Washing out heavy metals from contaminated soils from an iron and steel smelting site

Abstract

Washing is a promising method for separating contaminants bound to the particles of soil ex-situ by chemical mobilization. Laboratory batch washing experiments were conducted using deionized water and varying concentrations of oxalic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, acetic acid, hydrochloric acid and ethylenediaminetetra acetic acid (EDTA) to assess the efficiency of using these chemicals as washing agents and to clean up heavy metals from two heavily polluted soils from an iron and streel smelting site. The toxicity reduction index and remediation costs were analyzed, and the results showed that the soils were polluted with Cd, Pb and Zn. Hydrochloric acid and EDTA were more efficient than the other washing agents in the remediation of the test soils. The maximum total toxicity reduction index showed that 0.5 mol·L^-1 hydrochloric acid could achieve the remediation with the lowest costs.

Keywords

heavy metals / soil washing / toxicity reduction index / iron and steel smelting site

References

[1] Nriagu J O, Pacyna J M. Quantitative assessment of worldwide contamination of air, water and soils by trace metals. Nature, 1988, 333(6169): 134–139

[2] Olu-Owolabi B I, Diagboya P N, Ebaddan W C. Mechanism of Pb²⁺ removal from aqueous solution using a nonliving moss biomass. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2012, 195–196: 270–275

[3] Usman A R A, Kuzyakov Y, Lorenz K, Stahr K. Remediation of a soil contaminated with heavy metals by immobilizing compounds. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, 2006, 169(2): 205–212

[4] Mulligan C N, Yong R N, Gibbs B F. Remediation technologies for metal-contaminated soils and groundwater: an evaluation. Engineering Geology, 2001, 60(1–4): 193–207

[5] Marquesa A P G C, Rangela A O O S, Castroa P M L. Remediation of heavy metal contaminated soils: an overview of site remediation techniques. Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology, 2011, 41(10): 879–914

[6] Van-Benschoten J E, Matsumoto M R, Young W H. Evaluation and analysis of soil washing for seven lead-contaminated soils. Journal of Environmental Engineering, 1997, 123(3): 217–224

[7] Peters R W. Chelant extraction of heavy metals from contaminated soils. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 1999, 66(1–2): 151–210

[8] Dermont G, Bergeron M, Mercier G, Richer-Laflèche M. Soil washing for metal removal: a review of physical/chemical technologies and field applications. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2008, 152(1): 1–31

[9] Yang J S, Lee J Y, Baek K, Kwon T S, Choi J. Extraction behavior of As, Pb, and Zn from mine tailings with acid and base solutions. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2009, 171(1–3): 443–451

[10] Polettini A, Pomi R, Calcagnoli G. Assisted washing for heavy metal and metalloid removal from contaminated dredged materials. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution, 2009, 196(1): 183–198

[11] Moutsatsou A, Gregou M, Matsas D, Protonotarios V. Washing as a remediation technology applicable in soils heavily polluted by mining-metallurgical activities. Chemosphere, 2006, 63(10): 1632–1640

[12] Sun B, Zhao F J, Lombi E, McGrath S P. Leaching of heavy metals from contaminated soils using EDTA. Environmental Pollution, 2001, 113(2): 111–120

[13] Jang M, Hwang J S, Choi S I. Sequential soil washing techniques using hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide for remediating arsenic-contaminated soils in abandoned iron-ore mines. Chemosphere, 2007, 66(1): 8–17

[14] Moon D H, Lee J R, Wazne M, Park J H. Assessment of soil washing for Zn contaminated soils using various washing solutions. Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, 2012, 18(2): 822–825

[15] Ke X, Li P J, Gong Z Q, Yin W, Su D. Advances in flushing agents used for remediation of heavy metal contaminated soil. Chinese Journal of Ecology, 2004, 23(5): 145–149

[16] Mann M J. Full-scale and pilot-scale soil washing. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 1999, 66(1–2): 119–136

[17] Geng T T, Zhang M, Cai W T. Preliminary investigation of heavy metal pollution in soils to part area a steel factory in North. Environmental Science & Technology, 2011, 34(6G): 343–346

[18] Lu R K. Analytical methods for soil agricultural chemistry. Beijing: Agriculture Science and Technological Press of China, 1999

[19] Ryzak M, Bieganowski A. Methodological aspects of determining soil particle-size distribution using the laser diffraction method. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, 2011, 174(4): 624–633

[20] Li X, Liu L, Wang Y, Luo G, Chen X, Yang X, Gao B, He X. Integrated assessment of heavy metal contamination in sediments from a coastal industrial basin, NE China. PLoS ONE, 2012, 7(6): e39690

[21] Ure A M, Quevauvillier Ph, Muntau H, Griepink B. Speciation of heavy metals in soils and sediments-An account of the improvement and harmonization of extraction techniques undertaken under the auspices of the BCR of the commission of the European Communities. International Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry, 1993, 51(1): 135–151

[22] Chen T B, Zheng Y M, Chen H, Zheng G D. Background concentrations of soil heavy metals in Beijing. Environmental Sciences, 2004, 25(1): 117–122

[23] Ngwack B, Sigg L. Dissolution of Fe (III) (hydr) oxides by metal–EDTA complexes. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 1997, 61(5): 951–963

[24] Tsang D C, Zhang W, Lo I M C. Copper extraction effectiveness and soil dissolution issues of EDTA-flushing of artificially contaminated soils. Chemosphere, 2007, 68(2): 234–243

[25] Song J F, Yang J Y, Cui X Y. Effects of low molecular-weight organic acids/salts on availability of lead, zinc and arsenic in mixed metal polluted soil. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 2010, 24(4): 108–113

[26] Qian Y, Liu Y, Peng X Y. Effects of low molecular weight organic acids on speciation of Pb in soil. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 2011, 25(4): 261–264

[27] Zhang W H, Lo I M C. EDTA-enhanced washing for remediation of Pb-and/or Zn-contaminated soils. Journal of Environmental Engineering, 2006, 132(10): 1282–1288

[28] Hakanson L. An ecological risk index for aquatic pollution control, a sedimentological approach. Water Research, 1980, 14(8): 975–1001

[29] Adamo P, Dudka S, Wilson M J, McHardy W J. Chemical and mineralogical forms of Cu and Ni in contaminated soils from the Sudbury mining and smelting region, Canada. Environmental Pollution, 1996, 91(1): 11–19

[30] Cances B, Ponthieu M, Castrec-Rouelle M, Aubry E, Benedetti M F. Metal ions speciation in a soil and its solution: experimental data and model results. Geoderma, 2003, 113(3-4): 341–355

[31] Rauret G, López-Sánchez J F, Sahuquillo A, Barahona E, Lachica M, Ure A M, Davidson C M, Gomez A, Lück D, Bacon J, Yli-Halla M, Muntau H, Quevauviller P. Application of a modified BCR sequential extraction (three-step) procedure for the determination of extractable trace metal contents in a sewage sludge amended soil reference material (CRM 483), complemented by a three-year stability study of acetic acid and EDTA extractable metal content. Journal of Environmental Monitoring, 2000, 2(3): 228–233

[32] Ko I, Chang Y Y, Lee C H, Kim K W. Assessment of pilot-scale acid washing of soil contaminated with As, Zn and Ni using the BCR three-step sequential extraction. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2005, 127(1-3): 1–13

[33] Jean L, Bordas F, Bollinger J C. Chromium and nickel mobilization from a contaminated soil using chelants. Environmental Pollution, 2007, 147(3): 729–736

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg