KINETIC ASPECTS OF AQUEOUS ALUMINUM CHEMISTRY - ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

Aluminum is a common constituent of the earth's crust and is present i n many rock and soil forming minerals. In spite of its abundance Al(II I) usually is not very soluble in water. However, strong mineral acids , such as may be present in rainfall, can solubilize some of the alumi num. On becoming solubilized the Al(III) can be present in the natural water environment in a number of forms. The speciation of Al(III) is complex and depends not only on the aqueous environment itself (inorga nic and organic ions present, the solids the water is in contact with, inorganic and organic) but also on the past history of the Al(III) co ntaining water. An attempt is made to predict the fate of Al(III) in w ater after it has been solubilized in some manner, such as through the precipitation of strong inorganic acid containing rain on various div erse landscapes. The past history of the Al(III) containing water, the effect of pH rise, the presence of inorganic and organic dissolved su bstances and the presence of various minerals and organic materials ar e considered in the predictions.