Semi-dynamic Leaching Tests Research Articles

The role of soil structure on the cracking and cadmium leaching behavior of biochar-amended fine-grained soils

Biochar has shown promising potential for soil remediation, yet its impact on heavy metals (HMs) immobilization often overlooks soil structure, which could influence soil cracking behavior and HMs transport. To address this gap, this study investigates the role of soil structure (dry density and aggregate size) on the cracking and cadmium (Cd) leaching behavior of biochar-amended fine-grained soils. A series of semi-dynamic leaching tests were conducted on samples with and without wetting-drying (W-D) cycles. Based on the proposed improved method for quantifying the effective diffusion coefficient (De) of Cd in unsaturated soils and microstructural analyses, we found that: (1) Higher dry density and larger aggregate generally resulted in smaller De by decreasing soil pore volume. (2) Biochar could connect isolated pores within large aggregates through its internal pores, yielding greater increases in De (294.8%–469.0%) compared to small aggregates (29.1%–77.4%) with 3% biochar. However, further increases in biochar dosage led to decreased De, primarily due to the dense pore structure. (3) Biochar effectively inhibited soil cracking, achieving the highest reduction of 36.8% in surface crack ratio. (4) After W-D cycles, samples exhibited higher De with increasing dry density, with aggravated cracking being the primary cause, suggesting preferential flow within the cracks, particularly those penetrating the soil. This study highlights the importance of careful consideration of soil structure and cracking potential before in situ field application of biochar as a remediation agent for HMs-contaminated fine-grained soils.

Leaching of magnesium potassium phosphate cement pastes under alkaline conditions

Some legacy radioactive waste containing aluminum (Al) metal need to be stabilized and solidified before their final disposal. Currently, Portland cement (PC) is extensively used for conditioning low- or intermediate-level radioactive waste. However, the high alkalinity of PC leads to strong corrosion of Al metal, which is associated with significant dihydrogen release. Therefore, it is important to investigate alternative binders that show better chemical compatibility with Al metal. Magnesium potassium phosphate cements (MKPCs), comprising equimolar amounts of MgO and KH2PO4, are interesting candidates since their pore solution pH may fall within the passivation domain of Al metal. The understanding of their long-term durability, especially under alkaline conditions, is however incomplete. Hence, MKPC paste samples (with fly ash as a filler) were submitted to semi-dynamic leaching tests using an alkaline solution under well-controlled conditions. The leachates were analyzed over time using ICP-AES, and the leached solids were characterized by XRD, SEM/EDS, and 31P MAS-NMR spectroscopy. Leaching induced a decrease in the content of crystalline K-struvite (MgKPO4·6H2O), the main hydrate of the paste samples, as well as the precipitation of calcium-deficient hydroxyapatite (CDHA), brucite (Mg(OH)2) and possibly magnesium silicate hydrates, OH-LDH or PO4-LDH phases. The experimental data were then used as an input for numerical simulations using the reactive transport code HYTEC.

Environmental performance of unfired bricks produced from co-disposal of mine tailings and municipal solid waste incineration fly ash based on comprehensive leaching tests

The potential leaching of heavy metals is a crucial concern for construction materials produced from solidification/stabilization (S/S) treatment of wastes. This study comprehensively evaluated the leaching characteristics of heavy metals from the unfired bricks produced from co-disposal of Pb–Zn mine tailings and municipal solid waste incineration fly ash using batch, sequential, and semi-dynamic leaching tests. The results show that S/S treatment drastically reduced the leachability of heavy metals from the unfired bricks through lowering their distribution in the acid-soluble fraction. The effective diffusion coefficients of heavy metals within unfired bricks were all below 1.55 × 10−13 cm2/s, which is indicative of low mobility in the environment. The release of heavy metals from the unfired bricks was primarily governed by diffusion and dissolution. Slaking treatment of fly ash significantly reduced the leaching of heavy metals from the unfired bricks due to their improved structural integrity and compactness, which minimizes the surface area in the solid matrix accessible by the leaching medium. The leachability indices of heavy metals within the unfired bricks ranged from 13.12 to 18.10, suggesting that they are suitable for “controlled utilization” in specific scenarios. Compared to untreated mine tailings, converting them into unfired bricks could reduce the releases of heavy metals by several to hundreds of folds. These findings demonstrate that S/S can be an effective and sustainable strategy for co-disposal of mining tailings and incineration fly ash to produce construction materials with sound long-term environmental performance.

Risk assessment for the long-term stability of fly ash-based cementitious material containing arsenic: Dynamic and semidynamic leaching

Fly ash from municipal solid waste incineration (MSWIFA) contains leachable heavy metals (HMs), and the environmental risk of contained HMs is an important concern for its safe treatment and disposal. This paper presents a dynamic leaching test of fly ash-based cementitious materials containing arsenic (FCAC) in three particle sizes based on an innovative simulation of two acid rainfall conditions to investigate the long-term stability of FCAC under acid rain conditions. As well as semi-dynamic leaching test by simulating FCAC in three scenarios. Furthermore, the long-term stability risk of FCAC is evaluated using a sequential extraction procedure (SEP) and the potential risk assessment index. Results showed that the Al3+ in the FCAC dissolved and reacted with the OH− in solution to form Al(OH)3 colloids as the leaching time increased. Moreover, the oxidation of sulfide minerals in the slag produced oxidants, such as H2SO4 and Fe2(SO4)3, which further aggravated the oxidative dissolution of sulfides, thereby resulting in an overall decreasing pH value of the leachate. In addition, due to the varying particle sizes of the FCAC, surface area size, and adsorption site changes, the arsenic leaching process showed three stages of leaching characteristics, namely, initial, rapid, and slow release, with a maximum leaching concentration of 2.42 mg/L, the cumulative release of 133.78 mg/kg, and the cumulative release rate of 2.32%. The SEP test revealed that the reduced state of HMs in the raw slag was lowered substantially, and the acid extractable state and residual state of HMs were increased, which was conducive to lessening the risk of FCAC. Overall, the geological polymerization reaction of MSWIFA is a viable and promising solution to stabilize mining and industrial wastes and repurpose the wastes into construction materials.

The effects of crystal structure on the chemical durability of yttrium disilicate.

Amorphous, α, β, and γ-phase yttrium disilicate Y2Si2O7 pellets were synthesized by spark plasma sintering, and their chemical durability and degradation mechanisms were investigated via semi-dynamic leaching test in pH = 3 nitric acid at 90 °C. All crystalline phases displayed relatively congruent dissolution with a slight preferential release of Y. The amorphous sample showed clear incongruent dissolution with preferential release of Y, leading to a surface reorganization reaction and the formation of a SiO2 passivation layer 20-25 μm thick on the surface of the sample. This passivation layer led to a continuous decrease in the elemental release rates of the amorphous sample. The γ-phase sample displayed the lowest short-term and long-term leaching rates of Y and Si, followed by the β, α, and then amorphous sample. The crystalline samples showed increasing release rates over time indicating a dissolution-controlled reaction mechanism. Post-leaching microstructural characterization of the β and γ samples revealed variations in the corrosion levels of the surface grains, indicating a dependence on grain orientation.

Potential risk, leaching behavior and mechanism of heavy metals from mine tailings under acid rain

The leaching of heavy metals from abandoned mine tailings can pose a severe threat to surrounding areas, especially in the regions influenced by acid rain with high frequency. In this study, the potential risks of heavy metals in the tailings collected from a small-scale abandoned multi-metal mine was assessed, and their leaching behavior and mechanism were investigated by batch, semi-dynamic and in situ leaching experiments under simulated and natural rainfall conditions. The results suggested that Zn, Cu, Pb, and Cd in the tailings could cause high/very high risks. Both batch and semi-dynamic leaching tests consistently confirmed that the leaching of heavy metals (particularly Cd) could lead to serious pollution of the surrounding environment. The leaching rates of heavy metals were pH-dependent and related to their chemical speciations in the mine tailings. The leaching behavior of Cu and Cd was dominated by surface wash-off, Zn was controlled by diffusion initially and then surface wash-off, and the leaching mechanisms of Pb and As varied with the pH conditions. It was estimated that acid rain could greatly elevate the release fluxes of Zn (20.8%), Cu (36.7%), Pb (49.9%) and Cd (35.3%) in the study area. These findings could improve the understanding of the leaching behavior of heavy metals from mine tailings and assist in developing appropriate management strategies.

Study on semi-dynamic leaching and microstructure characteristics of MSWI fly ash solidified sediment

municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash partially replaces cement to solidify sediment, and then can be used as intermediate cover materials in landfill as one of the resources utilization ways of MSWI fly ash and sediment. The strength and the semi-dynamic leaching characteristics of MSWI fly ash solidified sediment under hydrochloric acid attack at different pH were studied by means of unconfined compressive strength (UCS), semi-dynamic leaching, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Results revealed that the UCS strength increased as the curing age and cement content increased. When the curing content is 50% and the replacement ratio of MSWI fly ash is 75% and 80%, the UCS of 7 d can be greater than 50 kPa. The primary contribution to the strength development was from silicic acid gels such as calcium silicate hydrate (C–S–H) and carbonates. Notably, the leaching behavior of Zn and Cu within the solidified sediment underwent substantial alterations. The leaching amount of heavy metals in a strong acidic environment (pH = 2) is significantly greater than that in a weak acidic (pH = 4) and neutral (pH = 7) environment. Conversely, minimal disparities were observed in the leaching characteristics of Zn and Cu between the weakly acidic and neutral environments. Ca(OH)2, C–S–H and carbonate exhibits a remarkable acid-resistant buffering capacity in the solidified sediment. The obvious diffusion coefficient (Dobs) was less than 10−9 m2/s in semi-dynamic leaching tests. Moreover, the mobility of Zn and Cu surpassing 12.5, coupled with a leaching index exceeding 8, further attests to the favorable S/S outcome achieved. Based on these findings, the solidified material is confidently recommended to be used as suitable landfill middle soil cover material.

Mixing uniformity effect on leaching behaviour of cement-based solidified contaminated clay

Mixing uniformity is essential for the quality control of the contaminated clay's solidification. To investigate the effect of the mixing uniformity on the leaching behaviour of the cement-based solidified contaminated clay, this study proposed a quantitative method to characterize the mixing uniformity and investigated the leaching behaviour by the leaching toxicity tests and semi-dynamic leaching tests. X-ray computed tomography (X-CT) was employed to reveal the internal mesoscopic structure. In this case, Pb2+ was selected as a tagged pollutant because of the widespread attention at heavy metal-contaminated sites. The leaching toxicity indicates the significant Pb2+ concentration deviation among the parallel specimens and non-association with the mixing uniformity. However, the Pb2+ cumulative leaching mass and observed diffusion coefficient by the semi-dynamic leaching tests both decrease with the mixing uniformity. X-CT image analysis reveals that the high cement zones wrap the low cement zones with different dimensions in the heterogeneous solidified matrix. Moreover, the specimen pretreatment method in the existing leaching toxicity standards may be inadequate because of the overall encapsulation destruction by the crushing process and representativeness uncertainty when sampling. However, for semi-dynamic leaching, the Pb2+ migration depends on the uniformity, reflecting the continuous distribution of high cement zones.

Chemical durability of multicomponent lanthanide zirconate solid solutions

Multicomponent zirconate solid solutions A2Zr2O7 (A= (Sm,Yb), (Sm,Yb,Gd), (Sm,Yb,Gd,Er), and (Sm,Yb,Gd,Er,Dy)) were synthesized through spark plasma sintering and their chemical durability was investigated via semi-dynamic leaching tests in pH = 1 nitric acid at 90 °C. Incongruent dissolution occurred for all samples with the preferential elemental release of zirconium in all A2Zr2O7 except for high entropy (Sm,Yb,Gd,Er,Dy)Zr2O7 which displays a congruent release of the A-site elements and Zr. A strong positive correlation was found between the lanthanide elemental release rates and the A-site cation size disorder, whereas a negative correlation was observed between the elemental release rates and mixing entropy.

Effect of acidic erosion on properties of solidified sewage sludge.

Solidified sludge can be regarded as a new type of earth cover material for domestic waste landfill. But the acidic environment result from the leachate in landfill is a potential threat to cement-based material. In order to evaluate the deterioration risk of solidified sludge in acidic environment, the leaching process of solidified sludge components under different pH conditions was investigated by taking Ni and Cr as the indexes of semi-dynamic leaching test. Under strongly acid environment (pH = 2), the leaching rate of Cr is significantly higher than that in the weakly acid environment or nearly neutral environment, and the diffusion coefficient increased by an order of magnitudes. The leaching and diffusion coefficients of Ni undergo a small influence from the adding amount of cement and pH value. Both Ni and Cr have relatively low migration ratio.

Influence of pH on the leaching behavior of a solidified arsenic contaminated soil

ABSTRACT Stabilization/solidification is widely used for treatment of arsenic (As)-contaminated soils. The stability of the soil may deteriorate significantly when exposed to acid or alkaline leachate. In this study, semi-dynamic leaching tests under different pH were carried out to investigate the leaching behavior of As from the solidified soils. Spectroscopic and microscopic analyses were performed to reveal the related mechanisms. The results showed that the leaching of As was closely correlated with the pH of the leachate, because the encapsulation effect of the cementitious matrix and the chemical speciation and valence of As were all significantly influenced by pH. In the strongly acidic leachant (pH 3.0), the leached As concentration increased by an order of magnitude, and the effective diffusion coefficient of As reached 3.71 × 10−13 m2/s. This is because that pores and cracks increased owing to the acidic corrosion of CSH, such that the physical encapsulation effect was reduced and the mobility of As increased. The leachability index showed that the solidified soil was unsuitable for ‘controlled utilization’ under strongly acidic conditions. The leached As concentration was the lowest in the weakly alkaline leachant (pH 9.0) because under weakly alkaline conditions the hydration process of the cement was facilitated, and more CSH gels were attached to the surface of the soil particles, forming a tighter structure for As encapsulation. However, as pH increased from 9.0–11.0 the leached As concentration increased due to an increased content of As(III)-O in the solidified soil.

Evaluating the Impact of Crushing Process on Strength Characteristics and Leachability of Cement-Stabilized Dredged Sediment

Stabilization of dredged sediment and reusing the mixture as a construction material is an effective way to reduce environmental problems and save natural resources. However, the crushing process that occurs during construction may affect the mechanical properties and leachability of the reused stabilized soil, an issue that is less reported. Therefore, consolidated undrained triaxial tests and semi-dynamic leaching tests were conducted on stabilized sediments and recompacted crushed stabilized sediment grains (SG) to evaluate the influence of the crushing process. The results of the triaxial tests showed that the stabilized sediment exhibited strain-softening and brittle behaviors under various confining pressures (100, 200, and 400 kPa), while strain-hardening and ductile behaviors were more obvious in the SG. The reduction in cohesion between stabilized sediment and the SG reflected a loss of cementation bonding during the crushing process. The overall leaching behaviors versus curing time of heavy metals (As, Cr, Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni, and Hg) in stabilized sediment was similar to that of SG. The leaching mechanism indicated a good immobilization of heavy metals in stabilized sediment, while their stability in SG was poorer. The reason for the differences in triaxial strength properties and leachability were mainly attributed to the fact that the strong cementation bonding was destroyed by the crushing process, weakening the soil structure and raising the potential for release of elements.

Immobilization of chromium ore processing residue by alkali-activated composite binders and leaching characteristics.

Chromium ore processing residue (COPR) is classified as hazardous solid waste because of the leachable Cr(VI). Cementitious materials are often used to solidify and stabilize heavy metals. However, most of them focus on the leaching concentration of particles after solidification and stabilization and lack research on leaching characteristics. This study investigated the leaching characteristics of heavy metals in three simulated environments (HJ557-2010, HJ/T299-2007, TCLP) after immobilizing COPR with composite binders. Industrial solid waste coal fly ash and lead-zinc smelting slag are used to prepare composite binders through alkali activation technology. Compressive strength, particle leaching toxicity, acid neutralization capability, and semi-dynamic leaching test are used to evaluate the performance of the solidified body. The solidified body can be applied to building materials or treated as general industrial waste. Heavy metals are mainly released from the matrix by surface washing at a low rate. The analysis results, including XRD, FTIR, and SEM-EDS, show that chemical binding and physical encapsulation are the main immobilizing mechanisms to realize the coordinated disposal of Zn and Cr(VI).

The effects of long-term freezing-thawing on the strength properties and the chemical stability of compound solidified/stabilized lead-contaminated soil.

Solidification/stabilization (S/S) is the prevalent remediation technology for the treatment of heavy metal contaminated soils (HMCS). However, under the stress of complex surrounding environments, S/S effectiveness tends to deteriorate and freezing-thawing is one of the most influential natural forcings. The different proportions of cement, lime, and fly ash were used as the compound curing agents to treat solidified/stabilized HMCS with varying levels of lead contamination. The resulting samples were subjected to up to 180 freeze-thaw cycles (F-T) (1day per cycle). Unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests and semi-dynamic leaching tests were performed after F-T to explore the strength evolution of compound solidified/stabilized lead-contaminated soils (Pb-CSCS) and the chemical stability of the lead within. The results show that the F-T duration changes the strength deterioration mechanism of Pb-CSCS under F-T. There has been a shift in the main influencing factor from the promoted curing agent hydration by short-term F-T to the structural damage of the specimen induced by prolonged F-T. The variations in leachate pH, lead leachability, and diffusion ability with progressing F-T revealed a degradation effect of the changes in the physical states of water and crack propagation brought by F-T. These unfavorable changes in soil structure and chemistry reduce the acid resistance of Pb-CSCS. Notably, fly ash and cement facilitate the strength maintenance of Pb-CSCS under long-term F-T conditions. Curing formulations that included both cement and fly ash significantly increased the UCS of treated soils by up to 80.5% (3 F-T) under short-term F-T. In contrast, the curing formulation without fly ash lost 51.8% of its strength after 180 F-T conditions. For lead stabilization, cement and especially lime are favored. The results showed a 25% increase in the total proportion of lime and cement in the curing agent formulation, leading to a 41.4% reduction of lead leaching risk.

Effects of Temperature on the Leaching Behavior of Pb from Cement Stabilization/Solidification-Treated Contaminated Soil

Solidification/stabilization (S/S) is one of the most widely used techniques in the disposal of heavy-metal-contaminated soil, though the long-term effectiveness of S/S technology remains implicit. Temperature is an important factor affecting the leaching behavior of heavy metals and the long-term effectiveness of S/S treatment. This study systematically explored the influence of temperature on the leaching behavior of lead in an S/S monolith through semi-dynamic leaching test at different temperatures. The results showed that an increase in temperature could accelerate the leaching concentration and cumulative leaching amount of lead ions in the S/S monolith. The cumulative leaching amount of lead ions in the S/S monolith after 11 days at 55 °C was about 5.8 times that at 25 °C. The leaching rate of lead ions in the S/S monolith increased with the increase in temperature. The leaching index of lead ions was larger than 9, which met the requirements for “controlled utilization” in the environment. The leaching mechanism of lead ions was diffusion control and did not change in the temperature range of 25–55 °C. These findings indicate that temperature affects the leaching behavior and the long-term effectiveness of S/S treatment, and temperature variation should be considered in the effectiveness evaluation of S/S treatment.

Investigation on the pollution release characteristics of subgrade base materials prepared by oil-based cutting thermal desorption residues.

The preparation of oil-based cutting thermal desorption residues into subgrade materials is one of the methods of their resource utilization. While the environmental safety for subgrade materials is lack of discussions. In this study, through the semi-dynamic leaching tests, the leaching characteristics of pollutants from residues subgrade materials under extremely acidic conditions were simulated. According to Fick's second law, combined with the effective diffusion coefficient (De), the risk of pollutant leaching and release in residue subgrade materials were evaluated. The concentrations of naphthalene, anthracene, benzo(a)anthracene, dibenzo(a,h)anthracene, Cd, and Zn met the requirements of class III water quality in the Chinese standard GB/T14848-2017. The release of naphthalene, anthracene, benzo(a)anthracene, dibenzo(a,h)anthracene, and Cd of leaching was dominated by diffusion. The release of benzo(a)pyrene and Zn of leaching was mainly dissolution. Hence, based on the investigation, the release law and characteristics of pollutants were explored when thermal desorption residues were applied as subgrade materials, which provided an important reference basis for the resource and utilization of oil-based cutting thermal desorption residues.

Influence of degree of compaction on arsenic and antimony co-contaminated soil stabilization: Geoenvironmental properties and chemical species

The current research and engineering practice lack adequate consideration of the influence of degree of compaction (DOC) on the stabilization efficiency and the long-term performance of stabilized contaminated soil. This study investigated the influence of DOC on the characteristics of an iron-based stabilizer amended As and Sb contaminated soil. The stabilizer was labelled as PFSC and was a mixture of polymerized ferric sulfate (PFS) and hydrated lime with a dry mass ratio of 2:1. Various tests were conducted to determine the metalloids leachability (HJ 557), unconfined compressive strength (UCS) (ASTM D1633), and hydraulic conductivity (kw) (ASTM D5084) of stabilized contaminated soil with different DOC (ranged from 75% to 96%). A semi-dynamic leaching test following US EPA Method 1315 was performed on soil specimens to explore the leaching controlling mechanisms and determine the observed diffusion coefficients (Dobs) of metalloids releases when diffusion was the controlling mechanism. The influence of DOC on soil pore characteristics and elements’ valence states were investigated by X-ray computed tomography (CT) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscope (XPS). As the DOC increased, the UCS of soil specimens increased from 4.26 to 43.78 kPa, while the kw decreased form 1.33 × 10−7 to 2.81 × 10−9 m s−1. DOC shows different influences on As and Sb leached concentrations. The mean Dobs for As and Sb released form soil specimen with DOC of 96% were 3 and 2 orders of magnitude lower than that of 75%. CT analysis results indicated the macropore number and macropore size in soil specimens were reduced with the increasing DOC. XPS analysis results suggested compaction promoted the specie transformation of As, Sb, and Fe from As(V) to As(III), from Sb(V) to Sb(III), and Fe(III) to Fe(II)., respectively. The pore filling and chemical specie transformation jointly determined the releases of metalloids from stabilized contaminated soil specimen.

Simultaneous stabilization/solidification of arsenic in acidic wastewater and tin mine tailings with synthetic multiple solid waste base geopolymer

Stabilization/Solidification (S/S) is considered as a feasible technology for the treatment of arsenic (As) in acidic wastewater (AW) and tin mine tailings (TMTs); however, high cost, high carbon footprint, and strict reaction conditions are the main limitations. Herein, a novel alkali-activated geopolymer material (AAGM) for S/S As was synthesized by combining AW, TMT, gypsum (GP), and metakaolin (MK). At room temperature, an initial As concentration of 3914 mg/L, a NaOH content of 4.98%, and an MK content of 20% decreased the As leaching concentration to 1.55 mg/L (<5 mg/L). The main S/S mechanisms of As included physical encapsulation of C-(A)-S-H and geopolymer structures, ion exchange of ettringite, and formation of Fe–As and Ca–As precipitates. Further studies showed that increasing initial As concentration and MK content facilitated the formation of Ca–As precipitates and C–(A)–S–H gels. The semi-dynamic leaching tests revealed that the leaching mechanism of As was surface wash-off. The effective diffusion coefficients of the samples were less than 10−13 cm2/s, and the respective leachability indexes were greater than 9, indicating that AAGM was effective in preventing the leaching of As. Therefore, this study provides a green and low cost solution for the synergistic utilization of AW, TMT, GP, and MK.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of ex-situ stabilization for arsenic and antimony contaminated soil: Short-term and long-term leaching characteristics

Ex-situ stabilization for As and Sb co-contaminated soil was conducted through an iron-based stabilizer, PFSC (a mixture of polymerized ferric sulfate (PFS) and hydrated lime (Ca(OH2)) with a dry mass ratio of 2:1). After field aging for one week, the stabilized contaminated soil was subjected to a horizontal vibration leaching test (HJ 557), Wenzel's sequential extraction, and a semi-dynamic leaching test (ANS 16.1). By assessing the cumulative fractions of As and Sb, the observed diffusion coefficients (Dobs) and leachability indices (LX) of metalloids released from the soil specimens were calculated. The PFSC ex-situ stabilization was effective to immobilize metalloids, and the As and Sb leached concentrations of stabilized contaminated soil samples were lower than remediation targets. Nonspecifically bound As and Sb in the stabilized contaminated soil samples decreased from 4.5 – 9.2 % to 1.5–2.5 % and from 2.2 – 5.8 % to 1.1–1.5 %, respectively. The mechanisms controlling the leaching behaviors of As and Sb included wash-off and diffusion and they were changed with the leaching interval. The mean Dobs of As and Sb released from stabilized contaminated soil specimen were 3.46 × 10−12 and 2.99 × 10−13 cm2 s−1, in the which were two orders of magnitude lower than that of untreated contaminated soil specimen. The mean LX of stabilized contaminated soil specimen for As and Sb releases were 11.40 and 12.83, respectively, indicating that the stabilized contaminated soil was acceptable for “controlled utilization”.

The Effects of Portland and Sulphoaluminate Cements Solidification/Stabilization on Semi-Dynamic Leaching of Heavy Metal from Contaminated Sediment

Cement-based solidification/stabilization technology is widely applied in the treatment of heavy metals in river sediment because it is an effective treatment, with the advantages of saving time and being economically and environmentally friendly. In this study, the heavy metal polluted sediment in Shanghai Fuxing Island Canal was used as the raw material, the cement solidified form was prepared by adding 10% Portland cement or sulphoaluminate cement, and semi-dynamic leaching tests were carried out on the solidified forms. In this study, we compare two types of cements as metal conditioners and curing agents aiming to determine the more economical and effective way to utilize river sediments. The results showed that the compressive strength of Portland cement solidified form (PSF) increased with an increase in curing time, which could reach 0.75 MPa after 28 days and met the requirements of general subgrade engineering. The compressive strength of sulphoaluminate cement solidified form (SSF) reached 0.35 MPa after curing for 1 day, however, it decreased later. The semi-dynamic leaching test results showed that the mobility of Cu and Cd in the cement solidified form was low, and the migration mechanism of heavy metals was mainly diffusion. The mobility of heavy metals in the PSF was lower than in the SSF, thus, the PSF had a better solidification effect and was more suitable for treating heavy metal-contaminated sediment.