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Mechanism of lead pollution detection in soil using terahertz spectrum

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Abstract

Heavy metals in soil are dangerous contaminants that limit the development of modern agriculture. The terahertz time-domain spectroscopy technique has shown its potential for rapid detection of heavy metals. However, the related detection mechanism has not been revealed. We combined terahertz technology with path analysis to observe and identify lead pollution in soil at different pH levels (5.5, 7.0, 8.5), and to analyze the related mechanism. First, solutions with pH values of 5.5, 7.0, and 8.5 were configured to prepare the soil samples with lead contents of 300, 600, 900, and 1200 mg/kg. The pressed-slice method with a pressure of 3.5 t and 200 mg in weight was selected to produce the soil tablets at each level. The terahertz technique was used to provide the terahertz absorption spectra. Then, the distribution of each chemical binding state of lead in soil samples under different pH conditions was observed. Finally, a path analysis method was used to explore the influence of each chemical binding state on the terahertz spectrum. The results showed that the bound state of Fe–Mn oxide lead and exchangeable lead had the greatest influence on the terahertz spectral curve, promoting and inhibiting the terahertz absorption, respectively, whereas other bound states presented an auxiliary role. This research investigates the detection mechanism of the influence of different bound lead in the soil on the terahertz absorption spectrum and provides a theoretical basis for the development of a rapid detection method using terahertz technology.

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Acknowledgements

For the manuscript entitled “Mechanism of Lead Pollution Detection in Soil Using Terahertz Spectrum” coauthored by Bin Li, Chao Li, Chuang Dong, Peian Li, Jianjun Ma, and Dapeng Ye, we declare that we have no financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that can inappropriately influence our work.

Funding

This work was financially supported by the Beijing Municipal Natural Science Foundation (6182012).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Beijing Research Center of Intelligent Equipment for Agriculture, Beijing, 100097, China

    B. Li, C. Li & C. Dong

  2. School of Information and Electronics, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China

    P. Li & J. Ma

  3. College of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fujian, 350002, China

    D. Ye

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  1. B. Li
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  2. C. Li
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  3. C. Dong
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  4. P. Li
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  5. J. Ma
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  6. D. Ye
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Correspondence to B. Li.

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This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

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Editorial responsibility: Gobinath Ravindran.

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Li, B., Li, C., Dong, C. et al. Mechanism of lead pollution detection in soil using terahertz spectrum. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 19, 7243–7250 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-021-03588-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-021-03588-5

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