EFFECTS OF ELECTROKINETICS ON BIOAVAILABILITY OF SOIL NUTRIENTS

Abstract

There is growing interest in the potential for applying an electric field to soil to move and stimulate the degradation of contaminants; however, we know little of the impact of this method on the bioavailability of soil nutrients. The effect of electrokinetics (EK [1 V·cm -1 ]) on the bioavailability of nutritional elements in the soil was examined. Soil organic matter, pH, electrical conductivity, oxidation-reduction potential, available nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium were monitored before and after remediation. After 60 h of EK remediation, the available N, phosphorus, and potassium in soil were increased by an average of 0.44, 3.31, and 1.25 fold, respectively; whereas the content and speciation of organic carbon in soil changed little. At the same time, the average cadmium (Cd) removal efficiency was approximately 68% for Cd-amended soil (100.63 mg Cd kg -1 ). Overall, there was an obvious increase in the bioavailability of nutrients after EK remediation. It is concluded from this study that the application of EKs cannot only remove soil pollutants effectively but also enhance the bioavailability of nutrients, thus showing its validity as a viable soil remediation technology.