was conducted using initial Sb concentrations range of 2.03-16.43 μM, pH values between 2 and 10, and ionic strengths (I) between 0.001 and 0.1 M. The results suggest that Sb (V) sorbs strongly to the gibbsite surface, possibly via inner-sphere type mechanism with the formation of a binuclear monodentate surface complex. Weak I effect was noticed in sorption-edge data or in the isotherm data at a low surface coverage. Sorption of Sb (V) on gibbsite was highest in the pH range of 2-4, and negligible at pH 10. Our results suggest that gibbsite will likely play an important role in immobilizing Sb (V) in the soil environment.     

阳极溶出伏安法测定水体中痕量Sb^5＋

在ｐＨ３．４，８－羟基喹啉、甲基橙的浓度分别为４３μｍｏｇ／Ｌ、１３μｍｏｌ／Ｌ的０．１ｍｏｌ／Ｌ（ＮＨ４）２ＳＯ４底液中，用阳极溶出伏安法直接测定水体中Ｓｂ＾５＋。其线性范围为０．２６～５．２ｎｍｏｌ／Ｌ，方法的检出限为０．１ｎｍｏｌ／Ｌ；９次重复测定的变异系数为０．８％；回收率为９５．６％～１０４％。大部分常见阳离子不干扰测定。     

A review of removal technology for antimony in aqueous solution

Antimony (Sb) and its compounds, toxic metalloid, have been classified as high-priority pollutants. Increasing Sb released into the water environment by natural processes and anthropogenic activities, which exposure threatens to human health and ecosystems. Therefore, it is of unquestionable importance to remove Sb from polluted water. Keeping in view the extreme importance of this issue, we summarize the source, chemistry, speciation, distribution, toxicity, and polluted situation of Sb about aqueous solution. Then, we provide the recent and common technology to remove Sb, which are based on adsorption, coagulation/flocculation, electrochemical technology, membrane technology, ion exchange, etc. In this review, we focus in detail on the adsorption method, researchers at present have been investigating to discover more advanced, cost-effective, eco-friendly, reusable adsorbents. However, to date the Sb-containing wastewater treatment technologies are not sufficiently developed and most of research have been tested only in controlled lab conditions. Few reports are available that include field studies and applications. We critically analyzed the salient features and removal mechanisms, evaluating benefits and limitations of these technologies, hoping to provide more references for further research. Finally, we considered the Fe- or Mn-based technologies was the most promising technique to remove Sb for field application.