Removal of heavy metals and arsenic from a co-contaminated soil by sieving combined with washing process

Batch experiments were conducted with a heavy metals and arsenic co-contaminated soil from an abandoned mine to evaluate the feasibility of a remediation technology that combines sieving with soil washing.Leaching of the arsenic and heavy metals from the different particle size fractions was found to decrease in the order: 0.1,2–0.1,and 2 mm.With increased contact time,the concentration of heavy metals in the leachate was significantly decreased for small particles,probably because of adsorption by the clay soil component.For the different particle sizes,the removal efficiencies for Pb and Cd were75%–87%,and 61%–77% for Zn and Cu,although the extent of removal was decreased for As and Cr at 45%.The highest efficiency by washing for Pb,Cd,Zn,and As was from the soil particles 2 mm,although good metal removal efficiencies were also achieved in the small particle size fractions.Through SEM-EDS observations and correlation analysis,the leaching regularity of the heavy metals and arsenic was found to be closely related to Fe,Mn,and Ca contents of the soil fractions.The remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soil by sieving combined with soil washing was proven to be efficient,and practical remediation parameters were also recommended.     

Water incubation-induced fluctuating release of heavy metals in two smelter-contaminated soils

The soil moisture regime can affect the release of heavy metals in soil. In the previous studies, slightly polluted soils or artificially contaminated soil samples were considered to investigate the effect of soil moisture. We used highly smelter-contaminated and aged soils to study the release of typical heavy metals(Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb) induced by water incubation in batch experiments with characterization via speciation and X-ray diffraction analyses(XRD). The results show that the leachable concentrations of the heavy metals increased slightly in the first 30 days, decreased drastically between 30 and 90 days, and immobilized relatively constant thereafter. The fluctuation was ascribed to the changes of soil Eh and pH, the reductive dissolution of crystalline iron oxides, the formation of new amorphous iron oxides, the absorption of dissolved organic matter and the precipitation of metal sulfide. Speciation analysis indicated that a proportion of the soil heavy metals was transformed from an exchangeable fraction to a less labile fraction after water incubation. And the presence of a lead iron oxide phase and the peak increasing of zinc sulfide were observed via XRD analyses. Finally, water incubation restrained the release of heavy metals after 180 days of incubation, and reduced the leachability of Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb by as much as 1.61%–7.21% for soil A and 0.43%–3.36% for soil B, respectively. The study findings have implications for the formulation of risk control and management strategies for heavy metals in smelter-contaminated soils.     

Heavy metal availability and impact on activity of soil microorganisms along a Cu/Zn contamination gradient

All the regulations that define a maximum concentration of metals in the receiving soil are based on total soil metal concentration. However, the potential toxicity of a heavy metal in the soil depends on its speciation and availability. We studied the effects of heavy metal speciation and availability on soil microorganism activities along a Cu/Zn contamination gradient. Microbial biomass and enzyme activity of soil contaminated with both Cu and Zn were investigated. The results showed that microbial biomass was negatively affected by the elevated metal levels. The microbial biomass-C （Cmic）/organic C （Corg） ratio was closely correlated to heavy metal stress. There were negative correlations between soil microbial biomass, phosphatase activity and NH4NO3 extractable heavy metals. The soil microorganism activity could be predicted using empirical models with the availability of Cu and Zn. We observed that 72% of the variation in phosphatase activity could be explained by the NH4NO3-extractable and total heavy metal concentration. By considering different monitoring approaches and different viewpoints, this set of methods applied in this study seemed sensitive to site differences and contributed to a better understanding of the effects of heavy metals on the size and activity of microorganisms in soils. The data presented demonstrate the relationship between heavy metals availability and heavy metal toxicity to soil microorganism along a contamination gradient.     

Effects of several amendments on rice growth and uptake of copper and cadmium from a contaminated soil

Heavy metals in variable charge soil are highly bioavailable and easy to transfer into plants. Since it is impossible to completely eliminate rice planting on contaminated soils, some remediation and mitigation techniques are necessary to reduce metal bioavailability and uptake by rice. This pot experiment investigated the e ects of seven amendments on the growth of rice and uptake of heavy metals from a paddy soil that was contaminated by copper and cadmium. The best results were from the application of limestone that increased grain yield by 12.5–16.5 fold, and decreased Cu and Cd concentrations in grain by 23.0%–50.4%. Application of calcium magnesium phosphate, calcium silicate, pig manure, and peat also increased the grain yield by 0.3–15.3 fold, and e ectively decreased the Cu and Cd concentrations in grain. Cd concentration in grain was slightly reduced in the treatments of Chinese milk vetch and zinc sulfate. Concentrations of Cu and Cd in grain and straw were dependent on the available Cu and Cd in the soils, and soil available Cu and Cd were significantly a ected by the soil pH.     

Heavy metal accumulation by panicled goldenrain tree （Koelreuteria paniculata） and common elaeocarpus （Elaeocarpus decipens） in abandoned mine soils in southern China

Phytoremediation can be used as a sustainable technology for mine spoil remediation to remove heavy metals. This study investigated the concentration of 7 heavy metal contamination in soil and plant samples at an abandoned mine site. We found that, after vegetation remediation at the abandoned mine site, the reduction rates for 7 heavy metals were in the range of 4.2%–86%, where reduction rates over 50% were achieved for four heavy metals (Zn, Mn, Cd, Ni). Transfer coe cients of the panicled goldenrain tree (Koelreuteria paniculata Laxm) and the common elaeocarpus (Elaeocarpus decipens) for Zn, Mn, Ni, and Co were more than 1. Enrichment coe cients of both trees for Mn were higher than 1. Our results suggest that the panicled goldenrain tree and the common elaeocarpus tree may act as accumulators in remediation. Moreover, the woody vegetation remediation in abandoned mining areas play an important role in improving scenery besides removing heavy metal from contaminated soil.     

Speciation and fractionation of heavy metals in soil experimentally contaminated with Pb,Cd, Cu and Zn together and effects on soil negative surface charge

Speciation and fractionation of heavy metals in soil subsamples experimentally loaded with Pb, Cd, Cu and Zn in orthogonal design was investigated by sequential extraction, and operationally defined as water-soluble and exchangeable(SE), weakly specific adsorbed( WSA),Fe and Mn oxides-bound(OX) and organic-bound( ORG). The results showed that fractions of heavy metals in the soil subsamples depended on their speciation. About 90% of Cd and 75% of Zn existed in soil subsamples in the SE fraction. Lead and Cu existed in soil subsamples as SE, WSA and OX fractions simultaneously, although SE was still the major fraction. Organic-bound heavy metals were not clearly apparent in all the soil subsamples. The concentration of some heavy metal fractions in soil subsamples showed the good correlation with ionic impulsion of soil, especially for the SE fraction. Continuous saturation of soil subsamples with 0.20 mol/L NH4CI, which is the first step for determination of the negative surface charge of soil by the ion retention method, resulted in desorption of certain heavy metals from the soil. It was found that the percentage desorption of heavy metals from soil subsamples depended greatly on pH, the composition and original heavy metal content of the soil subsamples. However, most of the heavy metals in the soil subsamples were still be retained after multiple saturation. Compared with the parent soil, the negative surface charge of soil subsamples loaded with heavy metals did not show difference significantly from that of the parent one by statistical analysis. Heavy metals existed in the soil subsamples mainly as exchangeable and precipitated simultaneously.     

Spatial distribution and pollution assessment of heavy metals in urban soils from southwest China

To identify the concentrations and sources of heavy metals, and to assess soil environmental quality, 63 soil samples were collected in Yibin City, Sichuan Province, China. Mean concentrations of As, Pb, Zn, and Cu were 10.55, 61.23, 138.88 and 56.35 mg/kg, respectively. As concentrations were comparable to background values, while Pb, Zn, and Cu concentrations were higher than their corresponding background values. Industrial areas exhibited the highest concentrations of As, Pb, Zn, and Cu, while the lowest concentrations occurred in parks. Statistical analysis was performed and two cluster groups of metals were identified with Pb, Zn, and Cu in one group and As in the other. Spatial distribution maps indicated that Pb, Zn, and Cu were mainly controlled by anthropogenic activities, whereas As could be mainly accounted for by soil parent materials. Pollution index values of As, Pb, Zn, and Cu varied in the range of 0.24-1.93, 0.66-7.24, 0.42-4.19, and 0.62-5.25, with mean values of 0.86, 1.98, 1.61, and 1.78, respectively. The integrated pollution index (IPI) values of these metals varied from 0.82 to 3.54, with a mean of 1.6 and more than 90% of soil samples were moderately or highly contaminated with heavy metals. The spatial distribution of IPI showed that newer urban areas displayed relatively lower heavy metal contamination in comparison with older urban areas.     

Surfactant-enhanced flushing enhances colloid transport and alters macroporosity in diesel-contaminated soil

Soil contamination by diesel has been often reported as a result of accidental spillage,leakage and inappropriate use. Surfactant-enhanced soil flushing is a common remediation technique for soils contaminated by hydrophobic organic chemicals. In this study, soil flushing with linear alkylbenzene sulfonates(LAS, an anionic surfactant) was conducted for intact columns(15 cm in diameter and 12 cm in length) of diesel-contaminated farmland purple soil aged for one year in the field. Dynamics of colloid concentration in column outflow during flushing, diesel removal rate and resulting soil macroporosity change by flushing were analyzed. Removal rate of n-alkanes(representing the diesel) varied with the depth of the topsoil in the range of 14%–96% while the n-alkanes present at low concentrations in the subsoil were completely removed by LAS-enhanced flushing. Much higher colloid concentrations and larger colloid sizes were observed during LAS flushing in column outflow compared to water flushing. The X-ray micro-computed tomography analysis of flushed and unflushed soil cores showed that the proportion of fine macropores(30–250 μm in diameter)was reduced significantly by LAS flushing treatment. This phenomenon can be attributed to enhanced clogging of fine macropores by colloids which exhibited higher concentration due to better dispersion by LAS. It can be inferred from this study that the application of LAS-enhanced flushing technique in the purple soil region should be cautious regarding the possibility of rapid colloid-associated contaminant transport via preferential pathways in the subsurface and the clogging of water-conducting soil pores.     

Factors influencing the contents of metals and As in soils around the watershed of Guanting Reservoir, China

Topsoil samples from 61 sites around the Guanting Reservoir,China,were measured for Cu,Zn,Cr,Ni,Cd,Pb and As concentrations.The mean concentrations of Cu,Zn,Cr,Ni,Cd,Pb and As were 16.8,59.4,37.8,18.3,0.32,20.1 and 8.67 mg/kg dry weight,respectively.Factors that influence the dynamics of these metals in soils around the watersheds of Beijing reservoirs were examined.The influence of atmospheric deposition,land use,soil texture,soil type and soil chemical parameters on metal contents in soils was investigated.Atmospheric deposition,land use and soil texture were the important factors affecting heavy metal residues.Soil type and soil chemical parameters were also involved in heavy metal retention in soils.The data provided in this study are considered crucial for reservoir remediation,especially since the Guanting Reservoir will serve as one of the main drinking water sources for Beijing in the foreseeable future.     

Adsorption and desorption of Cu(Ⅱ) and Pb(Ⅱ) in paddy soils cultivated for various years in the subtropical China

The adsorption and desorption of Cu(Ⅱ) and Pb(Ⅱ) on upland red soil,and paddy soils which were originated from the upland soil and cultivated for 8,15,35 and 85 years,were investigated using the batch method.The study showed that the organic matter content and cation exchange capacity (CEC) of the soils are important factors controlling the adsorption and desorption of Cu(Ⅱ) and Pb(Ⅱ).The 15-Year paddy soil had the highest adsorption capacity for Pb(Ⅱ),followed by the 35-Year paddy soil.Both the 35-Year paddy soil and 15-Year paddy soil adsorbed more Cu(Ⅱ) than the upland soil and other paddy soils.The 15-Year paddy soils exhibited the highest desorption percentage for both Cu(Ⅱ) and Pb(Ⅱ).These results are consistent with the trend for the CEC of the soils tested.The high soil CEC contributes not only to the adsorption of Cu(Ⅱ) and Pb(Ⅱ) but also to the electrostatic adsorption of the two heavy metals by the soils.Lower desorption percentages for Cu(Ⅱ) (36.7% to 42.2%) and Pb(Ⅱ) (50.4% to 57.9%) were observed for the 85-Year paddy soil.The highest content of organic matter in the soil was responsible for the low desorption percentages for the two metals because the formation of the complexes between the organic matter and the metals could increase the stability of the heavy metals in the soils.     

雨水资源、土壤水资源与土壤水分植被承载力

在我国北方少雨地区开展雨水资源、土壤水资源与土壤水分植被承载力研究对于防治林草地土壤旱化和林草植被经营具有重要意义。2002年4月以来,在上黄生态实验站对多年生人工林林外和林内降水、地表径流、植物生长和土壤水分动态进行了定位观测,结果表明:次降雨林冠层截留量为0.2～6.47mm,为降水量的3.1%～53.3%,截留总量占降水量的16.9%;地表径流量为0.24～1.5mm,是降雨量的1.6%～6.8%;柠条林地土壤剖面水分垂直变化可分为活跃层、次活跃层和相对稳定层;年内土壤水分胁迫时,植物通过改变叶的颜色,降低自身的含水率、落叶或产生大量落叶来适应干旱的土壤水环境,但不会死亡。土壤水分植被承载力为土壤水分承载植物的最大负荷,是指在较长时期内,当根层土壤水分消耗量等于或小于降雨补给量时,所能维持特定植物群落健康生长的最大密度。     

土壤改良剂改良酸化土壤的研究进展

推进酸化土壤改良,提高农业生产力是实现作物提质增收和发展绿色农业的重要任务.土壤改良剂具有降低土壤酸度、增加土壤养分、优化土壤结构、提高微生物活性、改善土壤微环境等作用,在修复酸化土壤方面具有重要意义.基于上述背景,从离子迁移转化角度阐明土壤酸化成因,总结酸性改良剂分类、作用机理、改良效果及其对作物长势的影响;指明现有...     

淋洗与电化学还原联用处理镉-铅污染土壤

为探究螯合剂淋洗与电化学还原联用能否提高土壤重金属去除效率,提出了一种基于两种技术联用的处理方法.比较了淋洗与联用技术Cd和Pb的去除效率,探究了使用联用技术时土壤悬液重金属的传质机制,分析了不同螯合剂处理的成本效益.研究发现,联用技术能有效地提高重金属的去除效率,协同增强效应与螯合剂的螯合能力及再生能力有关.氨基多羧酸类螯合剂最大可将Cd和Pb的去除效率提高15.24%和27.05%,小分子有机酸最大可将Cd和Pb的去除效率提高5.31%和10.24%.结果表明,氨基多羧酸类螯合剂更适用于联用修复体系.认为其经济有效的修复手段是采用EDTA淋洗与电化学还原联用,可以将46.60%的Cd和76.93%的Pb从土壤中去除.     

退耕地养分和微生物量对土壤酶活性的影响

为了解侵蚀环境下植被恢复土壤酶活性对土壤养分和微生物量指标的响应规律,以典型侵蚀环境黄土丘陵区纸坊沟流域生态恢复1~50年撂荒地长期定位试验点为研究对象,采用典型逐步回归和非线性拟合来分析各指标间的耦合关系.结果表明,土壤酶活性除a淀粉酶外,均与土壤养分因子和微生物量指标有较高的相关性(P<0.05).在土壤酶活性和养分因子间,尿酶和纤维素酶主要受总氮影响,碱性磷酸酶、过氧化氢酶、蔗糖酶和多酚氧化酶主要受可利用氮影响,蔗糖酶和多酚氧化酶还受到有机质的影响;在土壤酶活性和微生物量指标间,尿酶主要受微生物量磷影响,碱性磷酸酶、过氧化氢酶、蔗糖酶和多酚氧化酶均受微生物量碳影响,纤维素酶则受微生物量氮影响,但多酚氧化酶与可利用氮、有机质和微生物量碳呈负相关;此外,它们之间均存在良好的对数关系(y=b+alnx, P<0.05).     

Unraveling the size distributions of surface properties for purple soil and yellow soil

Soils contain diverse colloidal particles whose properties are pertinent to ecological and human health, whereas few investigations systematically analyze the surface properties of these particles. The objective of this study was to elucidate the surface properties of particles within targeted size ranges (i.e. > 10, 1–10, 0.5–1, 0.2–0.5 and < 0.2 μm) for a purple soil (Entisol) and a yellow soil (Ultisol) using the combined determination method. The mineralogy of corresponding particle-size fractions was determined by X-ray diffraction. We found that up to 80% of the specific surface area and 85% of the surface charge of the entire soil came from colloidal-sized particles (< 1 μm), and almost half of the specific surface area and surface charge came from the smallest particles (< 0.2 μm). Vermiculite, illite, montmorillonite and mica dominated in the colloidal-sized particles, of which the smallest particles had the highest proportion of vermiculite and montmorillonite. For a given size fraction, the purple soil had a larger specific surface area, stronger electrostatic field, and higher surface charge than the yellow soil due to differences in mineralogy. Likewise, the differences in surface properties among the various particle-size fractions can also be ascribed to mineralogy. Our results indicated that soil surface properties were essentially determined by the colloidal-sized particles, and the < 0.2 μm nanoparticles made the largest contribution to soil properties. The composition of clay minerals within the diverse particle-size fractions could fully explain the size distributions of surface properties.     

农田土壤磷酸酶活性与土壤N2O排放通量的相关性

 以黄土高原南部旱地小麦田和空闲地为研究对象,设置6种处理,研究了耕作措施、肥料条件变化对小麦不同生育期土壤磷酸酶活性和土壤N²O排放通量的影响.结果表明,耕层土壤磷酸酶活性与土壤N²O排放通量呈显著负相关,相关系数为0.4660.在小麦生育期内,N²O排放通量在拔节期最高,苗期和成熟期最低;磷酸酶活性变化与之相反.农田种植小麦和覆膜均增加了土壤磷酸酶活性和N²O的排放.施肥可以提高磷酸酶活性,单施磷肥比同时施用氮、磷肥时N²O的排放量高.     

Accumulation and relationship of metals in different soil aggregate fractions along soil profiles

Different aggregates vary in their ability to retain or adsorb metals in soil. Five soil profiles were sampled from different soil horizons and grouped, and the concentrations of Al, Mg, Ca, Fe, Mn, Cd, Cu and Pb were determined in six sizes of aggregates (> 2, 2-1, 1-0.6, 0.6-0.25, 0.25-0.053, < 0.053 mm). Significantly high (p < 0.05) structural stability indexes (SSI) and aggregate stability indexes (ASI) were recorded in the topsoil horizon, which may be attributed to the high soil organic matter (SOM) content in aggregates from topsoil. In addition, ASI and SSI were positively correlated (r = 0.569, p < 0.05) with each other, which indicated that the stability of soil aggregates could contribute to the structural stability of bulk soil. Moreover, accumulation factors (AF), principal component analysis (PCA) and Pearson's correlation coefficients were used for metal element assessment. The results indicated that SOM was not a key factor affecting the accumulation of Ca, Mg, Al, Fe, Mn, Pb, Cd and Cu in soil aggregates. In general, AF values for metal elements in microaggregates (< 0.25 mm) were high, which showed that metals preferred to accumulate in fine soil aggregates. The PCA and Pearson's correlation coefficients indicated that soil parent materials primarily controlled the distribution of Al, Ca, Fe, Mg and Mn, while materials derived from technogenic sources have important impacts on the distribution of Cd, Cu and Pb in soil aggregates along the soil profile.     

氯酚污染土壤的生物强化修复及其微生物种群动态变化的分子生物学监测

在氯酚污染的土壤中接种氯酚降解菌,研究了受污染土壤的生物强化修复.利用传统的微生物计数方法和现代分子生物学手段,研究了生物强化修复过程中微生物种群的动态变化情况.在受氯酚污染的土壤样品中,以氯酚为唯一碳源和能源,分离出了多株对氯酚具有较高降解能力的微生物,利用16S rDNA序列分析方法对部分微生物进行了种属鉴定.土壤中存在的土著的氯酚降解菌可以对低含量的氯酚(100mg·g-1)进行降解;但是当土壤中氯酚含量较高(500 mg·g-1)时,土著微生物的降解能力受到限制,这可能是高浓度的氯酚对土著的氯酚降解菌会产生毒性作用.接种外来微生物后,土壤中可以培养的氯酚降解菌的总数从开始的106CFU·g-1增加到108CFU·g-1,并且,在氯酚含量为100 mg·g-1的土壤样品中,微生物数目的增加比在氯酚含量为500 mg·g-1土壤样品中更快.这表明接种的外来微生物可以在土壤中很好地生长繁殖,有效地促进土壤中氯酚的生物降解.接种外来微生物可以减轻土壤中氯酚对土著微生物初期产生的不利影响.土壤中的氯酚可能会改变微生物种群结构.DGGE分析结果表明,在未受氯酚污染和受氯酚污染的土壤样品中,存在一些共同的DNA谱带,但谱带强度有明显的差异.在受污染的土壤中接种外来微生物进行生物强化,可以促进污染物的生物降解过程,是生物修复过程中的一种重要手段,有着广泛的应用前景,将在我国受污染环境的生物修复中发挥重要作用.     

Microencapsulated chlorpyrifos: Degradation in soil and influence on soil microbial community structures

Degradation kinetics of microencapsulated chlorpyrifos （CPF-MC） in soil and its influence on soil microbial community structures were investigated by comparing with emulsifiable concentration of chlorpyrifos （CPF-EC） in laboratory. The residual periods of CPF-MC with fortification levels of 5 and 20 mg/kg reached 120 days in soil, both of the degradation curves did not fit the first-order model, and out-capsule residues of chlorpyrifos in soil were maintained at 1.76 （±0.33） and 5.92 （±1.20） mg/kg in the period between 15 and 60 days, respectively. The degradation kinetics of CPF-EC fit the first-order model, and the residual periods of 5 and 20 mg/kg treatments were 60 days. Bacterial community structures in soil treated with two concentrations of CPF-MC showed similarity to those of the control during the test period, as seen in the band number and relative intensities of the individual band on DGGE gels （p 〉 0.05）. Fungal community structures were slightly affected in the 5 mg/kg treatments and returned to the control levels after 30 days, but initially differed significantly from control in the 20 mg/kg treatments （p 〈 0.05） and did not recover to control levels until 90 days later. The CPF-EC significantly altered microbial community structures （p 〈 0.05） and effects did not disappear until 240 days later. The results indicated that the microcapsule technology prolonged the residue periods of chlorpyrifos in soil whereas it decreased its side-effects on soil microbes as compared with the emulsifiable concentration formulation.     

Unraveling the size distributions of surface properties for purple soil and yellow soil

Soils contain diverse colloidal particles whose properties are pertinent to ecological and human health, whereas few investigations systematically analyze the surface properties of these particles. The objective of this study was to elucidate the surface properties of particles within targeted size ranges(i.e. 10, 1–10, 0.5–1, 0.2–0.5 and 0.2 μm) for a purple soil(Entisol) and a yellow soil(Ultisol) using the combined determination method. The mineralogy of corresponding particle-size fractions was determined by X-ray diffraction.We found that up to 80% of the specific surface area and 85% of the surface charge of the entire soil came from colloidal-sized particles( 1 μm), and almost half of the specific surface area and surface charge came from the smallest particles( 0.2 μm). Vermiculite,illite, montmorillonite and mica dominated in the colloidal-sized particles, of which the smallest particles had the highest proportion of vermiculite and montmorillonite. For a given size fraction, the purple soil had a larger specific surface area, stronger electrostatic field, and higher surface charge than the yellow soil due to differences in mineralogy.Likewise, the differences in surface properties among the various particle-size fractions can also be ascribed to mineralogy. Our results indicated that soil surface properties were essentially determined by the colloidal-sized particles, and the 0.2 μm nanoparticles made the largest contribution to soil properties. The composition of clay minerals within the diverse particle-size fractions could fully explain the size distributions of surface properties.