Title: Removal of copper, lead and zinc from artificially contaminated soil samples using EDTA, rhamnolipids, and soapnut in batch experiments

Authors: Elijah Chibuzo Ugwu; Bhaskar Sen Gupta; Adebayo J. Adeloye; Nadia Martínez-Villegas

Addresses: School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, Heriot-Watt University, Water Academy, EGIS 2.02A William Arrol Building, EH14 4AS, Scotland, UK ' School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, Heriot-Watt University, Water Academy, EGIS 2.02A William Arrol Building, EH14 4AS, Scotland, UK ' School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, Heriot-Watt University, Water Academy, EGIS 2.02A William Arrol Building, EH14 4AS, Scotland, UK ' IPICyT, Instituto Potosino de Investigacion Cientifica y Tecnologica, Division de Geociencias Aplicadas, Camino a la Presa San Jose No. 2055, Col. Lomas 4a Sec., 78216, San Luis Potosi, SLP, Mexico

Abstract: The feasibility of the removal of Cu, Pb and Zn from sandy loam soils was investigated in laboratory-scale batch experiments, using soapnut, rhamnolipids, ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) as washing agents. Influencing parameters including the concentration and pH of the washing solutions, soil-solution ratios (weight of soil sample/volume of the washing solution) and washing times were studied. It was observed that removal efficiencies were influenced by the concentration of the washing solution, pH, soil-solution ratio, washing time as well as the addition of EDTA. While an increase in the concentration of the washing solution, soil-solution ratio, washing time and addition of EDTA increases the removal efficiency, an increase in pH of the washing solution decreases the removal efficiency. The results indicate that the heavy metal removal efficiency almost approached a plateau, at pH 3, a soil-solution ratio of 40, a concentration of 3%, and a washing time of 24 h.

Keywords: Cu; Pb and Zn; saponin; contaminated soil; soil washing; biosurfactant; removal efficiency.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2021.126974

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2021 Vol.69 No.3/4, pp.212 - 231

Accepted: 01 Nov 2021
Published online: 15 Nov 2022 *

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