Selection and test of effective chelators for removal of heavy metals from contaminated soils

Abstract

Heavy metal contamination of soil is a common problem at many hazardous waste sites. Chelating extraction of heavy metals has been proposed as a remediation technique for contaminated soils. A useful method was developed, which assessed 190 ligands for their ability in extraction and recovery of target metals, including cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, and zinc. Chelator performance was evaluated based on equilibrium calculations with an emphasis on the potential of recovering both the metals and chelating agents. Batch equilibration experiments over 24-h periods were performed to test three chelating agents, S-carboxymethyl-cysteine (SCMC), N-2-acetamidoiminodiacetic acid (ADA), and pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid (PDA), which were deemed suitable for the extraction of cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc from soil. All three chelators demonstrated high extraction capability toward their respective target metals across a wide range of pH, metal, and ligand concentrations. In addition, all three chelators exhibited good recovery potential at moderately elevated pH values. The potential of many chelating agents and their effective pH ranges in the remediation of soils contaminated with heavy metals are reported. Key words: heavy metal, soil, contamination, chelation, remediation.