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Enhanced mobilization of arsenic from tailing soil by four types of low molecular weight organic acids with different functional groups

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

Purpose

Increasing the migration of arsenic in contaminated soil is an important topic in the field of soil remediation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the enhancement of arsenic migration in soil by low molecular weight organic acids.

Materials and methods

Four different low molecular weight organic acids were used to wash the soil to increase arsenic mobility under different experimental conditions, including the type of LMWOA, reaction time, and pH. The arsenic fractions in the soil were further quantitated and analyzed.

Results and discussion

In the batch experiment, the LMWOA enhancement of arsenic migration was in the order of 3-mercaptopropionic acid > aspartic acid > succinic acid > propionic acid. At pH 11, 247.29 mg/kg arsenic was leached from the soil with 3-mercaptopropionic acid over 48 h. This was confirmed in column experiments where 3-mercaptopropionic acid was also the most effective, releasing 21.02% of the arsenic after 75 h. This suggests that the sulfhydryl group of 3-mercaptopropionic acid was superior to other groups in accelerating arsenic migration.

Conclusions

These results enhance our understanding of the interaction between arsenic migration and organic acid functional groups and have applications for the development of soil remediation technology.

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Funding

This work was financially supported by the National Nature Science Foundation of China (No. 21878183) and National Key Research and Development Project of China (2020YFC1807802).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. SHU Center of Green Urban Mining & Industry Ecology, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, No. 381 Nanchen Road, Shanghai, 200444, People’s Republic of China

    Yunfeng Xu, Lingyu Wan, Kaili Wang, Chuyin Liu & Jia Zhang

  2. Shanghai Municipal Engineering Design Institute (Group) CO., LTD, Shanghai, 200092, China

    Kaili Wang

Authors
  1. Yunfeng Xu
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  2. Lingyu Wan
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  3. Kaili Wang
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  4. Chuyin Liu
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  5. Jia Zhang
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Correspondence to Jia Zhang.

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Responsible editor: Kitae Baek

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Xu, Y., Wan, L., Wang, K. et al. Enhanced mobilization of arsenic from tailing soil by four types of low molecular weight organic acids with different functional groups. J Soils Sediments 21, 3834–3844 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-021-03057-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-021-03057-z

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