Concentrations and speciation of arsenic in groundwater polluted by warfare agents.
Groundwater polluted with phenylarsenicals from former warfare agent deposits and their metabolites was investigated with respect to the behavior of relevant arsenic species. Depth profiles at the estimated source and at about 1km downgradient from the source zone were sampled. The source zone is characterized by high total arsenic concentrations up to 16mgL(-1) and is dominated by organic arsenic compounds. The concentrations in the downgradient region are much lower (up to 400μgL(-1)) and show a high proportion of inorganic arsenic species. Iron precipitation seems to be an effective mechanism to prevent dispersion of inorganic arsenic as well as phenylarsonic acid. Reductive conditions were observed in the deeper zone with predominant occurrence of trivalent arsenic species. The inorganic species are in redox equilibrium, whereas the phenylarsenic compounds have variable proportions. Methylphenylarsinic acid was identified in groundwater in traces which indicates microbial degradation activity.
Daus
Birgit
B
UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Groundwater Remediation, Leipzig, Germany. birgit.daus@ufz.de
Hempel
Michael
M
Wennrich
Rainer
R
Weiss
Holger
H
D001149:Arsenates / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D001151:Arsenic / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D001152:Arsenicals / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D018053:Arsenites / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry
D001149:Arsenates; D001152:Arsenicals; D018053:Arsenites; D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C015001:arsenite; D001151:Arsenic; C493087:diphenylarsinic acid