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Chemical associations and sorption capacity of Pb and Zn: column experiments on a polluted soil from the Amizour mining district (Algeria)

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Abstract

The column leaching behavior of lead and zinc is studied on a soil sample from the Amizour-Bejaia mining region, which is one of Algeria’s largest natural reserves for Pb and Zn ores. The maximum amount of metal bound to the soil sample after column leaching by a mono-metal solution at pH 7 is 7.0 and 11.3 g/kg for Zn and Pb, respectively. These values exceed the maximum loading capacities derived from previous batch experiments conducted under similar conditions. The studied soil sample displays a stronger affinity for Pb than Zn under the study conditions. These two metals are associated with various chemical fractions of the mine soil sample, as revealed by a five-step, operationally defined sequential chemical extraction procedure (with fractions categorized as: exchangeable, acid extractable, reducible, oxidizable, and residual) following column leaching. After metal addition and sorption, carbonates (i.e. the extractable fraction) and Fe- and/or Mn-(oxy)(hydr)oxide phases (reducible fraction) in the soil sample dominate for both Pb and Zn. The extractable fraction is mainly reserved for the purpose of zinc retention; moreover, the stabilization with Fe–Mn (oxy)(hydr)oxide phases serves as a major carrier for Pb.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Gestion et Valorisation des Ressources Naturelles et Assurance Qualité, Faculté SNVST, Université Akli Mohand Oulhadj, 10000, Bouira, Algeria

    Lotfi Mouni

  2. Hydraulics Department, University of Hadj Lakhdar Batna, Batna, Algeria

    Lazhar Belkhiri

  3. Laboratoire Sciences Chimiques de Rennes-Equipe Chimie et Ingénierie des Procédés, UMR 6226 CNRS, ENSCR, Avenue du Général Leclerc, 35700, Rennes, France

    Abdelkrim Bouzaza

  4. Groupement de Recherche Eau-Sol-Environnement (GRESE), Université de Limoges, 123 Avenue Albert Thomas, 87060, Limoges, France

    Jean-Claude Bollinger

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  1. Lotfi Mouni
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  2. Lazhar Belkhiri
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  4. Jean-Claude Bollinger
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Mouni, L., Belkhiri, L., Bouzaza, A. et al. Chemical associations and sorption capacity of Pb and Zn: column experiments on a polluted soil from the Amizour mining district (Algeria). Environ Earth Sci 75, 96 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-015-4854-0

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