Analytical Sciences

Determination of Chemical Form of Antimony in Contaminated Soil around a Smelter Using X-ray Absorption Fine Structure

Masaki TAKAOKA,*¹ Satoshi FUKUTANI,*² Takashi YAMAMOTO,*³ Masato HORIUCHI,*⁴ Naoya SATTA,*⁵ Nobuo TAKEDA,*¹ Kazuyuki OSHITA,*¹ Minoru YONEDA,*¹ Shinsuke MORISAWA,*¹ and Tsunehiro TANAKA*⁶

*1 Department of Urban & Environmental Eng., Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
*2 Research Reactor Institute, Kyoto University, Osaka 590-0494, Japan
*3 Chemical Resources Laboratory, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Kanagawa 226-8503, Japan
*4 Department of Civil Eng. and Environmental Design, Daido Institute of Technology, Aichi 457-8532, Japan
*5 Department of Environment Science, Iwate University, Iwate 020-8550, Japan
*6 Department of Molecular Eng., Kyoto Uuiversity, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan

Only limited information is available about the behavior of antimony (Sb) in contaminated soils. However, understanding the behavior of Sb in contaminated soils is important, because the toxicity or solubility of this element depends on its chemical state. In this study, we investigated the levels of Sb and the chemical forms of Sb in the soil around a smelter using X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectra. The highest Sb concentration in the contaminated soil was 2900 mg/kg dry soil. According to Sb-K edge X-ray absorption near edge (XANE) spectra, the Sb in the soil was in the form of Sb(V) compounds. The similarity of extended XAFS (EXAFS) spectra suggests that Sb speciation was independent of the sampling site, which indicates that Sb or Sb₂O₃ emitted from the smelter was converted into Sb(V) compounds in the soil.

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