Abstract
The use of natural zeolite clinoptilolite to reduce the leaching rate of potentially toxic elements such as Cd, Pb, and Mn in soil from mine tailings was studied. Soil from the surroundings of the mine El Bote in Zacatecas, Mexico, was analyzed, and the zeolite was characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and nitrogen physisorption. An ammonium-exchange method for the zeolite was employed. Leaching experiments using packed columns with polluted soil and zeolite mixtures were carried out and the effect of the pH of the carrier solutions was studied. Incorporation of zeolite in the soil achieved a beneficial increase in pH, from 5.03 to 6.95. The concentration of Cd and Mn was reduced when zeolite was present in the column and the ammonium-modified zeolite with ammonia also enhanced the concentration reduction of metallic species in leachates in a range of 28 to 68%. The first-order model best fits the experimental data, suggesting that the leaching rate is controlled by concentration difference between the liquid and the soil matrix. These results demonstrate the potential for using natural zeolite clinoptilolite to reduce the leaching rate of potentially toxic elements in soil from mine tailings.
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This work was partially funded by CONACYT Grant ID (2015–01-1616) and the UANL. Also, author R. Ferrel-Luna has received research support from CONACYT.
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RFL carried out most of the experimental plan including the on-site sampling and collected the data. MEGA designed the column experiments and the leaching analyses by ICP-MS. LMGR contributed to the analysis and interpretation of the kinetic models of the experimental data. MLC performed the nitrogen physisorption analysis and provided valuable insights for its interpretation. CEG contributed to the XRD diffraction and FTIR results discussion. DDHDR supervised the project and conceived the original idea and a major participation in writing this manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Ferrel-Luna, R., García-Arreola, M.E., González-Rodríguez, L.M. et al. Reducing toxic element leaching in mine tailings with natural zeolite clinoptilolite. Environ Sci Pollut Res (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-27896-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-27896-0