REMOVAL OF HEAVY METALS FROM SOIL COMPONENTS AND SOIL BY NATURAL CHELATING AGENTS Part I: Displacement from Clay Minerals and Peat by L-Cysteine and L-Penicillamine

Abstract

The β-thiol group containing amino acids L-cysteineand L-penicillamine were tested for their ability to releaseheavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Zn) from bondings ontotypical soil components (peat, bentonite, illite) at neutral pHformed by batch adsorption procedure. Following equilibrationthe metal loaded sorbents were extracted by aqueous amino acidsolutions under various physico-chemical conditions.The extractability of metals from peat (metal contents between62.0 and 6170 mg kg-1) increased in thepresence of L-penicillamine following the order Cr < Hg < Pb <Ni ≈ Zn ≈ Cd, ranging from 9% (Cr) to 97% (Cd).The extractability by L-cysteine was slightly lower, followingthe sequence Cr < Pb < Cd < Ni < Zn. In both cases the sequencesdid not correlate with the order of the stability constants ofthe corresponding amino acid complexes. The recovery of metalsfrom bentonite was higher generally. The extent of removal increased with increasing molar excess of the amino acids and,to a lower extent, with increasing extraction volume.Presumably initiated by oxidation of amino acids or by theformation of sparingly soluble polymeric metal complexes, theconcentrations of dissolved metals dropped after an agitationperiod of 2 to 24 hr in most of the extracts. Aspects of thisprocess were discussed in detail.