Arsenic (As) and antimony (Sb) are potentially toxic metalloids that may contaminate groundwater from natural sources and/or human activities. Cost effective and efficient treatment strategies are necessary to ensure viable sources of clean drinking water for populations using threatened or contaminated groundwater. Adsorption of As and Sb onto manganese (Mn) oxide minerals presents a favorable remediation technique due to its simplicity of operation, cost-effectiveness, and minimal sludge production. Here the sorption of arsenate (AsO43-) and antimonate (SbO43-) oxyanions onto synthetic δ-MnO2 and mycogenic (fungally produced) Mn oxide minerals were compared. Adsorption isotherm experiments were performed for both arsenate and antimonate using Mn oxide minerals precipitated by three strains of manganese oxidizing fungi (Coprinellus sp., Paraconiothyrium sp., and Coniothyrium sp.) as well as synthetic δ-MnO2. Similar sorption extents were observed for the arsenate and antimonite onto both the mycogenic Mn oxides and δ-MnO2 minerals. The Mn oxide minerals produced by Paraconiothyrium sp. and Coniothyrium sp. had sorption capacities for arsenate that exceeded that of the synthetic δ-MnO2, while those of Coprinellus sp. had sorption capacities less than those of the δ-MnO2. The results suggest that the mycogenic Mn oxide minerals, excepting Coprinellus sp., are more effective at sorbing As and Sb oxyanions than the synthetic δ-MnO2.

Probing the sorption of metalloids onto synthetic and mycogenic manganese oxides

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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