铁（氢）氧化物悬液中磷酸盐的吸附-解吸特性研究

铁（氢）氧化物对P的吸持和释放在一定程度上决定着P的生物有效性和水体富营养化。以两种环境中常见晶质铁氧化物（针铁矿和赤铁矿）为对照,采用X射线衍射（XRD）、透射电镜（TEM）、热重分析（TGA）和孔径分析以及动力学和吸附-解吸热力学平衡等技术方法,研究了弱晶质水铁矿对P吸附-解吸特性,并探讨了相关机制。实验表明,三种矿物对P的吸附分为起始的快速反应和随后的慢速反应,它们均符合准一级动力学过程,反应中OH释放明显滞后于P吸附,P吸附经历了从外围到内囤配位、单齿到多齿配位过渡的过程,与晶质氧化铁比,水铁矿吸附容量和OH释放量更大、慢速吸附反应更快、存在缓慢扩散反应阶段,吸附容量依次是：水铁矿（436μmol／m^2）〉针铁矿（262μmol／m^2）〉赤铁矿（228μmol／m^2）,针铁矿和赤铁矿吸附P符合L（Langmuir）模型,而水铁矿更符合F（Fremldlictl）模型。中性盐介质（KCl）中在最大吸附量时P的解吸率依次为：水铁矿（85％）〈针铁矿（10％）〈赤铁矿（125％）,柠檬酸通过配体解吸和诱导溶解两种机制促进P的解吸,最大吸附量时解吸率依次是：针铁矿（25％）〈水铁矿（32％）〈赤铁矿（50％）。     

Structural constraints of ferric (hydr)oxides on dissimilatory iron reduction and the fate of Fe(II)

Due to the strong reducing capacity of ferrous Fe, the fate of Fe(II) following dissimilatory iron reduction will have a profound bearing on biogeochemical cycles. We have previously observed the rapid and near complete conversion of 2-line ferrihydrite to goethite (minor phase) and magnetite (major phase) under advective flow in an organic carbon-rich artificial groundwater medium. Yet, in many mineralogically mature environments, well-ordered iron (hydr)oxide phases dominate and may therefore control the extent and rate of Fe(III) reduction. Accordingly, here we compare the reducing capacity and Fe(II) sequestration mechanisms of goethite and hematite to 2-line ferrihydrite under advective flow within a medium mimicking that of natural groundwater supplemented with organic carbon. Introduction of dissolved organic carbon upon flow initiation results in the onset of dissimilatory iron reduction of all three Fe phases (2-line ferrihydrite, goethite, and hematite). While the initial surface area normalized rates are similar (∼10⁻¹¹ mol Fe(II) m⁻² g⁻¹), the total amount of Fe(III) reduced over time along with the mechanisms and extent of Fe(II) sequestration differ among the three iron (hydr)oxide substrates. Following 16 d of reaction, the amount of Fe(III) reduced within the ferrihydrite, goethite, and hematite columns is 25, 5, and 1%, respectively. While 83% of the Fe(II) produced in the ferrihydrite system is retained within the solid-phase, merely 17% is retained within both the goethite and hematite columns. Magnetite precipitation is responsible for the majority of Fe(II) sequestration within ferrihydrite, yet magnetite was not detected in either the goethite or hematite systems. Instead, Fe(II) may be sequestered as localized spinel-like (magnetite) domains within surface hydrated layers (ca. 1 nm thick) on goethite and hematite or by electron delocalization within the bulk phase. The decreased solubility of goethite and hematite relative to ferrihydrite, resulting in lower Fe(III)_aq and bacterially-generated Fe(II)_aq concentrations, may hinder magnetite precipitation beyond mere surface reorganization into nanometer-sized, spinel-like domains. Nevertheless, following an initial, more rapid reduction period, the three Fe (hydr)oxides support similar aqueous ferrous iron concentrations, bacterial populations, and microbial Fe(III) reduction rates. A decline in microbial reduction rates and further Fe(II) retention in the solid-phase correlates with the initial degree of phase disorder (high energy sites). As such, sustained microbial reduction of 2-line ferrihydrite, goethite, and hematite appears to be controlled, in large part, by changes in surface reactivity (energy), which is influenced by microbial reduction and secondary Fe(II) sequestration processes regardless of structural order (crystallinity) and surface area.     

Evidence for a simple pathway to maghemite in Earth and Mars soils

Soil magnetism is greatly influenced by maghemite (γ-Fe₂O₃), the presence of which is usually attributed to the following: (1) heating of goethite in the presence of organic matter; (2) oxidation of magnetite (Fe₃O₄); or (3) dehydroxylation of lepidocrocite (γ-FeOOH). Formation of the latter two minerals in turn requires the presence of Fe(II) in the system. No laboratory experiment or soil study to date has shown whether maghemite can form from ferrihydrite, a poorly crystalline Fe(III) oxide [∼Fe_4.5(O,OH,H₂O)_13.5], below 250°C. However, ferrihydrite is the usual precursor of goethite (α-FeOOH) and hematite (α-Fe₂O₃), the most frequently occurring crystalline Fe(III) oxides in soils. Here is presented in vitro evidence that ferryhidrite can partly transform into maghemite at 150°C. This transformation occurs upon aging of ferrihydrite precipitated in the presence of phosphate or other ligands capable of ligand exchange with Fe-OH surface groups. This maghemite coexists with hematite and is a transient phase in the transformation of ferrihydrite to hematite, which is apparently stabilized by the adsorbed ligands. Its particle size is small (10 to 30 nm), and its X-ray diffraction pattern exhibits superstructure reflections. The possible formation of maghemite in Mars and in different Earth soils can partly be explained in the light of this pathway with minimal ad hoc assumptions.     

Comparative data on the volatile component composition of magma

Ferrihydrite (2.5 Fe₂O₂-4.5 H₂O) is an unstable colloidal mineral. It dissolves in highly alkaline solutions and is precipitated from them in the form of goethite. Jarosite is stable at very low pH but is decomposed at higher values of pH with separation of iron oxides. Experiments show that in rapid decomposition of jarosite a protohematite substance, ferrihydrite, is formed. This transformation occurs at moderate pH values when solutions percolate through the aggregates of jarosite. Ferrihydrite, an unstable colloidal hydrated oxide of ferric iron, changes spontaneously to stable hematite with time. Very slow decomposition of jarosite results in its replacement by iron hydroxide, goethite. Under laboratory conditions in alkaline solutions lepidocrocite may be obtained from jarosite. The synthesis of this iron hydroxide passes through a stage of intermediate products: ferrihydrite and hydrated ferric oxide - ferriprotolepidocrocite, formed by solution of ferrihydrite in strongly alkaline solutions. The transformation of ferriprotolepidocrocite into lepidocrocite may be regarded as a topotactic reaction. —Authors.     

Effects of sediment iron mineral composition on microbially mediated changes in divalent metal speciation: Importance of ferrihydrite

Dissimilatory metal reducing bacteria (DMRB) can influence geochemical processes that affect the speciation and mobility of metallic contaminants within natural environments. Most investigations into the effect of DMRB on sediment geochemistry utilize various synthetic oxides as the Fe^III source (e.g., ferrihydrite, goethite, hematite). These synthetic materials do not represent the mineralogical composition of natural systems, and do not account for the effect of sediment mineral composition on microbially mediated processes. Our experiments with a DMRB (Shewanella putrefaciens 200) and a divalent metal (Zn^II) indicate that, while complexity in sediment mineral composition may not strongly impact the degree of “microbial iron reducibility,” it does alter the geochemical consequences of such microbial activity. The ferrihydrite and clay mineral content are key factors. Microbial reduction of a synthetic blend of goethite and ferrihydrite (VHSA-G) carrying previously adsorbed Zn^II increased both [Zn^II-aq] and the proportion of adsorbed Zn^II that is insoluble in 0.5 M HCl. Microbial reduction of Fe^III in similarly treated iron-bearing clayey sediment (Fe-K-Q) and hematite sand, which contained minimal amounts of ferrihydrite, had no similar effect. Addition of ferrihydrite increased the effect of microbial Fe^III reduction on Zn^II association with a 0.5 M HCl insoluble phase in all sediment treatments, but the effect was inconsequential in the Fe-K-Q. Zinc k-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) data indicate that microbial Fe^III reduction altered Zn^II bonding in fundamentally different ways for VHSA-G and Fe-K-Q. In VHSA-G, ZnO₆ octahedra were present in both sterile and reduced samples; with a slightly increased average Zn-O coordination number and a slightly higher degree of long-range order in the reduced sample. This result may be consistent with enhanced Zn^II substitution within goethite in the microbially reduced sample, though these data do not show the large increase in the degree of Zn-O-metal interactions expected to accompany this change. In Fe-K-Q, microbial Fe^III reduction transforms Zn-O polyhedra from octahedral to tetrahedral coordination and leads to the formation of a ZnCl₂ moiety and an increased degree of multiple scattering. This study indicates that, while many sedimentary iron minerals are easily reduced by DMRB, the effects of microbial Fe^III reduction on trace metal geochemistry are dependent on sediment mineral composition.     

A Mössbauer spectroscopic study of the iron redox transition in eastern Mediterranean sediments

Fe cycling at two sites in the Mediterranean Sea (southwest of Rhodes and in the North Aegean) has been studied, combining the pore water determination of nutrients, manganese, and iron, citrate-bicarbonate-dithionite (CDB) and total sediment extractions, X-ray diffraction, and ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy (MBS). At the Rhodes site, double peaks in the CDB-extractable Mn and Fe profiles indicate non-steady-state diagenesis. The crystalline iron oxide hematite, identified at both sites by room temperature (RT) MBS, appears to contribute little to the overall Fe reduction. MBS at liquid helium temperature (LHT) revealed that the reactive sedimentary Fe oxide phase was nanophase goethite, not ferrihydrite as is usually assumed. The pore water data at both sites indicates that upon reductive dissolution of nanophase goethite, the upward diffusing dissolved Fe²⁺ is oxidized by Mn oxides, rather than by nitrate or oxygen. The observed oxidation of Fe²⁺ by Mn oxides may be more common than previously thought but not obvious in sediments where the nitrate penetration depth coincides with the Mn oxide peak. At the Rhodes site, the solid-phase Fe(II) increase occurred at a shallower depth than the accumulation of dissolved Fe²⁺ in the pore water. The deeper relict Mn oxide peak acts as an oxidation barrier for the upward diffusing dissolved Fe²⁺, thereby keeping the pore water Fe²⁺ at depth. At the North Aegean site, the solid-phase Fe(II) increase occurs at approximately the same depth as the increase in dissolved Fe²⁺ in the pore water. Overall, the use of RT and cryogenic MBS provided insight into the solid-phase Fe(II) gradient and allowed identification of the sedimentary Fe oxides: hematite, maghemite, and nanophase goethite.     

Natural ferrihydrites in surface deposits from Finland and their association with silica

Young ochreous precipitations from Fe-bearing spring waters in Finland consist mainly of ferrihydrite. a poorly ordered Fe-oxide with a layer structure and the bulk composition 5 Fe₂O₃ ·9 H₂O Crystallinity ranges from a reasonably well developed structure to a highly disordered one with only two prismatic reflections at 2.5 and 1.5 Å. In contrast to other Fe-oxides. ferrihydrite is highly soluble in oxalate. Electron microscopy shows spherical particles 2–5 nm in diameter forming aggregates of 100–300 nm. The specific surface ranges from 220 to 560 m²/g. During their formation, the ferrihydrites adsorb large quantities of silica, part of which is unpolymerized as indicated by Si-O-Fe bonds (i.r.), and part of which is polymerized. NaOH preferentially extracts polymerized silica causing a shift in the i.r. absorption band. Silica also causes a shift in the temperature at which ferrihydrite converts to hematite. ‘Hydrous Fe(III)-oxides’ with 0–15mol% Si prepared from Si containing Fe(III) salt solutions showed similar properties: Si-O-Fe bonds are shown by i.r. and increasing temperatures of transformation to hematite with increasing amount of Si. Adsorbed Si may also retard the transformation of ferrihydrite to the more stable goethite in nature.     

几种铁（氢）氧化物对溶液中磷的吸附作用对比研究

铁(氢)氧化物不仅是土壤中广泛存在的矿物,也是重要的矿物资源。表生地质作用形成的针铁矿、赤铁矿和无定形氢氧化铁都具有纳米尺度,具有很高的表面积,表现出对磷的专性吸附,是低浓度磷的潜在吸附材料。本文通过铁(氢)氧化物对水溶液中磷酸根的等温吸附实验,初步对比研究了针铁矿、合成氧化铁黄、赤铁矿和无定形氢氧化铁对水中低浓度磷的吸附作用。结果表明,无定形氢氧化铁对水溶液中磷酸根的吸附能力最强(对低浓度磷的吸附达到5.5mg/g),其次是氧化铁黄和针铁矿,赤铁矿的吸附能力最差。几种铁(氢)氧化物对磷吸附容量的差别主要受比表面积控制。无定形氢氧化铁、合成氧化铁黄、针铁矿、赤铁矿对磷的吸附符合Freundlich等温方程。针铁矿和赤铁矿对磷的吸附动力学符合双常数速率方程。     

Fast transformation of iron oxyhydroxides by the catalytic action of aqueous Fe(II)

Iron oxides may undergo structural transformations when entering an anoxic environment. These transformations were investigated using the isotopic exchange between aqueous Fe(II) and iron oxides in experiments with ⁵⁵Fe-labelled iron oxides. ⁵⁵Fe was incorporated congruently into a ferrihydrite, two lepidocrocites (#1 and #2), synthesised at 10°C and 25°C, respectively, a goethite and a hematite. The iron oxides were then submerged in Fe²⁺ solutions (0-1.0 mM) with a pH of 6.5. In the presence of aqueous Fe²⁺, an immediate and very rapid release of ⁵⁵Fe was observed from ferrihydrite, the two lepidocrocites and goethite, whereas in the absence of Fe²⁺ no release was observed. ⁵⁵Fe was not released from hematite, even at the higher Fe²⁺ concentration. The release rate is mainly controlled by characteristics of the iron oxides, whereas the concentration of Fe²⁺ only has minor influence. Ferrihydrite and 5-nm-sized lepidocrocite crystals attained complete isotopic equilibration with aqueous Fe(II) within days. Within this timeframe ferrihydrite transformed completely into new and more stable phases such as lepidocrocite and goethite. Lepidocrocite #2 and goethite, having larger particles, did not reach isotopic equilibrium within the timeframe of the experiment; however, the continuous slow release of ⁵⁵Fe suggests that isotopic equilibrium will ultimately be attained.Our results imply a recrystallization of solid Fe(III) phases induced by the catalytic action of aqueous Fe(II). Accordingly, iron oxides should properly be considered as dynamic phases that change composition when exposed to variable redox conditions. These results necessitate a reevaluation of current models for the release of trace metals under reducing conditions, the sequestration of heavy metals by iron oxides, and the significance of stable iron isotope signatures.     

The oxidation of carbonate green rust into ferric phases:solid-state reaction or transformation via solution

The oxidation of carbonate green rust, GR(CO₃²⁻), in NaHCO₃ solutions at T = 25°C has been investigated through electrochemical techniques, FTIR, XRD, TEM and SEM. The used GR(CO₃²⁻) samples were made of either suspended solid in solution or a thin electrochemically formed layer on the surface of an iron disc. Depending on experimental conditions, oxidation occurs, with or without major modifications of the GR(CO₃²⁻) structure, suggesting the existence of two pathways: solid-state oxidation (SSO) leading to a ferric oxyhydroxycarbonate as the end product, and a dissolution-oxidation-precipitation (DOP) mechanism leading to ferric oxihydroxides such as lepidocrocite, goethite, or ferrihydrite. A formula was proposed for this ferric oxyhydroxycarbonate, Fe₆^IIIO_(2+x)(OH)_(12-2x)(H₂O)_x(CO₃), assuming that the solid-state oxidation reaction is associated to a deprotonation of the water molecules within the interlayers, or of the hydroxyl groups in the Fe(O,H) octahedra layers. The DOP mechanism involves transformation via solution with the occurrence of soluble ferrous-ferric intermediate species. A discussion about factors influencing the oxidation of carbonate green rust is provided hereafter. The ferric oxyhydroxycarbonate can be reduced back to GR(CO₃²⁻) by a reverse solid-state reduction reaction. The potentiality for a solid-state redox cycling of iron to occur may be considered. The stability of the ferric oxyhydroxycarbonate towards thermodynamically stable ferric phases, such as goethite and hematite, was also studied.     

Sequestration of arsenate from aqueous solution using 2-line ferrihydrite: equilibria,kinetics, and X-ray absorption spectroscopic analysis

Arsenic(V), as the arsenate (AsO₄ ^3?) ion and its conjugate acids, has a strong affinity on Fe, Mn, and Al (oxyhydr)oxides and clay minerals. Removal of arsenate from aqueous solution by poorly crystalline ferrihydrite (hydrous ferric oxide) via a combination of macroscopic (equilibria and kinetics of sorption) and X-ray absorption spectroscopic studies was investigated. The removal of arsenate significantly decreased with increasing pH and sorption maxima of approximately 1.994 mmol/g (0.192 mol_As/mol_Fe) were achieved at pH 2.0. The Langmuir isotherm is most appropriate for arsenate sorption over the wide range of pH, indicating that arsenate sorption preferentially takes place at relatively homogenous and monolayer sites rather than heterogeneous and multilayer surfaces. The kinetic study demonstrated that arsenate sorption onto 2-line ferrihydrite is considerably fast, and sorption equilibrium was achieved within the reaction time of 2 h. X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy indicates no change in oxidation state of arsenate following interaction with the ferrihydrite surfaces. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy supports the efficient removal of arsenate by the 2-line ferrihydrite through the formation of highly stable inner-sphere surface complexes, such as bidentate binuclear corner-sharing (²C) and bidentate mononuclear edge-sharing (²E) complexes.     

泥炭沼泽源酚酸对铁有机复合体的溶解作用及其环境意义

泥炭沼泽是具有全球意义的湿地类型,研究泥炭沼泽源酚酸对铁有机复合体的溶解作用有助于深入了解铁碳耦合地球化学循环过程.以中国东北金川泥炭沼泽为研究对象,提取了泥炭腐殖质,并实验合成了铁有机复合体及一系列的铁氧化物.选择原儿茶酸、咖啡酸和没食子酸等代表性泥炭沼泽源酚酸对铁有机复合体以及铁氧化物等系统开展了不同条件下的溶解试验.结果表明酚酸对无定型的水铁矿和新合成的铁有机复合溶解能力相对较弱,而对结晶态的赤铁矿、针铁矿和老化后的铁有机复合体的溶解能力较强.pH值、酚酸浓度和铁氧化物自身的结构和组成都对铁矿物的溶解作用产生影响.反映了铁有机复合体在酚酸溶液体系中比无机铁氧化物更稳定,这与泥炭沼泽中有机结合态铁比例较高、而普通矿质土壤中结晶态铁氧化物占比更大的事实相吻合.证明了铁有机复合体是泥炭沼泽中影响铁碳循环耦合的关键载体.泥炭沼泽中铁碳作用十分复杂,既能以铁有机络合物形式向海洋等水生生态系统输出大量的溶解性铁,也能通过铁有机复合体的形成促进泥炭沼泽有机碳的保存,进而影响全球铁碳循环耦合,具有重要的生态环境意义.      

Uranium(VI) sorption on iron oxides in Hanford Site sediment: Application of a surface complexation model

Sorption of U(VI) on Hanford fine sand (HFS) with varying Fe-oxide (especially ferrihydrite) contents showed that U(VI) sorption increased with the incremental addition of synthetic ferrihydrite into HFS, consistent with ferrihydrite being one of the most reactive U(VI) sorbents present in natural sediments. Surface complexation model (SCM) calculations for U(VI) sorption, using only U(VI) surface-reaction constants obtained from U(VI) sorption data on freshly synthesized ferrihydrite at different pHs, were similar to the measured U(VI) sorption results on pure synthetic ferrihydrite and on HFS with high contents of ferrihydrite (5 wt%) added. However, the SCM prediction using only U(VI) sorption reactions and constants for synthetic ferrihydrite overestimated U(VI) sorption on the natural HFS or HFS with addition of low amounts of added ferrihydrite (1 wt% added). Over-predicted U(VI) sorption was attributed to reduced reactivity of natural ferrihydrite present in Hanford Site sediments, compared to freshly prepared synthetic ferrihydrite. Even though the SCM general composite (GC) approach is considered to be a semi-quantitative estimation technique for contaminant sorption, which requires systematic experimental data on the sorbent–sorbate system being studied to obtain credible SCM parameters, the general composite SCM model was still found to be a useful technique for describing U(VI) sorption on natural sediments. Based on U(VI) batch sorption results, two simple U(VI) monodentate surface species, SO_UO₂HCO₃ and SO_UO₂OH on ferrihydrite and phyllosillicate in HFS, respectively, can be successfully used to describe U(VI) sorption onto Hanford Site sediment contacting varying geochemical solutions.     

磷灰石对湖泊沉积物中水铁矿稳定性的制约

通过在滇池开展原位实验,研究探讨了湖泊沉积物中磷灰石制约水铁矿分解和转化的机制,以及二者共存时的环境效应。结果表明:将水铁矿放置到沉积物中1个月,矿物保持稳定;放置时间达到3个月时,添加磷灰石实验中水铁矿发生了显著物相转变。冬天(12—2月)实验中,转化产物随深度的变化趋势为针铁矿+磁(赤)铁矿→针铁矿+纤铁矿→针铁矿;夏天(6—9月)实验中,转化产物随深度的变化趋势为针铁矿+纤铁矿+磁(赤)铁矿→针铁矿+纤铁矿→未转化。透射电镜分析结果显示冬天实验中生成的磁性铁氧化物为纳米磁铁矿和磁赤铁矿,夏天实验中产生的则主要为纳米磁铁矿。X射线光电子能谱分析结果显示冬天表层实验样品具有较高P含量。分析表明的湖泊沉积物中磷灰石促进水铁矿转化的过程为:(1)微生物促进磷灰石溶解;(2)磷灰石溶解释放的P促进铁还原菌生长;(3)铁还原菌促进水铁矿还原;(4)水铁矿还原产生的溶解态Fe²⁺催化水铁矿向针铁矿、纤铁矿和磁铁矿转化。冬天及沉积氧化-还原界面最适宜磷灰石分解菌和铁还原菌生长,水铁矿的转化和P释放能力也更强,相应地内源磷释放的风险也更大。     

On mineralogical and geochemical criteria in the genesis of red beds

The article discusses a concept on the origin of hematite in red-bed deposits as a result of the alteration of ferrihydrite (a hydrous iron oxide with a composition 2.5 Fe₂O₃ · 4.5 H₂O). The formation of ferrihydrite is associated with a predominantly bacterial oxidation of ferrous iron contained in discharged groundwaters. Clastogenic material and ferrihydrite flakes have been supplied to the site of sedimentation from different sources. The climate in the areas of their deposition has been hot and arid. Owing to an absence of organic matter during the diagenesis, the iron remained in the form of an Fe³⁺ oxide.Sedimentary rocks united under the name of “red beds” are of different ages. A great number of papers deals with the conditions of formation of these rocks and yet the genesis of the hematite contained in them has not been satisfactorily explained. The significance of red beds in paleoclimatology is also not clear. This paper is an attempt to discuss these problems on the basis of mineralogical and geochemical data.     

Release of arsenic associated with the reduction and transformation of iron oxides

The behaviour of trace amounts of arsenate coprecipitated with ferrihydrite, lepidocrocite and goethite was studied during reductive dissolution and phase transformation of the iron oxides using [⁵⁵Fe]- and [⁷³As]-labelled iron oxides. The As/Fe molar ratio ranged from 0 to 0.005 for ferrihydrite and lepidocrocite and from 0 to 0.001 for goethite. For ferrihydrite and lepidocrocite, all the arsenate remained associated with the surface, whereas for goethite only 30% of the arsenate was desorbable. The rate of reductive dissolution in 10 mM ascorbic acid was unaffected by the presence of arsenate for any of the iron oxides and the arsenate was not reduced to arsenite by ascorbic acid. During reductive dissolution of the iron oxides, arsenate was released incongruently with Fe²⁺ for all the iron oxides. For ferrihydrite and goethite, the arsenate remained adsorbed to the surface and was not released until the surface area became too small to adsorb all the arsenate. In contrast, arsenate preferentially desorbs from the surface of lepidocrocite. During Fe²⁺ catalysed transformation of ferrihydrite and lepidocrocite, arsenate became bound more strongly to the product phases. X-ray diffractograms showed that ferrihydrite was transformed into lepidocrocite, goethite and magnetite whereas lepidocrocite either remained untransformed or was transformed into magnetite. The rate of recrystallization of ferrihydrite was not affected by the presence of arsenate. The results presented here imply that during reductive dissolution of iron oxides in natural sediments there will be no simple correlation between the release of arsenate and Fe²⁺. Recrystallization of the more reactive iron oxides into more crystalline phases, induced by the appearance of Fe²⁺ in anoxic aquifers, may be an important trapping mechanism for arsenic.     

Lead sorption efficiencies of natural and synthetic Mn and Fe-oxides

Lead sorption efficiencies (sorption per specific surface area) were measured for a number of natural and synthetic Mn and Fe-oxides using a flow-through reactor. The Mn-oxide phases examined included synthetic birnessite, natural and synthetic cryptomelane, and natural and synthetic pyrolusite; the Fe-oxides studied were synthetic akaganéite, synthetic ferrihydrite, natural and synthetic goethite, and natural and synthetic hematite. The sorption flow study experiments were conducted with 10 ppm Pb with an ionic strength of either 0.01 M NaNO₃ or 0.01 M KNO₃, both at pH 5.5. The experimental effluent solution was analyzed using aqueous spectroscopic methods and the reacted solids were analyzed using microscopy (field emission scanning electron microscopy, FE-SEM), structure analysis (powder X-ray diffraction, XRD), bulk chemical spectroscopy (energy dispersive spectroscopy, EDS), and surface sensitive spectroscopy (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, XPS). Overall and under these conditions, the synthetic Mn-oxides have higher sorption efficiencies than the natural Mn-oxides, which in turn are higher than the natural and synthetic Fe-oxides. Only natural pyrolusite had a sorption efficiency as low as the Fe-oxides. Most of the natural and synthetic Fe-oxides examined in this study removed about the same amount of Pb from solution once normalized to BET N₂ surface area, although synthetic akaganéite and hematite were significantly less reactive than the rest.It is suggested that the observed efficiency of Mn-oxides for Pb sorption is directly related to internal reactive sites in the structures that contain them (birnessite and cryptomelane, in the case of this study). Comparisons of solution data to XPS data indicated that Pb went into the interlayer of the birnessite, which was supported by XRD; similarly some Pb may go into the tunnels of the cryptomelane structure. Layer structures such as birnessite have the highest Pb sorption efficiency, while the 2 × 2 tunnel structure of cryptomelane has lower efficiencies than birnessite, but higher efficiencies than other Mn- or Fe-oxide structures without internal reactive sites.     

Iron(III) accumulations in inland saline waterways,Hunter Valley,Australia: Mineralogy,micromorphology and pore-water geochemistry

Discharge of Fe(II)-rich groundwaters into surface-waters results in the accumulation of Fe(III)-minerals in salinized sand-bed waterways of the Hunter Valley, Australia. The objective of this study was to characterise the mineralogy, micromorphology and pore-water geochemistry of these Fe(III) accumulations. Pore-waters had a circumneutral pH (6.2–7.2), were sub-oxic to oxic (Eh 59–453 mV), and had dissolved Fe(II) concentrations up to 81.6 mg L⁻¹. X-ray diffraction (XRD) on natural and acid-ammonium-oxalate (AAO) extracted samples indicated a dominance of 2-line ferrihydrite in most samples, with lesser amounts of goethite, lepidocrocite, quartz, and alumino-silicate clays. The majority of Fe in the samples was bound in the AAO extractable fraction (Fe^Ox) relative to the Na-dithionite extractable fraction (Fe^Di), with generally high Fe^Ox:Fe^Di ratios (0.52–0.92). The presence of nano-crystalline 2-line ferrihydrite (Fe₅HO₃·4H₂O) with lesser amounts of goethite (α-FeOOH) was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) coupled with selected area electron diffraction (SAED). In addition, it was found that lepidocrocite (γ-FeOOH), which occurred as nanoparticles as little as ∼5 lattice spacings thick perpendicular to the (0 2 0) lattice plane, was also present in the studied Fe(III) deposits. Overall, the results highlight the complex variability in the crystallinity and particle-size of Fe(III)-minerals which form via oxidation of Fe(II)-rich groundwaters in sand-bed streams. This variability may be attributed to: (1) divergent precipitation conditions influencing the Fe(II) oxidation rate and the associated supply and hydrolysis of the Fe(III) ion, (2) the effect of interfering compounds, and (3) the influence of bacteria, especially Leptothrix ochracea.     

Reduction of uranium(VI) under sulfate-reducing conditions in the presence of Fe(III)-(hydr)oxides

Hexavalent uranium [U(VI)] dissolved in a modified lactate-C medium was treated under anoxic conditions with a mixture of an Fe(III)-(hydr)oxide mineral (hematite, goethite, or ferrihydrite) and quartz. The mass of Fe(III)-(hydr)oxide mineral was varied to give equivalent Fe(III)-mineral surface areas. After equilibration, the U(VI)-mineral suspensions were inoculated with sulfate-reducing bacteria, Desulfovibrio desulfuricans G20. Inoculation of the suspensions containing sulfate-limited medium yielded significant G20 growth, along with concomitant reduction of sulfate and U(VI) from solution. With lactate-limited medium, however, some of the uranium that had been removed from solution was resolubilized in the hematite treatments and, to a lesser extent, in the goethite treatments, once the lactate was depleted. No resolubilization was observed in the lactate-limited ferrihydrite treatment even after a prolonged incubation of 4 months. Uranium resolubilization was attributed to reoxidation of the uraninite by Fe(III) present in the (hydr)oxide phases. Analysis by U L₃-edge XANES spectroscopy of mineral specimens sampled at the end of the experiments yielded spectra similar to that of uraninite, but having distinct features, notably a much more intense and slightly broader white line consistent with precipitation of nanometer-sized particles. The XANES spectra thus provided strong evidence for SRB-promoted removal of U(VI) from solution by reductive precipitation of uraninite. Consequently, our results suggest that SRB mediate reduction of soluble U(VI) to an insoluble U(IV) oxide, so long as a suitable electron donor is available. Depletion of the electron donor may result in partial reoxidation of the U(IV) to soluble U(VI) species when the surfaces of crystalline Fe(III)-(hydr)oxides are incompletely reduced.     

Biogenic wad in Iron Ore Group of rocks of Bonai-Keonjhar belt,Orissa

Outcrop of wad, about 3–5 m thick, associated with low to medium-grade manganese ore deposits in Iron Ore Group (IOG), is present in large quantum in Bonai-Keonjhar belt, Orissa. It is often inter-bedded with volcanic ash layers. Wad is powdery, fine grained, black to blackish-brown in colour, very soft, readily soils the fingers and its hardness on the Mohs’ hardness scale is 1–3. The wad zone is capped by a thin lateritic zone and overlies manganese ore beds of variable thickness in Dalki, Guruda and Dubna mines. Wad constitutes two mineral phases, viz. manganese oxides (δ-MnO₂, manganite, romanechite with minor pyrolusite) and iron oxides (goethite/limonite and hematite) with minor clay and free quartz. Mixed limonite-clay and cryptomelane-limonite are commonly observed. Under microscope the ore appears oolitic, pisolitic, elipsoidal to globular in shape having small detritus of quartz, pyrolusite / romanechite and hematite at the core. The ore contains around 23% Mn and 28% Fe with ～7% of combined alumina and silica. Wad might have developed in a swampy region due to slow chemical precipitation of Fe-Mn-Co enriched fluid, nucleating over quartz/hematite grains. Influence of a marine environment is indicated from δ-MnO₂ phase. Remnants of some microfossils, like algal filament, bacteria, foraminifera and diatomite are observed in wad sample under SEM. These microorganisms might have been responsible for the oxidation of dissolved Mn²⁺ and Fe²⁺ precipitates. These findings suggest biochemogenic origin of wad in Bonai-Keonjhar belt of Orissa.