Characterization and evaluation of arsenic and boron adsorption onto natural geologic materials, and their application in the disposal of excavated altered rock

Construction of tunnels in Hokkaido, Japan often excavates rocks containing substantial amounts of arsenic (As) and boron (B). When these rocks are exposed to the environment, As and B are leached out that could potentially contaminate the surrounding soil and groundwater. Natural geologic materials contain minerals like Al-/Fe-oxyhydroxides/oxides that have As and B adsorption capabilities. Because these materials are widespread and readily available, they could be utilized in the mitigation of As and B leached out from these sources. This paper describes the ability of three natural geologic materials (i.e., pumiceous tuffs, partly-weathered volcanic ashes and coastal marine sediments) to sequester As and B from aqueous solutions and the actual leachate of a hydrothermally altered rock. The adsorption of As fitted well with either the Langmuir or Freundlich isotherm while that of B followed the Henry-type model (linear). Among the samples, those containing substantial amorphous Al and Fe exhibited higher As adsorption. However, the distribution coefficient of B only had a moderate positive correlation with these amorphous phases. The best adsorbent among these natural geologic materials was utilized in the adsorption layer of the column experiments. Adsorption of As was more effective the thicker the adsorption layer, but this retardation was only temporary due to significant changes in the pH. In contrast, the adsorption layer only retarded the migration of B to a limited extent.