Sorption kinetics of arsenic on laterite soil in aqueous medium.

The efficiency of a locally available laterite soil in removing both arsenite and arsenate from aqueous medium by adsorption was evaluated. It was observed that in batch experiment conducted at 0.5 mg/L initial concentration of arsenic, laterite soil could remove up to 98% of arsenite and 95% of arsenate under optimized conditions. The kinetic profiles under various conditions were developed. Both arsenite and arsenate removal followed pseudo--second order reaction kinetic model. Pore and film diffusion coefficients were determined from the half-time equation and film diffusion appeared to be the rate-limiting. This was further supported by multiple interruption tests.