Manganese complexes minerals

Manganese oxides in natural systems are often complex minerals characterized by poor crystallinity and mixed oxidation states (McKenzie, 1989). In addition to being electron acceptors in the oxidation of As(III) to As(V), Mn oxides can also adsorb As. Direct evidence for adsorption of As by Mn oxides comes from laboratory experiments in which pure mineral phases have been used. 

Micro SXRF (Synchrotron-based micro-X-ray fluorescence) spectroscopy is an excellent tool to study elemental distributions on microscopic level. This method helps to understand the role of particular minerals in sorption properties of complex mineral assemblies. Iron and managanese oxide phases were detected in polished thin sections of natural zeolitic tuff by SXRF. This section was contacted with synthetic ground water containing Pu(V), and Pu was found to be predominantly associated with manganese oxide, but not with hematite [41]. Micro SXRF can be combined with micro-XANES, and micro-EXAFS to determine the oxidation state and coordination environment of Pu adsorbed at different regions of the tuff [42]. 

The precipitate is soluble in free mineral acids (even as little as is liberated by reaction in neutral solution), in solutions containing more than 50 per cent of ethanol by volume, in hot water (0.6 mg per 100 mL), and in concentrated ammoniacal solutions of cobalt salts, but is insoluble in dilute ammonia solution, in solutions of ammonium salts, and in dilute acetic (ethanoic) acid-sodium acetate solutions. Large amounts of aqueous ammonia and of cobalt, zinc, or copper retard the precipitation extra reagent must be added, for these elements consume dimethylglyoxime to form various soluble compounds. Better results are obtained in the presence of cobalt, manganese, or zinc by adding sodium or ammonium acetate to precipitate the complex iron(III), aluminium, and chromium(III) must, however, be absent. 

Minerals belonging to the category of insoluble oxide and silicate minerals are many in number. Insoluble oxide minerals include those superficially oxidized and those of oxide type. The former category comprises mainly superficially oxidized sulfide minerals, including metals such as aluminum, tin, manganese, and iron which are won from their oxidic sources. As far as silicate minerals are concerned, there can be a ready reference to several metals such as beryllium, lithium, titanium, zirconium, and niobium which are known for their occurrence as (or are associated with) complex silicates in relatively low-grade deposits. 

Site-binding constants have been determined for only a limited range of simple oxides with only one type of surface site. Multiple-surface site minerals occurring in the deep-well environment such as silicates, aluminosilicates, and complex oxides (such as manganese oxide) will require much more complex TLMs. 

The composition of the particles is related to that of the source rocks. Quartz sand [composed of silica (silicon dioxide)], which makes up the most common variety of silica sand, is derived from quartz rocks. Pure quartz is usually almost free of impurities and therefore almost colorless (white). The coloration of some silica sand is due to chemical impurities within the structure of the quartz. The common buff, brown, or gray, for example, is caused by small amounts of metallic oxides iron oxide makes the sand buff or brown, whereas manganese dioxide makes it gray. Other minerals that often also occur as sand are calcite, feldspar and obsidian Calcite (composed of calcium carbonate), is generally derived from weathered limestone or broken shells or coral feldspar is an igneous rock of complex composition, and obsidian is a natural glass derived from the lava erupting from volcanoes see Chapter 2. 

Leaching and desorption of As from its associated mineral surfaces such as iron, aluminum and manganese oxides under the influence of the aquifer complex geochemistry, largely take part in its transport from sediment to aquifer pore-water. Adsorption has widely been considered as the retardation of As transport (Smedley 2003). 

Little is known concerning the chemistry of nickel in the atmosphere. The probable species present in the atmosphere include soil minerals, nickel oxide, and nickel sulfate (Schmidt and Andren 1980). In aerobic waters at environmental pHs, the predominant form of nickel is the hexahydrate Ni(H20)g ion (Richter and Theis 1980). Complexes with naturally occurring anions, such as OH, SO/, and Cf, are formed to a small degree. Complexes with hydroxyl radicals are more stable than those with sulfate, which in turn are more stable than those with chloride. Ni(OH)2° becomes the dominant species above pH 9.5. In anaerobic systems, nickel sulfide forms if sulfur is present, and this limits the solubility of nickel. In soil, the most important sinks for nickel, other than soil minerals, are amorphous oxides of iron and manganese. The mobility of nickel in soil is site specific pH is the primary factor affecting leachability. Mobility increases at low pH. At one well-studied site, the sulfate concentration and the... 

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