Research progress of arsenic-bearing solid waste by hydrometallurgy

The methods of treating arsenic-bearing solid waste by hydrometallurgy are reviewed and the advantages and disadvantages of these methods are compared. In general, the hydrometallurgical technique contains two stages: selective leaching and final destination of arsenic. According to the different leaching system, those techniques can be divided into neutral leaching, acid leaching, alkaline leaching and salt leaching. Because of good applicability and high selectivity, the alkaline leaching method is the hotspot in this field. According to the final destination of arsenic, the treatment of arsenic can be divided as the resource utilization of arsenic and harmless treatment of arsenic-bearing solid waste. Due to the high toxic of arsenic and its compounds, the utilization of arsenic products is limited, therefore, stockpiling or landfilling are still the main method for treating the arsenic after nonhazardous treatment.