Arsenic (As)-laden wastewater may pose a threat to biodiversity when released into soil and water bodies without treatment. The current study investigated the sorption properties of both As(III, V) oxyanions onto iron hydroxide (FHO) by chemical coagulation. The potential mechanisms were identified using the adsorption models, ζ-potential, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FT-IR) analysis. The results indicate that the sorption kinetics of pentavalent and trivalent As species closely followed the pseudo-second-order model, and the adsorption rates of both toxicants were remarkably governed by pH as well as the quantity of FHO in suspension. Notably, the FHO formation was directly related to the amount of ferric chloride (FC) coagulant added in the solution. The sorption isotherm results show a better maximum sorption capacity for pentavalent As ions than trivalent species, with the same amount of FHO in the suspensions. The thermodynamic study suggests that the sorption process was spontaneously exothermic with increased randomness. The ζ-potential, FT-IR and XRD analyses confirm that a strong Fe-O bond with As(V) and the closeness of the surface potential of the bonded complex to the point of zero charge (pH_zpc) resulted in the higher adsorption affinity of pentavalent As species than trivalent ions in most aquatic conditions. Moreover, the presence of sulfates, phosphates, and humic and salicylic acid significantly affected the As(III, V) sorption performance by altering the surface properties of Fe precipitates. The combined effect of charge neutralization, complexation, oxidation and multilayer chemisorption was identified as a major removal mechanism. These findings may provide some understanding regarding the fate, transport and adsorption properties onto FHO of As oxyanions in a complex water environment.

The purpose of this study is to compare the bloating mechanism of artificial lightweight aggregate under sintering and rapid sintering conditions to identify the factors behind the bloating of the lightweight aggregate under these sintering conditions, and to find suitable temperature ramping conditions. The aggregate had an average particle size of 10 mm as formed using acid clay, and it was fired by a rapid sintering method and a normal sintering method. The bulk density and water absorption ratio of the specimen were measured, and the cross section was observed. No black core was observed under the rapid sintering condition, and it was lightened at an inflection point of 1150 °C. A reduction in the bulk density was observed in a shorter period of time when the input temperature was high under the normal sintering conditions. Regardless of the input temperature, the bulk density change was divided into three sections and a bloating-activation zone was observed in which the density abruptly decreased.

The purpose of this study is to control the viscous behavior of lightweight aggregates through the chemical design of a lightweight aggregates material in order to solve the problem of the adhesion of lightweight aggregates by viscous behavior in the bloating activation temperature range of lightweight aggregates. In order to induce a reduction of Fe₂O₃ inside the aggregates, Fe₂O₃ and carbon were added to acid clay so as to produce aggregate. The particle density and the water absorption rate of the aggregates were measured, the cross-section was observed with an optical microscope, and the distribution of hematite of the lightweight aggregates was confirmed by a 3D CT analysis. Pilot scale rotary kiln experiments were performed. The optimal additive contents for the production of lightweight aggregates using acid clay were 8–13 wt% of Fe₂O₃ and 2–3 wt% of carbon. The addition of additives decreased the bloating activation temperature, and viscous behavior was promoted in the core portion of the aggregates, resulting in a difference in the melting point between the shell and the core. As a result, the occurrence of adhesion at the aggregates surface was suppressed.

The chronic ingestion of arsenic (As) contaminated water has raised significant health concerns worldwide. Iron-based coagulants have been widely used to remove As oxyanions from drinking water sources. In addition, the system’s ability to lower As within the maximum acceptable contamination level (MCL) is critical for protecting human health from its detrimental effects. Accordingly, the current study comprehensively investigates the performance of As removal under various influencing factors including pH, contact time, temperature, As (III, V) concentration, ferric chloride (FC) dose, and interfering ions. The optimum pH for As (V) removal with FC was found to be pH 6–7, and it gradually decreased as the pH increased. In contrast, As (III) removal increased with an increase in pH with an optimum pH range of 7–10. The adsorption of As on precipitated iron hydroxide (FHO) was better fitted with pseudo-second order and modified Langmuir–Freundlich models. The antagonistic effect of temperature on As removal with FC was observed, with optimum temperature of 15–25 °C. After critically evaluating the optimum operating conditions, the uptake indices of both As species were developed to select appropriate an FC dose for achieving the MCL level. The results show that the relationship between residual concentration, FC dose, and adsorption affinity of the system was well represented by uptake indices. The higher FC dose was required for suspensions containing greater concentration of As species to achieve MCL level. The As (V) species with a greater adsorption affinity towards FHO require a relatively smaller FC dose than As (III) ions. Moreover, the significant influence of interfering species on As removal was observed in simulated natural water. The author hopes that this study may help researchers and the drinking water industry to develop uptake indices of other targeted pollutants in achieving MCL level during water treatment operations in order to ensure public health safety.