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Removal efficiency of As(V) and Sb(III) in contaminated neutral drainage by Fe-loaded biochar

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Abstract

Performance of raw and two Fe-loaded biochars, produced either by evaporation (E-product, 26.9% Fe) or precipitation (P-product, 12.6% Fe), was evaluated in batch and column testing for As(V) and Sb(III) removal from contaminated neutral drainage (CND). Batch testing results showed that sorption capacity of the E-product tripled for As(V) and quintupled for Sb(III), whereas for the P-product, it doubled for both contaminants, relative to the raw biochar. Moreover, As(V) removal by the E-product reached 90% in less than 8 h, for initial concentrations up to 50 mg/L. In column testing, the E-product efficiently treated the influent [pH 6; 1 mg/L As(V)] for more than 286 days. The pH of the final effluent was within the legally allowed limits (6–9.5) while less than 0.3 mg/L Fe leached out. Based on these findings, Fe-loaded biochar by evaporation (E-product) seems promising for As(V) treatment in CND.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Institute on Mines and Environment (RIME), University of Quebec in Abitibi-Temiscamingue (UQAT), 445 Boul. de l’Universite, Rouyn-Noranda, QC, J9X 5E4, Canada

    Iuliana Laura Calugaru, Carmen Mihaela Neculita & Thomas Genty

  2. Centre Technologique des Résidus Industriels (CTRI), Rouyn-Noranda, QC, J9X 5E5, Canada

    Iuliana Laura Calugaru

  3. RIME, Department of Civil Geological, and Mining Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, Montreal, QC, H3C 3A7, Canada

    Gérald J. Zagury

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  1. Iuliana Laura Calugaru
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  2. Carmen Mihaela Neculita
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  3. Thomas Genty
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  4. Gérald J. Zagury
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Correspondence to Carmen Mihaela Neculita.

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Calugaru, I.L., Neculita, C.M., Genty, T. et al. Removal efficiency of As(V) and Sb(III) in contaminated neutral drainage by Fe-loaded biochar. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26, 9322–9332 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-04381-1

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