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Stabilization of Heavy Metals in Mining Site Soil with Silica Extracted from Corn Cob

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Abstract

Corn cob silica (CCS), produced via a modification of the sol-gel method, can reduce heavy metal availability and stabilize contaminated soil on abandoned mining sites. Adding 5 % (w/w) CCS to mining site soil increased pH from 4.0 to 7.7, and cation exchange capacity increased from 94.5 to 100.3 cmol+/kg. Sequential extraction showed that adding CCS decreased heavy metal availability in the soil. Mobility factor (MF) values indicated that CCS reduced Pb mobility more than that of Zn or Cu in all fractions. Pb concentrations in leachate from all fractions using the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) were greatly decreased by adding 3 % (w/w) CCS. CCS similarly reduced Zn concentrations in TCLP leachate. CCS addition did not impact Cu concentrations in leachate, likely because concentrations were much lower than those of the other metals. As was generally less mobile than the heavy metals; however, As mobility and leachability tended to increase with CCS addition because its oxyanions arsenite and arsenate have low affinity for negatively charged surfaces on the CCS. Shoot and root growth of Spinacia oleracea L. (spinach) was much greater in CCS-treated soil than in unamended soil. Results demonstrate the utility of CCS to stabilize heavy metals in contaminated mining site soil, but this treatment may not be ideal for As-contaminated soils.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the research funds of Chonbuk National University, 2013. Funds were also received from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in association with the USDA multistate project W2082.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Biotechnology, Advanced Institute of Environmental and Bioresource Sciences, Chonbuk National University, Iksan, Jeonbuk, 570-752, South Korea

    Jaehong Shim & Byung-Taek Oh

  2. School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68583-0817, USA

    Jaehong Shim & Patrick J. Shea

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  1. Jaehong Shim
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  2. Patrick J. Shea
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Correspondence to Byung-Taek Oh.

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Shim, J., Shea, P.J. & Oh, BT. Stabilization of Heavy Metals in Mining Site Soil with Silica Extracted from Corn Cob. Water Air Soil Pollut 225, 2152 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-014-2152-1

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