ATR-FTIR studies on the adsorption/desorption kinetics of dimethylarsinic acid on iron-(oxyhydr)oxides.

Dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) is an organoarsenical compound that, along with monomethylarsonic acid, poses a health and an environmental risk, and a challenge to the energy industry. Little is known about the surface chemistry of DMA at the molecular level with materials relevant to geochemical environments and industrial sectors. We report herein the first in situ and surface-sensitive rapid kinetic studies on the adsorption and desorption of DMA to/from hematite and goethite at pH 7 and I = 0.01 M KCl using ATR-FTIR. Values for the apparent rates of adsorption and desorption were extracted from experimental data as a function of spectral components, flow rate of the aqueous phase, film thickness of hematite, and using chloride and hydrogen phosphate as desorbing agents. The adsorption kinetic data show fast and slow rates, consistent with the formation of more than one type of adsorbed DMA. Apparent adsorption and desorption rate constants were extracted from the dependency of the initial adsorption rates on [DMA(aq)]. Desorption rate constants were also extracted from desorption experiments using hydrogen phosphate and chloride solutions, and were found to be higher by 1-2 orders of magnitude than those using chloride. In light of the complex ligand exchange reaction mechanism of DMA desorption by phosphate species at pH 7, apparent desorption rate constants were found to depend on [hydrogen phosphate] with an order of 0.3. The impact of our studies on the environmental fate of DMA in geochemical environments, and the design of technologies to reduce arsenic content in fuels is discussed.