A paper by ERG researchers in the journal Environmental Science & Technology reports the results of an experimental study of the oxidation of arsenic (As) as aqueous As(III) to As(V) in the presence of flavins. The latter are ubiquitous redox-active compounds capable of producing reactive oxygen and flavin radical species in the environment, yet their roles in the redox transformations in the transformations, mobility and toxicity of environmental contaminants, such as As, remain to be investigated. In their paper, current (Kunfu Pi and Philippe Van Cappellen) and past ERG researchers (Ekaterina Markelova and Peng Zhang) show that reduced flavins can be a source of effective oxidants for As(III), under both oxic and reducing conditions. The paper can be accessed here.
Tuesday, December 10, 2019