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Zinc immobilization by zerovalent Fe: surface chemistry and mineralogy of reaction products

Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Villavägen 16, S–753 26 Uppsala, Sweden

^* E-mail: Roger.Herbert{at}geo.uu.se

In bioreactor systems for the treatment of metal-contaminated water, pretreatment with zerovalent Fe can be exploited for oxygen consumption and H₂ production. In this study, a column experiment is used to investigate the changes in surface chemistry and solid phase products that result from the reaction of a Zn-sulphate-lactate solution with zerovalent Fe filings. The results of this study indicate that zerovalent Fe is very effective in immobilizing dissolved Zn with a porewater residence time of 1.3–3.1 days. A combination of X-ray diffractometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and mineral equilibria calculations indicates that Zn precipitates as Zn(OH)₂ and zincite at pH 9–10. At pH 6, Zn primarily adsorbs to abundant ferric oxyhydroxides, although incorporation in green rust is also considered. During the course of the experiment, the surface mineralogy changes from magnetite-lepidocrocite-goethite to green rust-akaganéite-goethite. The results suggest that the zerovalent Fe surface becomes passivated by a surface film of ferric oxyhydroxides, green rust and organic material, so that the rate of electron transfer and proton consuming reactions (i.e. oxygen consumption, H₂ generation) declines, resulting in a decrease in solution pH.

KEYWORDS: zinc immobilization, zerovalent Fe, groundwater treatment, metal contamination

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