Study of surface charge and chemical properties of ex-gold mining soil ameliorated with Indonesian sub-bituminous coal

Abstract

Contamination of mercury (Hg) in ex-gold mining soil is the impetus for the development of amelioration technology that utilizes Indonesian sub-bituminous coal to study the soil surface charge and the chemical properties of ex-gold mining soil. This research was aimed to study surface charge and chemical properties of ex-gold mining soil ameliorated with Indonesian sub-bituminous coal. The experimental design used in this study was a Completely Randomized Design with three replications. The treatment was implemented in a pot with the equivalent dose: A = 0 (0.0g); B = 10 (0.5g); C = 20 (1.0g); D = 30 (1.5g), and (E) 40 t ha−1 (2g 100g−1 soil). The results showed amelioration technology with Indonesian sub-bituminous coal, at the application of 40 t ha-1 on ex-gold mining soils, could increase the soil surface charge (ΔpH) by 0.60 through changes in chemical properties of the ex-gold mining soil, where there was an increase in pH (H2O) EC, CEC, and SOM, respectively of 0.37; 0.04 dS m−1; 2.14 cmol kg−1 and 7.83% compared to the control. Soil surface charge was supported by soil minerals [Quartz (SiO2)] and an increase in the chemical properties of the ex-mining soil ameliorated with Indonesian sub-bituminous coal which caused Hg to decrease by 2.50 mg kg−1 compared to the control.