Galvanic effect of pyrite on arsenic release from arsenopyrite dissolution in oxygen-depleted and oxygen-saturated circumneutral solutions.

Arsenopyrite (FeAsS), the most common arsenic-bearing mineral, is usually found associated with pyrite (FeS2) in gold mining tailings. This work examined the galvanic effect of FeS2 on As release from FeAsS oxidation in circumneutral media under oxygen-depleted and oxygen-saturated conditions. The oxidation experiments were conducted with a flow-through reactor in the absence of FeS2 particles and in the presence of different contents of this sulfide. The results indicated that the permanent, physical contact between FeAsS and FeS2 particles causes an increase in the accumulated As release, mainly under O2-saturated conditions. At 30% wt. FeS2, the increases relatively to FeS2-free conditions were 82% and 117% in O2-depleted and O2-saturated solutions, respectively. At steady-state, the As release rates increased from (4.9 ± 0.5)× 10-4 µmol m-2 s-1 (0% wt. FeS2) to (1.1-1.9)× 10-3 µmol m-2 s-1 (5-30% wt. FeS2) under O2-saturated conditions. Analysis of FeAsS samples after oxidation revealed oxidized particles partially or entirely covered by precipitates with different sizes, shapes and compositions (e.g., As-S-bearing ferrihydrite, elemental sulfur, and As-O phases). A fine (3-4 nm thick) amorphous layer of S-As-bearing ferric oxy-hydroxide was also identified on oxidized FeAsS, with Fe(III) and As(III) species.

Adsorption and desorption of arsenic on an oxisol and its constituents.

The present work investigates the adsorption and mobility (desorption) of As(III) and As(V) on an oxisol, and its main mineral constituents, as part of a broader project aimed at selecting a soil liner to be used in tailings dams at a sulfidic gold ore plant. Emphasis was given to a quantitative comparison of As mobility-here assessed by the amount of As leached from the loaded samples-under different experimental conditions. From among the soil constituents, goethite was the most efficient adsorbent with regard to arsenic adsorption, 12.4 mg x g(-1) for As(V) and 7.5 mg x g(-1) for As(III), respectively. Gibbsite also presented a relevant adsorption capacity (4.6 mg x g(-1) for As(V) and 3.3 mg x g(-1) for As(III)); adsorption on kaolinite was negligible (<0.23 mg x g(-1) for As(V) and As(III)). Desorption of the arsenic was shown to vary largely with the arsenic oxidation state, the adsorbents and the leaching solutions. While only 1-2% max. of As(V) was released from the loaded samples, leaching the A(III) reached 32%, the highest values corresponding to the solutions containing sulfate ions. Oxisol and goethite were superior to gibbsite with respect to As immobilization. Adsorption and mobility were also discussed with the help of electrophoretic mobility and isoelectric points (IEP) determined prior and following arsenic adsorption on goethite and gibbsite. The results indicated that As(V) is mainly adsorbed as an inner sphere complex. As(III) may be adsorbed as an inner or an outer neutral complex.

Assessment of interference in biosorption of a heavy metal.

Nonliving biomass of Sargassum, a brown marine alga, is capable of binding more than 10% of its dry weight in toxic cadmium ions. Although ubiquitous iron interferes with Cd uptake, only approximately 4.5% of it is sequestered (biomass dry weight). Biosorption of both metals at ph 4.5 could be described by Langmuir-type isotherms with b, the affinity-related coefficient (Cd: b = 0.015; Fe: b = 0.027). The interference of Fe with Cd uptake, and vice versa, was assessed by deriving three-dimensional equilibrium two-metal sorption isotherm surfaces, smoothed and "cut" to reveal the inhibition effect of Fe on biosorption of Cd: at the equilibrium concentration Cf[Cd] = 1.5 mM, the presence of Fe at 1.5 mM equilibrium concentration suppressed the Cd uptake to only 76% of the original value. For 50% Cd uptake reduction, a very high equilibrium Fe presence of 4.5 mM was required. The Cd presence affected the uptake of Fe very strongly. To obtain equal values of uptake for each metal in the biosorbent, the ratio of equilibrium concentrations of 0.42 Cd to 1 Fe is necessary in the liquid phase. (c) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 54: 344-350, 1997.

Cyanide degradation by an Escherichia coli strain.

Chemical formation of a glucose-cyanide complex was necessary for metabolic degradation of cyanide at concentrations up to 50.0 mg/L by a strain of Escherichia coli isolated from gold extraction circuit liquids. Ammonia accumulating during the culture log phase as the sole nitrogen by-product was further utilized for bacterial growth. Washed (intact) cells, harvested at different periods of bacterial growth on cyanide, consumed oxygen in presence of cyanide. These findings suggest that metabolism of cyanide involved a dioxygenase enzyme that converted cyanide directly to ammonia, without the formation of cyanate.