ABSTRACT
Sulphur modified nano zerovalent iron (S-nZVI) was synthesized and used for removal of arsenic (As) from aqueous solution under anaerobic condition. The synthesized material showed a core Fe0 structure with an outer rough and flake like distorted oxide shell structure comprising of iron oxide/hydroxide and FeS as evidenced from TEM and XRD analysis. S-nZVI showed higher rate of As removal from aqueous solution as compared to nZVI with ~99% of As removed within two hours of interaction. The removal rate was dependent upon the dosing of sulphur with maximum removal reported for Fe/S molar ratio of 0.1. XPS analysis of the As-reacted S-nZVI showed As(III) and As(V) primarily removed through adsorption of As(III) and As(V) species respectively, along with surface precipitation of As2S3. This study therefore illustrates great potential of S-nZVI in reducing elevated levels of As in contaminated water.
