Efficiency of sophorolipids for arsenic removal from mine tailings Available to Purchase

Mine tailings are one of the main sources of dissolved arsenic (As) in groundwater. In the present study, an investigation was conducted on the efficiency of sophorolipids, at different concentrations and pH levels and at two different temperatures (15°C and 23°C), to remove arsenic and heavy metals from mine tailings. Furthermore, the effect of sophorolipids on the speciation of arsenic and the effectiveness of sophorolipids on different fractions of the specimens were investigated by way of sequential extraction. After the treatment of the specimens with a solution of 1% sophorolipids at pH 5 and 23°C, 0·7% of the total removed arsenic was from the water-soluble portion of the mine tailing sample, 0·7% was from the exchangeable portion, 0·6% was from the carbonates, 29·9% was from the oxide/hydroxide fraction, 3·0% was from the organic portion and 65·1% was from the residual fraction of the specimen. The results from this study can help develop a sustainable and environment-friendly solution for the remediation of mine tailings.