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Plumbojarosite formation in contaminated soil to mitigate childhood exposure to lead, arsenic and antimony
Citation:
Kastury, F., W. Tang, C. Herde, Matt R. Noerpel, Kirk G. Scheckel, AND A. Juhasz. Plumbojarosite formation in contaminated soil to mitigate childhood exposure to lead, arsenic and antimony. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, 418:126312, (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126312
Impact/Purpose:
We investigated a novel, microwave-assisted lead remediation strategy for in situ immobilization via plumbojarosite formation using multiple lines of evidence. This study illustrated that lead bioavailability in treated soil may be reduced by 73-93%, an efficacy not typically observed by traditional methods such as phosphate or biochar amendment. Additionally, the process of plumbojarosite formation may immobilize toxic co-contaminants such as arsenic and antimony, making this method highly applicable for a range of co-contaminants compared to traditional alternatives.
Description:
In this study, a novel method for lead (Pb) immobilization was developed in contaminated soils using iron (III) (Fe3+) in conjunction with 0.05 M H2SO4. During method optimization, a range of microwave treatment times, solid to solution ratios, and Fe2(SO4)3/H2SO4 concentrations were assessed using a mining/smelting impacted soil (BHK2, Pb: 3031 mg/kg), followed by treatment of additional Pb contaminated soils (PP, Pb: 1506 mg/kg, G10, Pb: 2454 mg/kg and SoFC-1, Pb: 6340 mg/kg) using the optimized method. Pb bioaccessibility was assessed using USEPA Method 1340, with Pb speciation determined by X-ray Absorption (XAS) spectroscopy. Treatment efficacy was also validated using an in vivo mouse assay, where Pb accumulation in femur, kidney and liver was assessed to confirm in vitro bioaccessibility outcomes. Results showed that Pb bioaccessibility could be reduced by 77.4–97.0% following treatment of soil with Fe2(SO4)3 (0.4–1.0 M), H2SO4 (0.05 M) at 150 °C for 60 min in a closed microwave system. Results of bioavailability assessment demonstrated treatment effect ratio of 0.06–0.07 in femur, 0.06–0.27 in kidney and 0.06–0.11 in liver (bioavailability reduction between 73% and 93%). Formation of plumbojarosite in treated soils was confirmed by XAS analysis.
URLs/Downloads:
DOI: Plumbojarosite formation in contaminated soil to mitigate childhood exposure to lead, arsenic and antimony
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