Effect of inorganic carbonate and organic matter in thermal treatment of mercury-contaminated soil

Abstract

Thermal treatment of mercury (Hg)-contaminated soil was studied to investigate the desorption behavior of Hg at different temperatures. The soil samples were collected from two locations with different land uses around the mine and industrial site. The effect of soil properties such as inorganic carbonate minerals and organic matter content on Hg desorption was investigated to understand the thermal desorption process. The effect of soil composition on Hg desorption showed that behavior at 100 °C was similar, but a different behavior could be found at 300 °C. The thermal desorption efficiency at 300 °C is affected by the thermal properties of soils and the Hg desorption capacity of the soils. The Hg from both soil types was removed above 300 °C, and Hg was effectively removed from mine soil due to the partial decomposition of carbonate in the soil composition, while industrial soil showed that desorption would be restrained by Hg organic matter complexes due to organic matter content. Despite a relatively higher concentration of Hg in the mine soil, Hg removal efficiency was greater than that in the industrial soil. Sequential extraction results showed that only the Hg fractions (residual fractions, step 6) in mine soil changed, while the industrial soil was affected by changes in Hg fractions (step 3 to step 6) at 300 °C. Changes in soil pH during thermal desorption are also influenced by heating time and temperature. Therefore, the mechanisms of Hg desorption during thermal treatment were observed by soil properties. The volatilization of Hg in the soil is induced by organic carbon, while soil Hg release is controlled by organic matter complexes.