Effective immobilization and biosafety assessment of antimony in soil with zeolite-supported nanoscale zero-valent iron.

Antimony (Sb) contamination in certain areas caused by activities such as antimony mining and smelting poses significant risks to human health and ecosystems. In this study, a stable composite material consisting of natural zeolite-supported nanoscale zero-valent iron (Z-ZVI) was successfully prepared. The immobilization effect of Z-ZVI on Sb in contaminated soil was investigated. Experimental results showed that Z-ZVI exhibited superior performance compared to pure nano zero-valent iron (nZVI) in terms of stability, with a lower zeta potential (-25.16 mV) at a pH of 7 and a higher specific surface area (54.54 m2/g). It can be easily applied and dispersed in contaminated soils. Additionally, Z-ZVI demonstrated a more abundant porous structure. After 60 days of treatment with 3% Z-ZVI, the leaching concentration of Sb in the contaminated soil decreased from 1.32 mg/L to 0.31 mg/L (a reduction of 76%), and the concentration of available Sb species decreased from 19.84 mg/kg to 0.71 mg/kg, achieving a fixation efficiency of up to 90%. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the effective immobilization of Sb in the soil through reduction of antimonate to antimonite, precipitation, and adsorption processes facilitated by Z-ZVI. Moreover, the addition of Z-ZVI effectively reduced the bioavailability of Sb in the contaminated soil, thereby mitigating its toxicity to earthworms. In conclusion, Z-ZVI can be utilized as a promising material for the safe remediation and antimony and other heavy metal-contaminated soils.

Effect of landfill leachate on arsenic migration and transformation in shallow groundwater systems.

Arsenic contamination of groundwater has affected human health and environmental safety worldwide. Hundreds of millions of people in more than 100 countries around the world are directly or indirectly troubled by arsenic-contaminated groundwater. In addition, arsenic contamination of groundwater caused by leakage of leachate from municipal solid waste landfills has occurred in some countries and regions, which has attracted widespread attention. Understanding how domestic waste landfill leachate affects the arsenic's migration and transformation in shallow groundwater is crucial for accurate assessment of the distribution and ecological hazards of arsenic in groundwater. Based on literature review, this study systematically summarized and discussed the basic characteristics of landfill leachate, the mechanism of arsenic pollution in groundwater, and the effect of landfill leachate on the migration and transformation of arsenic in groundwater. Combined with relevant research findings and practical experience, countermeasures and suggestions to limit the impact of landfill leachate on the migration and transformation of arsenic in groundwater are put forward.

Leaching of valuable metals from cathode active materials in spent lithium-ion batteries by levulinic acid and biological approaches.

Recycling of valuable metals from spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is of paramount importance for the sustainable development of consumer electronics and electric vehicles. This study comparatively investigated two eco-friendly leaching methods for recovering Li, Ni, Co, and Mn from waste NCM523 (LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2) cathode materials in spent LIBs, i.e., chemical leaching by a green organic solvent, levulinic acid (LA) and bioleaching by an enriched microbial consortium. In chemical leaching, mathematical models predicting leaching efficiency from liquid-to-solid ratio (L/S; L/kg), temperature (°C), and duration (h) were established and validated. Results revealed that LA of 6.86 M was able to achieve complete leaching of all target metals in the absence of reductants at the optimal conditions (10 L/kg, 90 °C, and 48 h) identified by the models. The evaluation of direct one- and two-step and indirect bioleaching indicated that the latter was more feasible for metal extraction from waste NCM523. L/S was found to impact the indirect bioleaching most significantly among the three operating variables. Pretreatment of waste NCM523 by washing with 1 vol% methanesulfonic acid significantly improved indirect bioleaching. The side-by-side comparison of these two leaching approaches on the same cathode active material (CAM) thus provided the technical details for further comparison with respect to cost and environmental impact.

Mechanistic insights into Cr(VI) removal by a combination of zero-valent iron and pyrite.

Recent studies have revealed that a combination of zero-valent iron (ZVI) and pyrite (FeS2) can effectively remove (Cr(VI)) from water, but the reasons behind this synergistic effect are still unclear. Our batch experiments showed that dissolved oxygen (DO) is a critical factor in the improved removal of Cr(VI) by ZVI and pyrite. When 0.08 g/L pyrite was combined with 0.5 g/L ZVI in the presence of DO, total Cr was reduced from 10 mg/L to 0.02 mg/L within 6 h. Conversely, in the absence of DO, total Cr was only reduced to 5.6 mg/L. DO oxidation of pyrite produced protons that promote ZVI corrosion, and mixing pyrite with water creates dissolved sulfide, which also contributes to the improved removal of Cr(VI). Electron microscopy images and X-ray absorption near edge structure analyses revealed that the presence of dissolved sulfide led to the formation of ferrous sulfide precipitates on the ZVI surface, preventing the formation of a passivating layer.

Arsenate removal using titanium dioxide-doped cementitious composites: Mixture design, mechanisms, and simulated sewer application.

Arsenate (As(V)) in municipal wastewater leads to a public health problem due to its contamination of natural water sources. Here, we proposed to use sewer pipe made of TiO2-doped cementitious composite (TCC) for As(V) removal from municipal wastewater. The optimum composition of TCC, the performance for As(V) removal in the simulated sewer system, and the molecular-level As(V) removal mechanisms were investigated. To obtain the optimum composition, variables were adjusted to maximize the As(V) removal using TCC. Results show that the TiO2 and water contents were the dominant factors. Simulated sewer pipes made of TCC removed As(V) from 100 µg/L to <10 µg/L, which performed better than plain cementitious composite. Moreover, extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) analysis indicates that both precipitation and adsorption contribute to the As(V) removal by TCC, while the adsorption is more significant with a lower As(V) concentration (i.e., 1 mg/L). This is the first study evaluating the feasibility to apply TCC for As(V) removal from sewer wastewater. The optimized composition, simulation results, and molecular-level mechanism gained from this study are useful to the future design of TCC for As(V) removal, especially for sewer systems.

MIR31HG polymorphisms are related to steroid-induced osteonecrosis of femoral head among Chinese Han population.

BACKGROUNDS: MIR31 host gene (MIR31HG) polymorphisms play important roles in the occurrence of osteonecrosis. However, the association of MIR31HG polymorphisms with the risk of steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (SONFH) remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the correlation between MIR31HG polymorphisms and SONFH susceptibility in the Chinese Han population. METHODS: A total of 708 volunteers were recruited to detect the effect of seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the MIR31HG gene on SONFH risk in the Chinese Han population. Genotyping of MIR31HG polymorphisms was performed using the Agena MassARRAY platform. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were used to evaluate the correlation between MIR31HG polymorphisms and SONFH risk using logistic regression model. RESULTS: According to the results of genetic model, rs10965059 in MIR31HG was significantly correlated with the susceptibility to SONFH (OR = 0.56, p = 0.002). Interestingly, the stratified analysis showed that rs10965059 was associated with the reduced risk of SONFH in subjects aged > 40 years (OR = 0.30, p < 0.001) and male populations (OR = 0.35, p < 0 .001). Moreover, rs10965059 was associated with the reduced risk of bilateral SONFH (OR = 0.50, p = 0.002). Finally, multi-factor dimension reduction (MDR) results showed that the combination of rs1332184, rs72703442, rs2025327, rs55683539, rs2181559, rs10965059 and rs10965064 was the best model for predicting SONFH occurrence (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The study indicated that rs10965059 could be involved in SONFH occurrence in the Chinese Han population, which might provide clues for investigating the role of MIR31HG in the pathogenesis of SONFH.

Competitive adsorption of nitrate, phosphate, and sulfate on amine-modified wheat straw: In-situ infrared spectroscopic and density functional theory study.

Amine-modified wheat straw (AMWS) has already been reported as a promising adsorbent for nitrate (NO3) removal due to its cost-effectiveness and high efficiency. However, the NO3 removal mechanism has not been well understood, especially in the presence of co-existing ions. Here, the effect of co-existing anions on NO3 removal by AMWS was investigated and the underlying mechanisms were revealed using a combination of in-situ infrared (IR) spectroscopy and computational modeling. The in-situ IR results indicated that NO3, sulfate (SO4), and phosphate (PO4) are all adsorbed as outer-sphere complexes on AMWS. The two-dimensional-correlation spectroscopy analysis implied the adsorption sequence of SO4 > PO4 > NO3. The adsorption energies obtained from density functional theory calculation range from -0.24 to 0.51 eV (-23.2 to 49.2 kJ/mol), confirming that these anions adsorb on AMWS as outer-sphere complexes. For the first time, this study provides direct spectroscopic evidence of the outer-sphere adsorption of NO3 on AMWS, as well as identifies the adsorption sequence, confirmed by computational modeling. The competitive mechanism of NO3, SO4, and PO4 revealed in this study is helpful to understand and predict the applications of AMWS.

Factors Affecting the Detection of Hexavalent Chromium in Cr-Contaminated Soil.

The alkali digestion pretreatment method in the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Method 3060A could underestimate the content of Cr(VI) in Cr-contaminated soils, especially for soils mixed with chromite ore processing residue (COPR), which leads to a misjudgment of the Cr(VI) level in soils after remediation, causing secondary pollution to the environment. In this study, a new pretreatment method to analyze Cr(VI) concentration in contaminated soils was established. The impacts of soil quality, particle size, alkali digestion time and the rounds of alkali digestion on Cr(VI) detection in contaminated soils was explored and the alkali digestion method was optimized. Compared with USEPA Method 3060A, the alkaline digestion time was prolonged to 6 h and multiple alkali digestion was employed until the amount of Cr(VI) in the last extraction was less than 10% of the total amount of Cr(VI). Because Cr(VI) in COPR is usually embedded in the mineral phase structure, the hydration products were dissolved and Cr(VI) was released gradually during the alkaline digestion process. The amount of Cr(VI) detected showed high correlation coefficients with the percentage of F1 (mild acid-soluble fraction), F2 (reducible fraction) and F4 (residual fraction). The Cr(VI) contents detected by the new alkaline digestion method and USEPA Method 3060A showed significant differences for soil samples mixed with COPR due to their high percentage of residual fraction. This new pretreatment method could quantify more than 90% of Cr(VI) in Cr-contaminated soils, especially those mixed with COPR, which proved to be a promising method for Cr(VI) analysis in soils, before and after remediation.

Release of Pb adsorbed on graphene oxide surfaces under conditions of Shewanella putrefaciens metabolism.

In this study, Pb(II) was used as a target heavy metal pollutant, and the metabolism of Shewanella putrefaciens (S. putrefaciens) was applied to achieve reducing conditions to study the effect of microbial reduction on lead that was preadsorbed on graphene oxide (GO) surfaces. The results showed that GO was transformed to its reduced form (r-GO) by bacteria, and this process induced the release of Pb(II) adsorbed on the GO surfaces. After 72 hr of exposure in an S. putrefaciens system, 5.76% of the total adsorbed Pb(II) was stably dispersed in solution in the form of a Pb(II)-extracellular polymer substance (EPS) complex, while another portion of Pb(II) released from GO-Pb(II) was observed as lead phosphate hydroxide (Pb10(PO4)6(OH)2) precipitates or adsorbed species on the surface of the cell. Additionally, increasing pH induced the stripping of oxidative debris (OD) and elevated the content of dispersible Pb(II) in aqueous solution under the conditions of S. putrefaciens metabolism. These research results provide valuable information regarding the migration of heavy metals adsorbed on GO under reducing conditions due to microbial metabolism.

Oxidative degradation of nitroguanidine (NQ) by UV-C and oxidants: Hydrogen peroxide, persulfate and peroxymonosulfate.

Nitroguanidine (NQ), a component used in insensitive munitions formulations, has high solubility which often leads to highly contaminated wastewater streams. In this work, batch experiments were conducted to investigate and compare the NQ degradation by UV-based advanced oxidation processes (AOPs); hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), persulfate (PS) and peroxymonosulfate (PMS) were selected as oxidants. A preliminary evaluation of AOPs kinetics, byproducts, and potential degradation pathways were carried out and compared to NQ degradation by direct UV-C photolysis. The effects of oxidant dosage, NQ concentrations and pH were evaluated by determining the respective kinetic constants of degradation. Among the treatments applied, UV/PS showed to be a promising and effective alternative leading to faster rates of degradation respect to both oxidant dosage (25 mM) and initial NQ concentrations (≤24 mM). Nevertheless, the degradation rate of NQ by UV/PS appeared to be affected strongly by the initial pH compared to UV/H2O2 and UV/PMS, with the lowest rate overall at pH ≥ 8.0. In addition, the main byproducts from NQ degradation, guanidine and cyanamide, showed to be involved in further degradation steps only with UV/PS and UV/PMS suggesting higher degradation effectiveness of these oxidants compared UV/H2O2 and UV alone.

Heavy metals biosorption mechanism of partially delignified products derived from mango (Mangifera indica) and guava (Psidium guiag) barks.

This paper evaluates the biosorption of toxic metal ions onto the bioadsorbents derived from mango (Mangifera indica) and guava (Psidium guiag) barks and their metal fixation mechanisms. Maximum metal biosorption capacities of the mango bioadsorbent were found in the following increasing order (mg/g): Hg (16.24) < Cu (22.24) < Cd (25.86) < Pb (60.85). Maximum metal biosorption capacities of guava bioadsorbent follow similar order (mg/g): Hg (21.48) < Cu (30.36) < Cd (32.54) < Pb (70.25), but with slightly higher adsorption capacities. The removal mechanisms of heavy metals using bioadsorbents have been ascertained by studying their surface properties and functional groups using various spectrometric, spectroscopic, and microscopic methods. Whewellite (C2CaO4·H2O) has been identified in bioadsorbents based on the characterization of their surface properties using X-ray techniques (XPS and XRD), facilitating the ion exchange of metal ions with Ca2+ bonded with carboxylate moieties. For both the bioadsorbents, the Pb2+, Cu2+, and Cd2+ are biosorbed completely by ion exchange with Ca2+ (89-94%) and Mg2+ (7-12%), whereas Hg2+ is biosorbed partially (57-66%) by ion exchange with Ca2+ (38-42%) and Mg2+ (19-24%) due to involvement of other cations in the ion exchange processes. Bioadsorbents contain lignin which act as electron donor and reduced Cr(VI) into Cr(III) (29.87 and 37.25 mg/g) in acidic medium. Anionic Cr(VI) was not adsorbed onto bioadsorbents at higher pH due to their electrostatic repulsion with negatively charged carboxylic functional groups.

The critical contribution of oxidation debris on the acidic properties of graphene oxide in an aqueous solution.

The contribution of oxidation debris (OD) to the acidity of graphene oxide (GO) was investigated in this study. With Na2CO3 as the titrator base, the Boehm titration results showed that the total acidity of GO in an aqueous solution decreased from 9.72 to 2.74 mmol g-1 after a thorough removal of OD and that the total acidity of OD was 26.45 mmol g-1. Thermogravimetric analyses showed that the mass ratios of OD and residual graphene sheets (named bwGO) were ∼26 % and ∼73 % of the whole pristine GO, respectively. Based on the quantitative relationships between the mass ratio and acid site density, it was concluded that the total acidity of GO was equal to the sum of the acidity from bwGO and the OD contained in GO. Under alkaline conditions, the splitting and stripping of OD was attributed to the combined effect of the cleavage of H-bonds by nucleophilic attack from OH- and the electrostatic repulsion due to the ionization of carboxylic acids, in which the former became dominant when the pH shifted to neutral and weakly acidic. This study provides an explanation for the origin of GO acidity in aqueous solutions and highlights the role of OD in the chemistry of GO.

Lead removal from water using organic acrylic amine fiber (AAF) and inorganic-organic P-AAF, fixed bed filtration and surface-induced precipitation.

Granular porous sorbents were normally used for heavy metals removal from water. To search for the new commercial sorbent and treatment strategy, an organic acrylic amine fiber (AAF) and phosphorus loading inorganic-organic AAF (P-AAF) were prepared and used for lead (Pb) removal from water. A new strategy of inorganic-organic coupling technology was proposed for Pb removal, based on the hypothesis of surface-induced precipitation mechanism. The AAF showed a Pb adsorption capacity of 417 mg/g from the Langmuir fitting, while the column filtration technology was further applied to measure the adsorption edge and applications. Effects of different initial Pb concentrations, hydraulic retention time, and co-existing P were considered in the filtration experiments. The presence of 0.8 mg/L P in water significantly improved the Pb breakthrough point from 15,000 to 41,000 bed volumes of water spiked with 85 µg/L Pb, while the P-AAF fixed bed showed better removal of Pb than AAF SEM/EDX and XRD spectra were employed for determining the surface functional groups and the formation of surface-induced precipitation of pyromorphite (Pb5(PO4)3OH) on AAF. This study verified the application of AAF sorbent for Pb removal and the enhanced effect of coating P on AAF, thus improved our fundamental understanding and application of the surface chemistry process of Pb with P.

Selenium and arsenic removal from water using amine sorbent, competitive adsorption and regeneration.

Selenium (Se) and arsenic (As) are toxic contaminants in surface water and drinking water. The human body needs little quantity of Se, but too high dose is not allowed. Metal oxides such as iron oxides were used for adsorption or co-precipitation removal of As from water. However, the regeneration and stability problems of metals oxides sorbents are unsatisfactory , and there is not enough adsorbent for Se removal from water also. We developed the acrylic amine fiber (AAF) for adsorption reomval of Se and As from water and systematically studied the influenced factors. Batch experiments were conducted for investigating the adsorption edges, while column filtration tests were employed for dynamic application edges. At neutral pH, the Langmuir isotherm fittings gave the maximum adsorption capacities of As(V), As(III), Se(VI) and Se(IV) are 270.3, 40.5, 256.4, and 158.7 mg/g, respectively. Effects of co-existing inorganic anions on As(V) and Se(VI) adsorption using AAF gave the order of PO43- > SO42- > NO3- > SiO32-, while different organic acids obey the order of citric acid > oxalic acid > formic acid. Fourier transform infrared analysis showed the PO43- and SO42- competition mechanisms are electrostatic repulsions, while the competition of organic acids derived from acid-base reaction between the carboxyl group and the amino group. Column filtration and regeneration results showed that the spent AAF can be regenerated using 0.5 mol/L HCl solution and reused with no much decrease of adsorption capacity.

Mechanistic Study of Pb(II) Removal by TiO2 and Effect of PO4.

As a commercial adsorbent, TiO2 shows a high adsorption capacity for lead (Pb(II)). However, the molecular structure of Pb(II) adsorption on TiO2 is still unknown. Meanwhile, as a widely used corrosion inhibitor, phosphate (PO4) is usually added into drinking water, and its influential mechanism on Pb(II) removal by TiO2 remains unknown. Here, the mechanisms of Pb(II) adsorption on TiO2 and the effect of PO4 were systematically investigated using a combination of spectroscopic analyses and surface complexation modeling. The adsorption structure of Pb(II) on TiO2 was revealed as a tridentate mononuclear configuration by the extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) analysis. In the presence of 0.1-5 mg/L PO4, Pb(II) was removed mainly by adsorption on TiO2 rather than precipitation. Ternary complexation between Pb(II) and PO4 on TiO2 surfaces was found based on EXAFS and in situ Fourier transform infrared characterizations. These complexation structures were used to build a surface complexation model to accurately simulate and predict Pb(II) removal under different conditions. This study provides essential information about the mechanisms of Pb(II) removal by TiO2 and develops a model to predict adsorption behaviors, especially in the presence of PO4.

Processes of chromium (VI) migration and transformation in chromate production site: A case study from the middle of China.

The migration and redox transformation processes of toxic Cr(VI) in the upper and deep soil of chromate-polluted site are of great importance for the environmental risk control and soil remediation. In this study, soils from surface to deep (around 30-60 m) and the groundwater in a typical abandoned chromate production plant site which has experienced decades of contamination were both sampled and analyzed. The results show that the soil in the leaching workshop of Cr(VI), dichromate transformation workshop and chromium slag dumping ground exhibits severe contamination of chromium and the pollution has extended to the groundwater, causing serious pollution in groundwater too. The vertical migration and transformation of Cr(VI) in the soil layer are mainly affected by the soil permeability, organic matter content and the amount of water passing through the soil layer. During the downward migration, Cr(VI) tends to be retained by the clay layer and further accumulates around the depth of 5-10 m where the concentrations of both hexavalent and total Cr reach maximum values, and then continues to diffuse from the accumulation layer towards the deeper soil. Accompanying with the reduction of Cr(VI) by organic matter in the soil, the Cr(III) exists at various depths. When the depth is below the groundwater level of saturated aquifer, the distribution of chromium in the soil and groundwater reaches leaching and redox equilibrium due to the long-term interaction between the soil and groundwater.

Surface mole-ratio method to distinguish surface precipitation and adsorption on solid-liquid interface.

The enhancement effects of phosphate (P) on Pb removal by adsorbents have been attributed to co-adsorption of P and Pb, the formation of P-Pb surface ternary surface complexes, and surface precipitation of P and Pb. However, distinguishing adsorption from surface precipitation in multi-adsorbate systems has been a challenge. For the first time, a surface mole-ratio (SMR) method was established and applied for delineating Pb-P precipitation and Pb adsorption on an acrylic amine fiber (AAF) adsorbent. In elaborating the SMR method, we developed Pb removal experiments by mixing solutions containing 0.2 g/L of AAF, 6 and 12 µmol/L P, and 0-35 µmol/L Pb. When the removed Pb/P (µmol/µmol) was plotted as a function of the equilibrium Pb (µmol/L), the SMR diagram exhibited a turning-point similar to the Pb/P mole ratio of 5/3 = 1.67 in pyromorphite (Pb5(PO4)3OH) precipitate. The SMR diagram indicated that when the Pb concentration increased, the precipitate formed first; after all P formed precipitates, Pb was removed by adsorption. The precipitation and adsorption processes were further confirmed by other SMR diagrams, FTIR, SEM-EDX, and XRD analysis. The SMR method will have broad applications in determining the removal mechanisms of multi-adsorbates by adsorbents and coagulants, and stabilization mechanisms of heavy metals in soils. With the development and application of more modern in-situ characterization techniques, SMR method will be more effective.

Lead immobilization by phosphate in the presence of iron oxides: Adsorption versus precipitation.

As a commonly used corrosion inhibitor, phosphate (PO4) has a complicated effect on the fate and transport of lead (Pb) in drinking water systems. While the formation of pyromorphite has been recognized to be the major driving force of the Pb immobilization mechanism, the role of adsorption on iron oxides is still not clear. This study aims to clarify the contributions of adsorption and precipitation to Pb removal in a system containing both iron oxides and PO4. A combination of batch experiments, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and electron spectroscopy was employed to distinguish the adsorbed and precipitated Pb species. The results indicated that the adsorption of Pb on iron oxides still occurred even when the solution was supersaturated to pyromorphite (i.e., 5 mg/L P with 0.1-30 mg/L Pb in 0.01 M NaCl solution at neutral pH). In the tap water containing 0.92 mg/L P and 1 mg/L Pb, adsorption on iron oxides contributed more (62-67%) than precipitation (33-38%) in terms of Pb removal. Surprisingly, the pre-formed pyromorphite is transformed to adsorbed species after mixing with iron oxides in water for 24 h. The illustration of this transformation is important to understand the immobilization mechanisms and transport behaviors of Pb in drinking water systems after the utilization of PO4.

Challenges of arsenic removal from municipal wastewater by coagulation with ferric chloride and alum.

Discharge of treated municipal wastewater containing arsenic (As) may cause adverse effects on the environment and drinking water sources. Arsenic concentrations were measured throughout the treatment systems at two municipal wastewater plants in New Jersey, USA. The efficiency of As removal by ferric chloride and alum coagulants were evaluated. Besides, the effects of suspended solids in the mixed liquor, pH, and orthophosphate (PO43-) on As removal were investigated. The total recoverable As (TAs) concentrations in the influent and effluent of Plant A were in the ranges of 2.00-3.00 and 1.50-2.30 µg/L, respectively. The results indicated that <30% of the As was removed by the conventional biological wastewater treatment processes. The influent and effluent TAs concentrations at Plant B was below 1.00 µg/L. The bench-scale coagulation results demonstrated for the first time that the coagulation treatment could not effectively remove As from the municipal wastewater to <2.00 µg/L. Very high doses of the coagulants (8 and 40 mg/L of Fe(III) or Al(III)) were required to reduce the TAs from 2.84 and 8.61 µg/L in the primary clarifier effluent and arsenate-spiked effluent samples to <2.00 µg/L, respectively, which could be attributed to the high concentrations of PO43- and dissolved organic matters (DOM) in the wastewater. The protein DOM in wastewater may negatively impact removal efficiencies more than the DOM in natural water, which mainly consists of humic substances. Furthermore, an artificial neural network was constructed to determine the relative importance of different parameters for As removal. Under the experimental conditions, the importance followed the order: coagulant dose>dissolved PO43- > initial As concentration > pH. The findings of this study will help develop effective treatment processes to remove As from municipal wastewater.