Use of zeolite to neutralise nickel in a soil environment

Edyta Boros-Lajszner,Jadwiga Wyszkowska,Jan Kucharski

doi:10.1007/s10661-017-6427-z

Edyta Boros-Lajszner, Jadwiga Wyszkowska + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-017-6427-z

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Abstract

Nickel is a heavy metal which is a stable soil pollutant which is difficult to remediate. An attempt to reduce its impact on the environment can be made by changing its solubility. The right level of hydrogen ions and the content of mineral and organic colloids are crucial in this regard. Therefore, methods to neutralise heavy metals in soil are sought. There are no reports in the literature on the possibility of using minerals in the detoxication of a soil environment contaminated with metals. It is important to fill the gap in research on the effect of zeolites on the microbiological, biochemical and physicochemical properties of soils under pressure from heavy metals. Therefore, a pot experiment was conducted on two soils which examined the effect of various levels of contamination of soil with nickel on the activity of soil enzymes, physical and chemical properties and growth and development of plants. An alleviating effect of zeolite Bio.Zeo.S.01 on the negative impact of nickel on the soil and a plant (oats) was examined. The enzyme activity and the oat yield were found to be significantly and negatively affected by an excess of nickel in the soil, regardless of the soil type. The metal was accumulated more in the oat roots than in the above-ground parts. An addition of zeolite decreased the level of accumulation of nickel in oats grown only on sandy-silty loam. Zeolite Bio.Zeo.S.01 used in the study only slightly alleviated the negative effect of nickel on the biochemical properties of soil. Therefore, its usability in the remediation of soil contaminated with nickel is small.

Highlights

In recent years, zeolites—both natural and synthetic— have attracted researchers’ interest as agents to remove contaminants and for prevention
The experiment found a negative effect of soil contamination with nickel on the activity of enzymes under study
The activity of dehydrogenases was largely determined by the level of contamination of soil with nickel and the time of soil incubation; that of urease, acid and alkaline phosphatase—by the type of soil and the dose of nickel; the activity of catalase and β-glucosidase—by the type of soil, and the activity of arylsulfatase—by the type of soil and the duration of the experiment (Table 2)

Summary

Introduction

Zeolites—both natural and synthetic— have attracted researchers’ interest as agents to remove contaminants and for prevention. Owing to their exchange capability and selectivity towards inorganic cations (zinc, lead, cadmium, copper, nickel), anions, as well as organic molecules, such as pesticides and phenols, they can remove many types of contaminants at the same time (Panuccio et al 2008; Wyszkowski, Sivitskaya 2014). Primary elements of a zeolite structure include tetrahedrons of aluminium (AlO4−) and silicon (SiO4), where an aluminium or silicon atom is surrounded by four oxygen atoms. There are two groups of zeolites: natural and synthetic ones. The group of natural zeolites comprises ca.

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