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Optimizing extraction procedures for better removal of potentially toxic elements during EDTA-assisted soil washing

  • Soils, Sec 4 • Ecotoxicology • Research Article
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose

Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)-enhanced soil washing is an important technique of removing potentially toxic elements (PTEs) from contaminated soils. Conventional mechanical shaking (CMS) method is widely adopted in soil washing. However, it consumes a considerable amount of time and energy. Extraction methods which need less contact time or power, such as static equilibrium extraction (SEE) and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), are potential to replace CMS in industrial application.

Methods

The washing process of the soil from a contaminated site was optimized by investigating various extraction conditions, including EDTA concentration, contact time, and different extraction methods, such as CMS, SEE, and UAE, in this study.

Results

The results indicated that EDTA greatly enhanced the removal of cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) from the soil. The EDTA was more effective in removing Pb and Cu than Cd and Zn, regardless of the extraction method. This might be mainly attributed to the strong complexation capacity of EDTA with Pb and Cu and geochemical distribution of the target PTEs. The three extraction methods were almost equally efficient, while SEE required less energy and UAE needed shortened contact time compared with CMS.

Conclusion

Based on the above results, SEE and UAE are promising alternatives to CMS for cleaning up PTEs-contaminated soils.

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Funding

The authors received financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 21876027), the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, China (No. 2017A030311019), and the Special Fund for the Science and Technology Innovation Team of Foshan, China (No. 1920001000083).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biochar Engineering Technology Research Center of Guangdong Province, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan, 528000, China

    Tao Sun, Jingzi Beiyuan, Song Xu & Hailong Wang

  2. College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China

    Tao Sun & Xiali Mao

  3. Scion, Private Bag 3020, Rotorua, 3046, New Zealand

    Gerty Gielen

  4. Key Laboratory of Soil Contamination Bioremediation of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, 311300, China

    Xiali Mao, Dan Liu & Hailong Wang

  5. Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China

    Zhaoliang Song

  6. Korea Biochar Research Center & Division of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea

    Yong Sik Ok

  7. University of Wuppertal, School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Institute of Foundation Engineering, Water- and Waste Management, Laboratory of Soil- and Groundwater-Management, Pauluskirchstraße 7, 42285, Wuppertal, Germany

    Jörg Rinklebe

  8. Department of Environment and Energy, Sejong University, 98 Gunja-Dong, Guangjin-Gu, Seoul, South Korea

    Jörg Rinklebe

  9. School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Haidian District, Beijing, 100084, China

    Deyi Hou

  10. Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China

    Jonathan W. C. Wong

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  1. Tao Sun
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  2. Jingzi Beiyuan
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  3. Gerty Gielen
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  4. Xiali Mao
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  5. Zhaoliang Song
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  6. Song Xu
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  8. Jörg Rinklebe
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  9. Dan Liu
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  12. Hailong Wang
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Correspondence to Hailong Wang.

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Tao Sun and Jingzi Beiyuan contribute equally to this work and should be considered co-first authors.

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Sun, T., Beiyuan, J., Gielen, G. et al. Optimizing extraction procedures for better removal of potentially toxic elements during EDTA-assisted soil washing. J Soils Sediments 20, 3417–3426 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-020-02678-0

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