“Geber's Method” in Environmental Perspective Revisited

Abstract

Excessive quantities of atmospheric sulfur dioxide (SO₂) are environmentally problematic. One of the anthropogenic processes that release SO₂ into the atmosphere is the contact process for the industrial manufacture of sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄). The progress of the idea to make use of “green vitriol” (FeSO₄·7H₂O) for “SO₂-free” manufacture of H₂SO₄ is discussed here. The environmentally advantageous fact that the method, called “Geber's method,” can theoretically be “waste-free” is addressed in this “Comment,” and the challenge of having limited suitable resources of FeSO₄·7H₂O in the US for use as the starting material in “Geber's method” is emphasized.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Keywords:

• Geber
• green vitriol
• resources
• sulfur dioxide
• sulfuric acid

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Aliyar Mousavi's thanks go to Mohammadreza Arabalidoosti, biology-major undergraduate student at the Department of Biology, Concordia University, for his great contribution to the preparation of the graphical abstract. The author also thanks Elaine at Owls and Books on Stamps^[14] for giving her permission to utilize the image of a Syrian stamp of 1997 that shows a portrait of the alchemist Jabir ibn-Hayyan in the graphical abstract. Further, the author would like to acknowledge Dr. Alfred C. Boyd, Jr. (December 12, 1929–December 5, 2014), Associate Professor Emeritus at the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at the University of Maryland, for his assistance in choosing the portrait.