title: Influence of particle size distribution, organic carbon, pH and chlorides on washing of mercury contaminated soil.
abstract: Feasibility of soil washing to remediate Hg contaminated soil was studied. Dry sieving was performed to evaluate Hg distribution in soil particle size fractions. The influence of dissolved organic matter and chlorides on Hg dissolution was assessed by batch leaching tests. Mercury mobilization in the pH range of 3-11 was studied by pH-static titration. Results showed infeasibility of physical separation via dry sieving, as the least contaminated fraction exceeded the Swedish generic guideline value for Hg in soils. Soluble Hg did not correlate with dissolved organic carbon in the water leachate. The highest Hg dissolution was achieved at pH 5 and 11, reaching up to 0.3% of the total Hg. The pH adjustment was therefore not sufficient for the Hg removal to acceptable levels. Chlorides did not facilitate Hg mobilization under acidic pH either. Mercury was firmly bound in the studied soil thus soil washing might be insufficient method to treat the studied soil.
authors.affiliation: Waste Science and Technology, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, SE-97187 Luleå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Jingying
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Swedish Geotechnical Institute, Kornhamnstorg 61, SE-11127 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Dan B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Kleja
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geoecology, University of Braunschweig, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Biester
authors.affiliation: Waste Science and Technology, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, SE-97187 Luleå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lagerkvist
authors.affiliation: Waste Science and Technology, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, SE-97187 Luleå, Sweden. Electronic address: jurate.kumpiene@ltu.se.
authors.forename: Jurate
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kumpiene
mesh_terms: D002712:Chlorides / Q000737:chemistry*; D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation; D006851:Hydrochloric Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008628:Mercury / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012995:Solubility; D013696:Temperature; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D002712:Chlorides; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014867:Water; D008628:Mercury; D006851:Hydrochloric Acid
keywords: Mobilization; Organic matter; Soil remediation; pH-dependent dissolution