Rusty but New Innovative Treatment Relies on Rust to Prevent Arsenic Contamination

It's odorless and tasteless, occurs naturally in soil, water, air, plants and animals, and can also be deadly.

Arsenic has been used as a poison for thousands of years, and, in this country, arsenic trioxide was commonly used for decades as an herbicide and pesticide, and to prevent lumber from rotting. North America is peppered with sites first contaminated 50 or more years ago that still contain significant levels of arsenic.

Dr. Rona Donahoe, a UA geochemist, is working with industrial partners, to develop and test a method to prevent arsenic from leaching, or filtering, through the soil and into drinking water supplies. Oddly enough, rust is central to its effectiveness.

Full Story — 'New Innovative Treatment'