TY - JOUR
T1 - Reducing toxic element leaching in mine tailings with natural zeolite clinoptilolite
AU - Ferrel-Luna, Rosalinda
AU - García-Arreola, Maria Elena
AU - González-Rodríguez, Luis Mario
AU - Loredo-Cancino, Margarita
AU - Escárcega-González, Carlos Enrique
AU - De Haro-Del Río, David Alejandro
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - The use of natural zeolite clinoptilolite to reduce the leaching rate of potentially toxic elements such as Cd, Pb, and Mn in soil from mine tailings was studied. Soil from the surroundings of the mine El Bote in Zacatecas, Mexico, was analyzed, and the zeolite was characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and nitrogen physisorption. An ammonium-exchange method for the zeolite was employed. Leaching experiments using packed columns with polluted soil and zeolite mixtures were carried out and the effect of the pH of the carrier solutions was studied. Incorporation of zeolite in the soil achieved a beneficial increase in pH, from 5.03 to 6.95. The concentration of Cd and Mn was reduced when zeolite was present in the column and the ammonium-modified zeolite with ammonia also enhanced the concentration reduction of metallic species in leachates in a range of 28 to 68%. The first-order model best fits the experimental data, suggesting that the leaching rate is controlled by concentration difference between the liquid and the soil matrix. These results demonstrate the potential for using natural zeolite clinoptilolite to reduce the leaching rate of potentially toxic elements in soil from mine tailings.
AB - The use of natural zeolite clinoptilolite to reduce the leaching rate of potentially toxic elements such as Cd, Pb, and Mn in soil from mine tailings was studied. Soil from the surroundings of the mine El Bote in Zacatecas, Mexico, was analyzed, and the zeolite was characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and nitrogen physisorption. An ammonium-exchange method for the zeolite was employed. Leaching experiments using packed columns with polluted soil and zeolite mixtures were carried out and the effect of the pH of the carrier solutions was studied. Incorporation of zeolite in the soil achieved a beneficial increase in pH, from 5.03 to 6.95. The concentration of Cd and Mn was reduced when zeolite was present in the column and the ammonium-modified zeolite with ammonia also enhanced the concentration reduction of metallic species in leachates in a range of 28 to 68%. The first-order model best fits the experimental data, suggesting that the leaching rate is controlled by concentration difference between the liquid and the soil matrix. These results demonstrate the potential for using natural zeolite clinoptilolite to reduce the leaching rate of potentially toxic elements in soil from mine tailings.
KW - Leaching rate
KW - Mine tailings
KW - Packed columns
KW - Toxic elements
KW - Zeolite clinoptilolite
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85160952029&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s11356-023-27896-0
DO - 10.1007/s11356-023-27896-0
M3 - Artículo
C2 - 37277584
AN - SCOPUS:85160952029
SN - 0944-1344
JO - Environmental Science and Pollution Research
JF - Environmental Science and Pollution Research
ER -