Abstract
Salinization of greenhouse soils has become a serious problem in Korea because of the extensive use of chemical fertilizers to improve crop yield. This study investigated the feasibility of electrokinetic (EK) treatment for reclamation of saline soil. Experiments were conducted using voltage gradients of 1, 2, and 3 V/cm applied for 48 and 96 h. Anions such as chloride, sulfate, and nitrate were transported toward the anode and accumulated there, whereas cations were transferred toward the cathode by electromigration. Among the various ions, the highest removal efficiency was achieved for nitrate: >80% at 48 h and >99% at 96 h. Chloride removal after 96 h was substantially higher than that after 48 h because the longer period of time allowed more electrical transport via electromigration and electro-osmosis. However, the removal efficiency for sulfate and calcium did not change significantly between 48 and 96 h. Soil EC was lower than the initial value in all soil sections at 96 h. The lowest value, 1.8 dS/m, was seen in the experiment employing a gradient of 3 V/cm for 48 h. This study demonstrated that nitrate can be readily removed from soil by electromigration. Further, other ions can also be removed by EK treatment; therefore, it could be successfully used for reclamation of saline soils.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Del Pilar Cordovilla M, Ligero F, Lluch C (1999) Appl Soil Ecol 11:1
Tian CY, Feng G, Li XL, Zhang FS (2004) Appl Soil Ecol 26:143
Ravindran KC, Venkatesan K, Balakrishnan V, Chellappan KP, Balasubramanian T (2007) Soil Biol Biochem 39:2661
Cho JM, Kim KJ, Chung KY, Hyun S, Baek K (2009) Sep Sci Technol 44:2371
Qadir M, Qureshi RH, Ahamad N (1998) Soil Tillage Res 45:119
Pessarakli M (1999) Handbook of plant and crop stress, 2nd edn. CRC Press, USA
Eid N, Slack D, Fellow ASCE, Larson D (2000) J Irrig Drain Eng-ASCE 126:389
Rietz DN, Haynes RJ (2003) Soil Biol Biochem 35:845
Sheng J, Ma L, Jiang P, Li B, Huang F, Wu H (2009) Agric Water Manage doi:10.1016/j.agwat.2009.04.011
Nayak S, Tiwari GN (2009) Energ Build 41:888
Impron I, Hemming S, Bot GPA (2008) Biosyst Eng 99:553
Manokararajah K, Ranjan RS (2005) Eng Geol 77:263
Jia X, Larson DL, Zimmt WS (2006) Trans ASABE 49:803
Eid N, Elshorbagy W, Larson D, Slack D (2000) J Hazard Mater B79:113
Baek K, Kim DH, Park SW, Ryu BG, Bajargal T, Yang JS (2009) J Hazard Mater 161:457
Kim DH, Jeon CS, Baek K, Ko SH, Yang JS (2009) J Hazard Mater 161:565
Kim DH, Ryu BG, Park SW, Seo CI, Baek K (2009) J Hazard Mater 163:501
Park SW, Lee JY, Yang JS, Kim KJ, Baek K (2009) J Hazard Mater 169:1168
Ryu BG, Park SW, Baek K, Yang JS (2009) Sep Sci Technol 44:1
Acar YB, Alshawabkeh AN (1993) Environ Sci Technol 27:2638
Acar YB, Gale RJ, Alshawabkeh AN, Marks RE, Puppala S, Bricka M, Parker R (1995) J Hazard Mater 40:117
Zhou DM, Deng CF, Cang L, Alshawabkeh AN (2005) Chemosphere 61:519
Altaee A, Smith R, Mikhalovsky S (2007) J Environ Manag 88:1611
Cairo G, Larson D, Slack D, Fellow ASCE (1996) J Irrig Drain Eng-ASCE 122:286
Budhu M, Rutherford M, Sills G, Rasmussen W (1997) J Environ Eng 123:1251
Manokararajah K, Ranjan RS (2005) Appl Eng Agric 21:541
Jia X, Larson D, Slack D, Walworth J (2005) Eng Geol 77:273
Carter MR, Gregorich EG (2008) Soil sampling and methods of analysis, 2nd edn. CRP Press, Florida
Choi HD, Park SW, Ryu BG, Cho JM, Kim KJ, Baek K (2009) Environ Eng Res 14:153
Mitchell JK (1993) Fundamentals of soil behavior, 2nd edn. Wiley, New York
Ottosen LM, Pedersen AJ, Rörig-Dalgard I (2007) J Build Appl 3:181
Zhou DM, Cang L, Alshawabkeh AN, Wang YJ, Hao XZ (2006) Chemosphere 63:964
Acknowledgment
This work was supported by a grant from Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cho, JM., Park, SY. & Baek, K. Electrokinetic restoration of saline agricultural lands. J Appl Electrochem 40, 1085–1093 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10800-010-0072-3
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10800-010-0072-3