Iron (Fe) has been identified as one of the limiting nutrients for marine life for several decades. Since then, atmospheric iron-containing mineral dust has been investigated as a primary source of this bioavailable iron to the oceans. In the current study, we have investigated Coal Fly Ash (CFA) as a source of bioavailable iron. We employed spectroscopic methods combined with dissolution experiments both under dark and solar flux. We performed the dissolution experiments in nitric acid under atmospherically relevant conditions. Further, we have studied the influence of two crystal phases of titanium dioxide, TiO2 (rutile and anatase), on the iron leaching capability of the CFA. TiO2, especially in nano-scale, is present in industrial and natural dust samples. In addition, we evaluated the atmospheric processing of the CFA in terms of the particle size, mineralogy, and composition of the CFA. Our results indicate the presence of titanium in the mixture, either from the externally added TiO2 or the titanium content in the sample itself, enhances the iron mobility from the CFA. Thus, this study will provide us with crucial yet unexplored insights on CFA as a source of bioavailable iron.

Atmospheric processing and bioavailable iron production from coal fly ash: Effect of TiO2 in iron leaching

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