Voltammetric speciation of arsenic species in plant biomaterial: bioremediation

Environmental pollution, as a consequence of the industrialization process, is one of the major problems that have to be solved and controlled. The heightened awareness regarding the high toxicity and biochemical behavior of the different arsenic species required to develop cost effective technologies for the speciation of arsenic species. Electrochemical techniques are found to be comparatively better tools for arsenic speciation. As (III) is electrochemically stable in the presence of ascorbic acid as supporting electrolyte, while As (V) is electrochemically inactive at the electrode surface. The present piece of work is an attempt to measure the two arsenic species in the elution of arsenic sorbed Leucaena leucocephala seed powder (LLSP), using square wave anodic stripping voltammetry. The strategy employed in this work is based on the determination of As (III) directly, while determining As (V) after reduction with sodium thiosulfate into As (III). The removal percentage of As (III) and As (V) using LLSP biomaterial was 83.18 and 95 %, respectively.