Ion exchange equilibria of arsenic in the presence of high sulphate and nitrate concentrations

The aim of this work was to develop a quantitative description of the ion exchange equilibria of arsenic on a strong anionic resin, in the presence of nitrates and sulphates. First, the ion exchange equilibrium data of As(V) and NO3- on a strong anionic resin in chloride form were obtained and described with a model based on the mass action law. Namely, assuming ideal behaviour for both solution and resin phase, the thermodynamic constant of the As(V)/Cl- and NO3-/Cl- ion exchange equilibria were estimated by fitting of experimental data. Then, these equilibrium constants were used to predict the ion exchange behaviour of the ternary system As(V)/NO3-/Cl-, providing a rather good agreement with experimental results. The ion exchange equilibria involving sulphate ions were also studied, showing,a very high affinity to the resin phase. This behaviour did not allow a quantitative robust modelling of the equilibrium pattern. The results discussed in this paper represent a first step toward the development of a comprehensive modelling of the ion exchange process for the removal of As(V) from surface and groundwater in the presence of competitive, naturally occurring anions.