Abstract
The sorption capacity for Ni, Pb and Zn of mine tailings soil with and without reclamation treatment (tree planting and waste amendment) was evaluated using the batch adsorption technique. It is important to determine the capacity of waste-amended soils to retain Ni, Pb and Zn, as the sludges used usually have high concentrations of these metals. The results obtained in the present study showed that the untreated mine tailings soil had a low capacity for Ni, Pb and Zn retention. The sorption capacity for Pb increased significantly in all of the treated soils, without any significant differences between them. The treatment that most increased the sorption capacity for Ni and Zn was planting with trees and amending with waste simultaneously, as this increased the concentration of both organic and inorganic carbon, exchangeable calcium, soil pH and effective cation exchange capacity
Highlights
Soils in mining areas are usually physically, chemically and biologically degraded
M4vw had a higher retention capacity for Ni, Pb and Zn than M2Av, despite having a lower percentage of clay than M2Av. These results indicate that organic matter and inorganic C played a key role in the retention of metals in the reclaimed mine soils
Regardless of the possible supply of Ni, Pb and Zn to degraded soils from the sewage or paper mill residues used as amendments, the soils treated with these types of waste had a high sorption capacity to retain these metals
Summary
Soils in mining areas are usually physically, chemically and biologically degraded. In addition to these problems, soils associated with metal mines are polluted by metals. It has been demonstrated that these treatments significantly increase the quality of mine soils by improving their physical structure, concentration of organic matter and nutrients and by promoting microbial growth and functionality (Rodríguez-Jordá et al 2012; Asensio et al 2013b; Asensio et al 2013a; Asensio et al 2014). The waste used to reclaim mine soils (especially sewage sludge) frequently contains considerable concentrations of Ni, Pb and Zn that enter the soils (Nyamangara 1998; Singh and Agrawal 2008; Asensio et al 2013c). Sorption studies of mine soils that have been, or are going to be, reclaimed using sewage sludge must take into account the extra input of these metals in the soils
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