Spectroscopic study of the interaction of heavy metals with organic acids Online publication date: Wed, 05-Nov-2008
by Medhat Ibrahim, Mohamed Abd El-Aal
International Journal of Environment and Pollution (IJEP), Vol. 35, No. 1, 2008
Abstract: The ongoing progress in spectroscopic methods of analysis has resulted in a growing interest in the nature of pollutants and hence the possibility of controlling their levels in the environment. This paper describes a study of the fate of some pollutants in both soil and water at two selected areas in the north of Cairo, Egypt. Samples were collected from Shoubra Elkhima and Kafr ElSheikh during October 2003 and October 2004, respectively. Atomic absorption spectrometry was used to evaluate the level of cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, lead and zinc in the collected samples. In addition, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to investigate the molecular structure of soil samples. Results indicate that there is a possible interaction between heavy metals and humic acid, which is manifested by a noticeable shift in the absorption of the carboxyl group towards lower frequencies as a result of metal interaction. Furthermore, it is concluded that the carboxylate group of humic acid leads the transport of metals from soil to groundwater.
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