title: Sorption of toxic heavy metals to soil.
abstract: The surface soil is a major recipient of pollutants, including heavy metals, through atmospheric deposition, agricultural practices, and waste disposal. In the present work the sorption capacity of different types of soils to toxic heavy metals, i.e. chromium, copper, cadmium and lead has been studied. Experimental adsorption data for metals to the soil obtained by the batch method were fitted by linear isotherm. The various soils showed a very different behaviour in sorption of heavy metals. The distribution coefficient Kd, which is an indication of the adsorbing capacity of the substrate, varies within a wide range, from 57 to 53,000 l kg-1. Desorption of metals from the solid phase was found to be small, indicating that the soil matrix is affecting the metal mobility by modifying the bonding of pollutants to the soil system consequently affecting the potential for soil remediation processes.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics, Akadeemia tee 23, Tallinn 12618, Estonia. triip@kbfi.ee
authors.forename: Priit
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Alumaa
authors.forename: Uuve
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kirso
authors.forename: Valter
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Petersell
authors.forename: Eiliv
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Steinnes
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000737:chemistry*; D008956:Models, Chemical; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012995:Solubility
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D012989:Soil Pollutants