Determining Heavy Metal (loid) Stabilization Materials and Optimum Mixing Ratio: Aqueous Batch test

Abstract

Acid mine drainage sludge (AMDS) has been classified as mine waste and generally deposited in land. For this reason, studies have been conducted to examine the possibility of recycling AMDS as an amendment for heavy metal stabilization in soil. The main objective of this study was to evaluate heavy metal stabilization efficiency of AMDS comparing with the widely used lime stone. Also, optimum mixing ratio was evaluated for enhancing heavy metal stabilization. AMDS and limestone were mixed at the ratio of 0:100, 25:75, 50:50, 75:25, and 100:0 with five different heavy metal solutions (<TEX>$100mg\;L^{-1}$</TEX> of <TEX>$NaAsO_2$</TEX>, <TEX>$CdCl_2$</TEX>, <TEX>$CuCl_2$</TEX>, <TEX>$Pb(NO_3)_2$</TEX>, and <TEX>$ZnSO_4{\cdot}7H_2O$</TEX>). The amendments were added at a rate of 3% (w/v). In order to determine the stabilization kinetics, samples were collected at different reaction time of 0, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024 minutes. The heavy metal stabilization by AMDS was faster and higher than those of limestone for all examined heavy metals. While limestone showed only 20% of arsenic (As) stabilization after 1,024 minutes, 96% of As was stabilized within 1 minute by AMDS. The highest effect on the stabilization of heavy metal (loid) was observed, when the two amendments were mixed at a ratio of 1:1. These results indicated that AMDS can be effectively used for heavy metal stabilization in soil, especially for As, and the optimum mixing ratio of AMDS and lime was 1:1 at a rate of 3% (w/v).