Evaluation of sequential extraction for speciation of arsenic in mining wastes

ii SUMMARY This master thesis deals with selectivity assessment of an arsenic sequential extraction procedure for evaluating mobility in mine wastes. A modified sequential extraction procedure was designed on the basis of preliminary tests of extraction efficiency and selectivity for the synthetic As mineral phases (scorodite, amorphous iron arsenate, schwertmannite, goethite, jarosite) and five natural samples (Kaňk, Dlouhá Ves, Giftkies, Roudný) that were previously characterized for As concentration and speciation. The modified sequential extraction has five steps. The first leaching step was performed in nitrogen-purged deionized H2O for 10 hours; next step involved 0.01M NH4H2PO4 leaching for 16 hours. Phases in the third step were dissolved with 0.2M Tamm`s reagent in darkness for 2 hours. The fourth step was represented by 0.2M of Tamm`s reagent heated in water bath at 80řC for 4 hours. Strong acid solutions HCl/KClO3/HNO3 were used to leach sulphide phases in the last step. The testing of the sequential extraction procedure using model mixtures showed a good discrimination of several fractions: adsorbed arsenic, arsenic associated with poorly crystalline oxyhydroxide, hydroxosulfate and arsenate phases (amorphous iron arsenate, schwertmannite, ferrihydrite), arsenic associated with crystalline..