Simple solution to treat arsenic contaminated soil

The Institute of Advanced Science and Technology (AIST) of Japan has introduced an effective method of treating pollution for arsenic-contaminated soil or arsenic.

Arsenic contaminated water. (Photo: Dan Dan) The AIST Institute has tested the effects of a variety of organic and inorganic solvents for diphenylarsenic acid, the chemical formula is (C ₆ H ₅ ) 2 AsOOH. This is an extremely toxic organic arsenic (which can cause mental disorders), is not biologically degraded and can produce other toxins through chemical and thermal metamorphosis.

The results showed that alcohol, especially methanol, mixed with about 3-5% phosphoric acid, could neutralize 100% organic arsenic, even when the arsenic concentration in the soil was as high as 3,570 mg / kg.

Phosphoric acid will prevent the bonding between diphenylarsenic group and soil composition, and this diphenylarsenic group will be dissolved by alcohol. After that, the alcoholic solution can be used further to eliminate hazardous waste.

This detoxification method has been applied after groundwater and groundwater in Kamisu City (Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan) was discovered with severe arsenic infection as a result of the use of war-era weapons.