Effect of Carbide Slag Combined with Biochar on Improving Acidic Soil of Copper Sulfide Mines

Abstract

Heavy metal-rich acidic soils of copper sulfide mines can easily cause harm to the surrounding environment and ecosystem safety if not treated properly. Currently, the most common method of mine ecological remediation is to improve acidic soils of copper sulfide mines by adding different types of amendments. In this paper, different dosages of biochar and carbide slag applied singly and in combination were designed to investigate the changes of physicochemical properties and ryegrass growth in the acidic soil of copper sulfide mines. Through soil incubation experiments and potting tests, different treatments explored the improvement effect of carbide slag combined with biochar on the acidic soil of copper sulfide mines. Then, it was found that 2% (w/w) carbide slag in combination with 10% (w/w) biochar had the best effect on the improvement of copper-sulfide mine acidic soil. Among them, carbide slag significantly increased the pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC) and acid neutralization capacity (ANC), and reduced the electrical conductivity (EC), net acid generation (NAG) and sulfate ion (SO42−) concentrations in the acidic soil of copper sulfide mines; biochar obviously reduced the bio-effectiveness of heavy metals Cu, Pb and Zn, and DPTA-Cu, Pb and Zn decreased by 8~80%, 7~76% and 17~79%, respectively. Apart from that, there was a positive cooperativity between carbide slag and biochar, and their application effectively controlled the acidification process and heavy metal toxicity in the acidic soil of copper sulfide mines. In summary, the results will provide a theoretical basis for the large-scale reclamation of carbide slag and biochar in improving acidic soils of copper sulfide mines, filling the gap of calcium carbide slag and biochar in soil remediation.