Stabilization of Cr, Pb, and Zn in Soil Using Lignite

Abstract

Abstract A uniform multivariable model system was used to investigate whether lignite from Visonta (Hungary) has a stabilizing effect on the heavy metals Cr, Pb, and Zn in the case of complex soil contamination with these metals. The investigated soil was acidic sand. Soluble element concentrations extracted by distilled water, ammonium acetate buffer, and ammonium-acetate + EDTA extractant were determined. The effect of lignite on the humus quality of the soil and its influence on the cation exchange capacity was also measured. The results were evaluated using analysis of variance, regression analysis, and principal component analysis. The results indicated that lignite was capable of stabilizing Pb, Zn, and particularly Cr. According to the optical method, lignite did not increase the amount of higher condensation and polymerization humic fractions, but it did increase the cation exchange capacity of the soil. If the lignite-based remediation technology is to become applicable in practice, further tests will be required on the efficiency of lignite, accompanied by a change in the scale of the experiments. Keywords: Ligniteheavy metalstabilizationextractanthumus qualitycation exchange capacity Acknowledgement Thanks are due to László Radimszky and József Koncz for their assistance. This research was funded from the SOILUTIL (soil amelioration by innovative waste utilization technologies, OM-00103/2009) national project. This work was supported by the János Bolyai Research Scholarship of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Notes Solidification, embedding (e.g., with the use of concrete, gypsum, bentonite, bitumen, or polymers) Through the creation of insoluble chemical forms