Basic Ferric Arsenates - Non Existent

The effective removal of arsenic(V) from process streams and waste waters by precipitation with excess iron(II1) is sometimes attributed to the formation of basic ferric arsenates. The authors have investigated this system extensively using a variety of techniques and conclude that the solid phase produced is iron(II1) oxyhydroxide (ferrihydrite) with arsenic(V) adsorptively bound to the 2-3 nm particles.