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Adsorption of humic acid from aqueous solution by hematite: effects of pH and ionic strength

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Abstract

Batch experiments were conducted to investigate adsorption of humic acid (HA) on a commercial hematite. The point of zero charge (PZC) and specific surface area of hematite were 9.17 ± 0.25 and 5.22 ± 0.04 m2 g−1, respectively. The concentrations of HA in solutions were quantified by the ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometer, and molecular weight (MW) was determined by E 2/E 3 (the ratio of absorbance at 250 nm (E 2) and 365 nm (E 3)) measurements of HA in solutions. The adsorption of HA on hematite was strongly dependent on solution pH. More HA was adsorbed at acidic conditions, which was also confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) measurements. At pH <9, the E 2/E 3 of the HA remaining in solution after adsorption was higher than its initial value indicating that higher MW fractions of HA were preferentially adsorbed on hematite. At pH >9, no significant change in the E 2/E 3 of the residual HA was observed, so other interactions were involved besides electrostatic interactions. The presence of salt promoted HA adsorption on hematite due to electrostatic interactions. The fractionation of HA during adsorption by hematite would affect the fate of other organic contaminants and heavy metals in natural systems.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41172226), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2652013024 and 2652013089), and the project (1212011121171) from the China Geological Survey. We appreciate Xiuyan Xu and Miao Li for their help in English writing and good suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Water Resources and Environment, Beijing Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering (Beijing), China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, People’s Republic of China

    Xiaopeng Qin, Fei Liu, Guangcai Wang & Guoxin Huang

  2. State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, People’s Republic of China

    Xiaopeng Qin

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  1. Xiaopeng Qin
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  2. Fei Liu
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  4. Guoxin Huang
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Correspondence to Fei Liu.

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Qin, X., Liu, F., Wang, G. et al. Adsorption of humic acid from aqueous solution by hematite: effects of pH and ionic strength. Environ Earth Sci 73, 4011–4017 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-014-3686-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-014-3686-7

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