Sorption and desorption of Cd(II) at the clay particle-water interface and its relevance to the distribution of metal ions in natural systems

Abstract

The sorption and desorption of Cd(II) that occurs at the interface between several sorbents and aqueous solutions has been investigated and it is shown that the observed exchange capacity depends on the type of sorbent, the pH and the buffering system. Buffers such as succinate and citrate, which are good complexants of Cd(II) completely supress its incorporation into the different sorbents. In the presence of Tris buffer the observed exchange capacity decreases in the order gamma-alumina > montmorillonite > kaolinite <FONT FACE=Symbol>»</FONT> silica, while precipitation is important in the presence of aqueous bicarbonate in the pH range 5.5-7. The sorption data fit with general purpose isotherms well, and the sorption isotherm shows saturation at rather high concentrations of Cd(II) in both clays. This suggests that under many experimental conditions in natural waters, the sorption and distribution of Cd(II) between geochemical phases of sediments should follow a linear relationship. The kinetics of desorption from montmorillonite, in the presence of citrate ion, is particularly important, showing that this efficient organic ligand removes all the Cd(II) bound to readily accessible sites in a fast step, while removal of Cd(II) from sites with diffusion-restricted access is much slower.