Arsenic (As) usually is bound to amorphous iron oxides in the soils, and it can be removed via dissolution of iron oxides. Inorganic acid and chelating agent are widely used to extract As in the soil washing. However, the overall performance is highly dependent on the state of As fractionation. In this study, oxalic acid and inorganic acids (HCl,
$H_2SO_4$, and
$H_3PO_4$) were applied to enhance the dissolution of iron oxides for remediation of As-contaminated soils. Oxalic acid was most effective to extract As from soils and removal of As was two times greater than other inorganic acids. Additionally, 75% of As bound to amorphous iron oxides was removed by 0.2 M oxalic acid. Arsenic removal by oxalic acid was directly proportional to the sum of labile fractions of As instead of the total concentration of As. Therefore, the oxalic acid could extract most As bound to amorphous iron oxides.
Keywords: Chelating;Dissolution;Iron oxides;Fractionation;