『Abstract
Arsenopyrite (FeAsS) is the most common As-bearing sulfide mineral.
Under oxidising conditions, such as those in mine waste systems,
it beaks down to release acids of As and S into the environment,
resulting in acid mine drainage with high concentrations of dissolved
As. In this communication, current knowledge of arsenopyrite oxidation
is reviewed based on a survey of the existing literature, which
has focused on processes and reactions at the mineral surface.
X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) has shown that the oxidation
of arsenopyrite in acid is more rapid than in air, water, or in
alkaline solutions. Oxidation products reported by XPS include
Fe(III) oxide, As (III), As(V), SO32-
and SO42-. The elemental constituents
of arsenopyrite oxidise at different rates, although there is
no consensus as to which is the fastest or slowest to oxidise.
Electrochemical studies have highlighted the formation of elemental
S on the arsenopyrite surface, while XPS studies suggest that
only oxy-anions of S form. Kinetic studies of arsenopyrite oxidation
suggest that O2 and Fe3+ are the
dominant inorganic agents causing arsenopyrite dissolution. The
bacterially-mediated oxidation of arsenopyrite by acidophilic
Fe- and S-oxidising bacteria such as Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans
and Acidithiobacillus caldus, is more extensive than abiotic
oxidation. The literature pertaining to arsenopyrite oxidation
is divided regarding the reaction stoichiometry, and the composition
and layering of surface overlayers.』
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Surface investigations of arsenopyrite oxidation
2.1. Introduction
2.2. Clean/vacuum-fractured surfaces
2.3. Inorganic surface oxidation
2.3.1. Air
2.3.2. Aqueous solutions (pure water, acid and alkali solutions)
2.3.2.1. Pure water
2.3.2.2. Acid solutions
2.3.2.3. Alkaline solutions
2.4. Biogenic surface oxidation
3. Electro-oxidation studies
3.1. Electro-oxidation in acidic solutions
3.2. Electro-oxidation in alkaline solutions
3.3. Electro-oxidation in the presence of micro-organisms
4. The kinetics of arsenopyrite dissolution
4.1. Oxidation by Fe(III)
4.2. Oxidation by dissolved oxygen (DO)
5. Geomicrobiological studies of arsenopyrite oxidation
5.1. Introduction
5.2. Acidophilic bacteria and arsenopyrite
5.2.1. Bacterial adhesion and attachment to arsenopyrite
5.2.2. Surface precipitates
5.2.3. Arsenic toxicity and detoxification
6. Discussion and conclusions
6.1. Fate of sulfur species
6.2. Elemental oxidation rates
6.3. Surface overlayer composition
6.4. Stoichiometry
6.5 Implications for the mechanism of arsenopyrite oxidation
Acknowledgements
References