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Precipitation of secondary phases of iron and its role in controlling the mobility of potentially toxic elements in soils in a semiarid river basin in Northwest Mexico

  • Soils, Sec 3 • Remediation and Management of Contaminated or Degraded Lands • Research Article
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Abstract

Purpose

Soils have the ability to retain potentially toxic elements (PTEs) through different chemical processes that promote low mobility of these elements, such as the precipitation of secondary phases of Fe, which facilitate the adsorption/co-precipitation of PTEs. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the mobility of PTEs present in an acid solution in two soils with different concentrations of calcite, understanding the role of secondary iron phases in the retention of these elements.

Materials and methods

To evaluate this phenomenon, intact soil columns of two different types of soils from the Sonora River in Northwest Mexico were exposed to an acid solution with high concentration of dissolved PTEs (mainly Fe, Al, and Cu).

Results and discussion

The Tinajas soil was free of carbonates while the Bacanuchi soil had more carbonate content than the Tinajas soil. Secondary precipitates corresponding to secondary phases of iron (mainly ferrihydrite and jarosite) were identified by X-ray diffraction. Using scanning electron microscopy, the PTEs retained in the soils were identified. The presence of calcite favored the neutral pH values in the collected leachates in the Bacanuchi soil; consequently, the mobility of the PTEs present in the acid solution was nullified. Furthermore, this process facilitated the retention of the toxic elements in the Bacanuchi soil.

Conclusions

The retention of PTEs was 100% in the Bacanuchi soil where the natural acid-neutralizing capacity in this soil was associated with calcite. The formation of secondary phases of Fe, among them ferrihydrite, jarosite, and schwertmannite, mainly in Bacanuchi soil, promoted the retention of Al, As, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Pb (elements analyzed in this work). Results of this work can provide key insights to improve cleanup and conservation strategies in mining sites.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank LANGEM, Dr. Teresa Pi Puig for the X-ray diffraction analyses, Mtro. Javier Tadeo León for the support in the ICP-OES analyses, and Dr. Olivia Zamora Martínez for the ion chromatography analysis. We also thank Dr. Adela Margarita Reyes Salas and Quím. Blanca Sonia Ángeles García for their assistance in conducting the scanning electron microscopy (MEB-EDS) and Mtro. Jaime Díaz Ortega for the support in the analysis of thin sections.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Posgrado en Ciencias de la Tierra, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico

    F. R. A. Ziegler-Rivera

  2. Instituto de Geología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico

    B. Prado, L. Mora, L. Caballero & E. Morales

  3. Laboratorio Nacional de Geoquímica y Mineralogía, LANGEM, Mexico City, Mexico

    B. Prado, A. Robles-Morua, L. Mora & L. Méndez-Barroso

  4. Departamento de Ciencias del Agua y del Medio Ambiente, Instituto Tecnológico de Sonora, Ciudad Obregón, Mexico

    A. Robles-Morua & L. Méndez-Barroso

  5. Estación Regional Noreste, Instituto de Geología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico

    D. Archundia

  6. Instituto de Ciencias Aplicadas y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior S/N, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, Mexico City, Mexico

    J. Marquez

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  1. F. R. A. Ziegler-Rivera
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Correspondence to B. Prado.

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ESM 1

Fig. A Summary of the PTEs, HCO3- and SO42- concentrations in the leachates collected during the irrigations in the studied soils columns. Tinajas soil, first irrigation (T1), second irrigation (T2). Bacanuchi soil, first irrigation (B1), second irrigation (B2). Fig. B Principal Component Analysis (PCA) in Tinajas and Bacanuchi soils. Fig. C Results of the geochemical modeling considering the saturation index. Tinajas soil: first irrigation (T1), second irrigation (T2). Bacanuchi soil: first irrigation (B1), second irrigation (B2). Filled circles: Al4(OH)10SO4 (s), hollow rhombus: AlOHSO4 (s), filled triangles: alunite, hollow triangles: Cu3(AsO4)2: 2H2O (s), filled squares: ferrihydrite, hollow squares: gibbsite, filled rhombus: goethite, hollow circles: gypsum, crosses: k-jarosite, stars: anglesite. Fig. D Microphotography and electron emission spectra in a sample corresponding to Tinajas soil. Fig. E Microphotography and electron emission spectra in a sample corresponding to Bacanuchi soil. (DOCX 1197 kb)

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Ziegler-Rivera, F.R.A., Prado, B., Robles-Morua, A. et al. Precipitation of secondary phases of iron and its role in controlling the mobility of potentially toxic elements in soils in a semiarid river basin in Northwest Mexico. J Soils Sediments 20, 3974–3993 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-020-02709-w

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