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Ding D, Chen Y, Li X, Chen Q, Kong L, Ying R, Wang L, Wei J, Jiang D, Deng S. Can we redevelop ammonia nitrogen contaminated sites without remediation? The key role of subsurface pH in human health risk assessment. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 467:133630. [PMID: 38330643 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Nitrogen fertilizer supports global food production, but its manufacturing results in substantial ammonia nitrogen (AN) contaminated sites which remain largely unexplored. In this study, ten representative AN contaminated sites were investigated, covering a wide range of subsurface pH, temperature, and AN concentration. A total of 7232 soil samples and 392 groundwater samples were collected to determine the concentration levels, migration patterns, and accurate health risks of AN. The results indicated that AN concentrations in soil and groundwater reached 12700 mg/kg and 12600 mg/L, respectively. AN concentrations were higher in production areas than in non-production areas, and tended to migrate downward from surface to deeper soil. Conventional risk assessment based on AN concentration identified seven out of the ten sites presenting unacceptable risks, with remediation costs and CO2 emissions amounting to $1.67 million and 17553.7 tons, respectively. A novel risk assessment model was developed, which calculated risks based on multiplying AN concentration by a coefficient fNH3 (the ratio of NH3 to AN concentration). The mean fNH3 values, primarily affected by subsurface pH, varied between 0.02 and 0.25 across the ten sites. This new model suggested all investigated sites posed acceptable health risks related to AN exposure, leading to their redevelopment without AN-specific remediation. This research offers a thorough insight into AN contaminated site, holds great realistic significance in alleviating global economic and climate pressures, and highlights the need for future research on refined health risk assessments for more contaminants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Da Ding
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Management and Pollution Control, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210046, China
| | - Yun Chen
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Management and Pollution Control, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210046, China
| | - Xuwei Li
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Management and Pollution Control, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210046, China
| | - Qiang Chen
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Management and Pollution Control, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210046, China
| | - Lingya Kong
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Management and Pollution Control, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210046, China
| | - Rongrong Ying
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Management and Pollution Control, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210046, China
| | - Lei Wang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Management and Pollution Control, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210046, China
| | - Jing Wei
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Management and Pollution Control, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210046, China
| | - Dengdeng Jiang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Management and Pollution Control, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210046, China.
| | - Shaopo Deng
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Management and Pollution Control, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210046, China.
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2
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Song L, Li T, He B, Huang H. Runoff nitrogen losses under confluence and diverging drainage systems in the sloped plot scale: A comparative study. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 351:119855. [PMID: 38128211 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
The drainage system is a key measure for regulating runoff nutrient losses on sloping farmlands. Confluence and diverging drainage systems are two drainage layouts representing natural water network systems and are widely distributed in sloping farmlands; however, the effects of these drainage systems on runoff nutrient losses in the sloped plots remain unclear. This study investigated the effects of different drainage systems on the characteristics of runoff nitrogen (N) losses in sloped plots using laboratory rainfall simulations. Three treatments, including bare slope (without drainage system, CK), confluence drainage system (T1), and diverging drainage system (T2), were used to compare the changes in concentrations and losses of total nitrogen (TN), dissolved nitrogen (DN), and particulate nitrogen (PN), and the DN:TN ratio in runoff under a combination of 1.8 mm min-1 rainfall intensity and three slope gradients (5°, 10°, and 15°). The results showed that the time to runoff was significantly delayed in T2 compared with that in CK and T1 across all slopes (p < 0.05). Accumulated runoff depth was considerably lower in T1 and T2 than in CK across all slopes (p < 0.05). The TN and PN concentrations in T1 were markedly lower than those in T2 on the 10° and 15° slopes (p < 0.05). The DN concentration in T1 was lowest at the 5° slope (p < 0.05). TN loss in T1 was 14.7-33.9% and 17.9-30.3% lower than those in CK and T2 across all slopes, respectively (p < 0.05). The PN loss in T1 was 56.7% and 53.3% lower than that in T2 on the 10° and 15° slopes, respectively (p < 0.05). DN loss in T1 was 39.3-72.5% lower than that in CK for all slopes (p < 0.05). DN:TN in T2 was lower than that in CK and T1 at the 10° and 15° slopes (p < 0.05). Our results confirm the effectiveness of drainage systems in reducing runoff nutrient losses in a sloped plot and demonstrate that the confluence drainage system is better at reducing N losses in runoff than diverging drainage systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lan Song
- College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Tianyang Li
- College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Binghui He
- College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.
| | - Huan Huang
- College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
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Li X, Yu J, Li X, Song G, Ouyang Z, Wang R, Zhang Z, Xiao C, Chi R. Synergistic leaching process for ion-exchange ammonium from weathered crust elution deposited rare earth tailings with potassium magnesium compound eluent. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:121513-121528. [PMID: 37955730 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-30879-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
The ion-exchangeable ammonium (IE-A) that accounts for 60-90% of the total residual ammonium in rare earth tailings has great potential to pollute the surrounding environment, and much research has been done to seek an effective elution method. However, the current study mainly focused on the single salt solution, which made it hard to reach the desired elution efficiency. In this study, the efficient binary compound eluent was prepared, and the response surface experiments and dynamic elution were performed to optimize the elution condition and evaluate the practical application prospect. Batch experimental results showed that the best IE-A elution efficiency could be achieved at the K:Mg molar ratio of 8:2, the liquid-solid ratio of 26:1, and the concentration of 0.1 mol/L at the natural solution pH. Dynamic experimental results indicated that a higher concentration, flow rate, and elution temperature could all accelerate the elution process, and the highest elution efficiency could reach 99%. The fitting results by shrinking core models show that the apparent activation energy of IE-A was 4.24 kJ/mol in the temperature range of 288-328 K, and the reaction order was 0.16. XPS and FTIR revealed that IE-A was effectively eluted by a potassium and magnesium compound leaching agent via an ion-exchange reaction. Overall, the developed compound solution with potassium and magnesium is a candidate for an elution agent that could be used to remove residual ammonium in a closed field of rare earth ores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoju Li
- Key Laboratory of Novel Biomass-Based Environmental and Energy Materials in Petroleum and Chemical Industry, Hubei Novel Reactor & Green Chemical Technology Key Laboratory, Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, No. 693 Xiongchu Avenue, Hongshan District, Wuhan, 430074, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Junxia Yu
- Key Laboratory of Novel Biomass-Based Environmental and Energy Materials in Petroleum and Chemical Industry, Hubei Novel Reactor & Green Chemical Technology Key Laboratory, Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, No. 693 Xiongchu Avenue, Hongshan District, Wuhan, 430074, Hubei, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xiaodi Li
- Key Laboratory of Novel Biomass-Based Environmental and Energy Materials in Petroleum and Chemical Industry, Hubei Novel Reactor & Green Chemical Technology Key Laboratory, Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, No. 693 Xiongchu Avenue, Hongshan District, Wuhan, 430074, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Guoping Song
- Bureau of Ecology and Environment of Xiaogan City, Yingcheng Branch, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Ze Ouyang
- Key Laboratory of Novel Biomass-Based Environmental and Energy Materials in Petroleum and Chemical Industry, Hubei Novel Reactor & Green Chemical Technology Key Laboratory, Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, No. 693 Xiongchu Avenue, Hongshan District, Wuhan, 430074, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Rong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Novel Biomass-Based Environmental and Energy Materials in Petroleum and Chemical Industry, Hubei Novel Reactor & Green Chemical Technology Key Laboratory, Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, No. 693 Xiongchu Avenue, Hongshan District, Wuhan, 430074, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhenyue Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Novel Biomass-Based Environmental and Energy Materials in Petroleum and Chemical Industry, Hubei Novel Reactor & Green Chemical Technology Key Laboratory, Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, No. 693 Xiongchu Avenue, Hongshan District, Wuhan, 430074, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Chunqiao Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Novel Biomass-Based Environmental and Energy Materials in Petroleum and Chemical Industry, Hubei Novel Reactor & Green Chemical Technology Key Laboratory, Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, No. 693 Xiongchu Avenue, Hongshan District, Wuhan, 430074, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Ruan Chi
- Key Laboratory of Novel Biomass-Based Environmental and Energy Materials in Petroleum and Chemical Industry, Hubei Novel Reactor & Green Chemical Technology Key Laboratory, Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, No. 693 Xiongchu Avenue, Hongshan District, Wuhan, 430074, Hubei, People's Republic of China
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Ou X, Chen Z, Hong B, Wang H, Feng L, Liu Y, Zhu M, Chen Z. Transport and distribution of residual nitrogen in ion-adsorption rare earth tailings. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 237:116975. [PMID: 37640094 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
A large amount of nitrogen remains in ion-absorption rare earth tailings with in-situ leaching technology, and it continually ends up in groundwater sources. However, the distribution and transport of ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) and nitrate nitrogen (NO3--N) across tailings with both depth and hill slopes is still unknown. In this study, the amount of NH4+-N and nitrate nitrogen (NO3--N) was determined in tailings, and a soil column leaching experiment, served to assess the transport and distribution following mine closure. Firstly, a high concentration of NH4+-N in the leachate at the initial leaching stage was detected, up to 2000 mg L-1, and the concentration of NH4+-N clearly diminished as time passed. Meanwhile, the NH4+-N contents remained relatively high in soil. Secondly, both the content of NH4+-N and NO3--N varied greatly according to vertical distribution after leaching lasting several years. The amounts of NH4+-N and NO3--N in surface soil were much smaller than those in deep soil, with 3-4 orders of magnitude variation with depth. Thirdly, when disturbed by NH4+-N, the pH not only diminished but also changed irregularly as depth increased. Fourthly, although the amount of NO3--N was smaller than that of NH4+-N, both their distribution trend was similar with depth. In fact, NH4+-N and NO3--N were significantly correlated but this declined from the knap to the piedmont. Based on these results, it is suggested that mining activity could cause nitrogen to be dominated by NH4+-N and acidification in a tailing even if leaching occurs over several years. NO3--N derived from NH4+-N transports easily and it becomes the main nitrogen pollutant with the potential to be a long-lasting threat to the environment around a mine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolin Ou
- School of Geography and Tourism, Jiaying University, Meizhou, 514015, Guangdong, China; Key Laboratory for Humid Subtropical Eco-geographical Processes of the Ministry of Education, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350117, Fujian, China
| | - Zhibiao Chen
- Key Laboratory for Humid Subtropical Eco-geographical Processes of the Ministry of Education, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350117, Fujian, China; School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350117, Fujian, China.
| | - Bengen Hong
- Xiamen Tungsten Co Ltd, 361026, Fujian, China
| | - Haiyan Wang
- Key Laboratory for Humid Subtropical Eco-geographical Processes of the Ministry of Education, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350117, Fujian, China; School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350117, Fujian, China
| | - Liujun Feng
- Key Laboratory for Humid Subtropical Eco-geographical Processes of the Ministry of Education, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350117, Fujian, China; School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350117, Fujian, China
| | - Youcun Liu
- School of Geography and Tourism, Jiaying University, Meizhou, 514015, Guangdong, China
| | - Mingyong Zhu
- School of Geography and Tourism, Jiaying University, Meizhou, 514015, Guangdong, China
| | - Zuliang Chen
- School of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350117, Fujian, China.
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Wang M, Wu S, Lu Y, Wu H, Si D, Zhou D. Combined application of strong alkaline materials and specific organic fertilizer accelerates nitrification process of a rare earth mining soil. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 879:163042. [PMID: 36965722 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
The extensive usage of ammonium sulfate as the leaching agent to extract rare earth elements led to widespread ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N) pollution in the tailing soils of ion-adsorbed rare earth deposits in southern China. However, the cost-effective technologies to tackle with the long-term retention of NH4+-N in the rare earth mining soil have been largely unresolved. In this study, we developed a cost-effective approach to activate soil nitrification by the co-application of alkaline materials and organic fertilizer. The co-application of 0.3 % of organic fertilizer and 0.1 % ∼ 0.2 % of CaO or MgO or Mg(OH)2 stimulated a soil NH4+-N decrease rate of 2.01-7.58 mg kg-1 d-1 and a soil NO3--N accumulation rate of 1.56-7.09 mg kg-1 d-1. Noting that only if the soil pH was elevated to 7.81-9.00, the NH4+-N decrease rate and NO3--N accumulation rate were dependent on the proton consumption capacity of the alkaline materials. The application of CaCO3 could not stimulate soil nitrification possibly due to the soil pH was uncapable to be elevated to above 7.68. The qPCR, amplicon sequencing, and nitrification inhibitor batch incubation results demonstrated that organic fertilizer supplied active ammonia-oxidizing bacteria Nitrosomonas europaea. The proliferation of Nitrosomonas europaea in the alkaline materials and organic fertilizer co-applied soil was responsible for the soil nitrification. Furthermore, the application of commercial denitrifying bacteria inoculum promoted the removal of accumulated NO3--N. The findings of this study provide a lost-cost technology to remove NH4+-N from the rare earth mining soil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control & Resources Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Song Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control & Resources Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.
| | - Yilin Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control & Resources Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Haotian Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control & Resources Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Dunfeng Si
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control & Resources Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Dongmei Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control & Resources Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.
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Li L, Shields J, Snow DD, Kaiser M, Malakar A. Labile carbon and soil texture control nitrogen transformation in deep vadose zone. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 878:163075. [PMID: 36972884 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Understanding transient nitrogen (N) storage and transformation in the deep vadose zone is critical for controlling groundwater contamination by nitrate. The occurrence of organic and inorganic forms of carbon (C) and nitrogen and their importance in the deep vadose zone is not well characterized due to difficulty in sampling and the limited number of studies. We sampled and characterized these pools beneath 27 croplands with different vadose zone thicknesses (6-45 m). We measured nitrate and ammonium in different depths for the 27 sites to evaluate inorganic N storage. We measured total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), hot-water extractable organic carbon (EOC), soil organic carbon (SOC), and δ13C for two sites to understand the potential role of organic N and C pools in N transformations. Inorganic N stocks in the vadose zone were 21.7-1043.6 g m-2 across 27 sites; the thicker vadose zone significantly stored more inorganic N (p < 0.05). We observed significant reservoirs of TKN and SOC at depths, likely representing paleosols that may provide organic C and N to subsurface microbes. The occurrence of deep C and N needs to be addressed in future research on terrestrial C and N storage potential. The increase of ammonium and EOC and δ13C value in the proximity of these horizons is consistent with N mineralization. An increase of nitrate, concurrent with the sandy soil texture and the water-filled pore space (WFPS) of 78 %, suggests that deep vadose zone nitrification may be supported in vadose zones with organic-rich layers such as paleosol. A profile showing the decrease of nitrate concentrations, concurrent with the clay soil texture and the WFPS of 91 %, also suggests denitrification may be an important process. Our study shows that microbial N transformation may be possible even in deep vadose zone with co-occurrence of C and N sources and controlled by labile C availability and soil texture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidong Li
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, 1875 N 38th St, 279 Plant Sciences Hall, PO Box 830915, Lincoln, NE 68583-0915, USA
| | - Jordan Shields
- School of Natural Resources and Nebraska Water Center, Part of the Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, 68583-0844, USA
| | - Daniel D Snow
- School of Natural Resources and Nebraska Water Center, Part of the Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, 68583-0844, USA
| | - Michael Kaiser
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, 1875 N 38th St, 279 Plant Sciences Hall, PO Box 830915, Lincoln, NE 68583-0915, USA
| | - Arindam Malakar
- School of Natural Resources and Nebraska Water Center, Part of the Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, 68583-0844, USA.
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Ma T, Luo H, Sun J, Pan Y, Huang K, Lu G, Dang Z. Metal distribution behavior based on soil aggregate size in a post-restoration coastal mining area. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 865:161285. [PMID: 36587688 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.161285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Soil aggregate size plays an important role in controlling the distribution and transport of metals. Metals immobilized in soil particles will pose potential risks through production/sink flow and infiltration. This study explored the distribution behavior of metals based on soil aggregate size in a restored coastal mining area by establishing Structural Equation Model (SEM) and column experiments. The results showed that hydrological factors and a high degree of weathering accelerated the dissolution of metals from the mine, the desorption of Wa-NH4+-N, the release of F-, and the leaching of NO3-. Driven by soil properties, natural factors, and anthropogenic activities, the total metal content (Totalmetal) of Cr, Ni, Zn, Mn, and As showed significant spatial heterogeneity compared to Cd, Co, Cu, and Pb. The geochemical fraction of metals (Geometal) indicated that Cd, Co, Pb, Zn, As, and Cu are mainly present in iron‑manganese oxidation bound, organically bound, and residual fractions. The results of SEM showed that the physicochemical properties, Wa-NH4+-N, nitrate nitrogen, and inorganic anions of the soil could explain 69.1 %, 76.4 %, 97.1 %, and 80.0 % of the variation in Kd-Mn, Kd-Pb, Kd-Ni, and Kd-Zn, respectively. While Kd-Cd, Kd-Cu, and Kd-Cr could be predicted by the Totalmetal, but the Geometal seemed to have little influence on metal Kd. The results of column experiments showed that macroaggregates (>0.25 mm) significantly affected the distribution of Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn in the topsoil. The severe disruption of soil aggregate structure resulted in small fluctuations of anthropogenic Cu, Mn, Pb, Zn, and As in different layers of deep soil. In addition, mineral composition in >0.15 mm particle size was more likely to change. Overall, the hydrological cycle of coastal mines increases the uncertainty of their response to risk. Our study provides a basis for future strategies for priority control and risk prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tengfei Ma
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Hanjin Luo
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jianteng Sun
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Petrochemical Pollution Processes and Control, Guangdong University of Petrochemical Technology, Maoming 525000, China
| | - Yan Pan
- School of Environmental Engineering, Xuzhou University of Technology, Xuzhou 221000, China
| | - Kaibo Huang
- College of Ecology and Environment, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Guining Lu
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China; The Key Lab of Pollution Control and Ecosystem Restoration in Industry Clusters, Ministry of Education, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Zhi Dang
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China; The Key Lab of Pollution Control and Ecosystem Restoration in Industry Clusters, Ministry of Education, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
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8
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Olivelli MS, Schampera B, Woche SK, Torres Sánchez RM, Curutchet G, Guggenberger G. Spectroscopic Approach on Bulk and Surface Properties of Fungal Biomass-Clay Adsorbents: Effect of Temperature and Amount of Clay during Synthesis. Ind Eng Chem Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.2c03236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Melisa Soledad Olivelli
- IIIA-UNSAM-CONICET, Instituto de Investigación e Ingeniería Ambiental, Escuela de Hábitat y Sostenibilidad, Campus Miguelete, 25 de mayo y Francia, San Martín, Provincia de Buenos Aires 1650, Argentina
- Consejo nacional de investigaciones científicas y técnicas - CONICET, C1425FQB Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Birgit Schampera
- Institut für Bodenkunde, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Herrenhäuser Straße 2, Hannover D-30419, Germany
| | - Susanne Karoline Woche
- Institut für Bodenkunde, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Herrenhäuser Straße 2, Hannover D-30419, Germany
| | - Rosa María Torres Sánchez
- Consejo nacional de investigaciones científicas y técnicas - CONICET, C1425FQB Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Centro de Tecnología de Recursos Minerales y Cerámica (CETMIC), CIC-CCT-La Plata, Camino Centenario y 506, M.B. Gonnet, Buenos Aires 1897, Argentina
| | - Gustavo Curutchet
- IIIA-UNSAM-CONICET, Instituto de Investigación e Ingeniería Ambiental, Escuela de Hábitat y Sostenibilidad, Campus Miguelete, 25 de mayo y Francia, San Martín, Provincia de Buenos Aires 1650, Argentina
- Consejo nacional de investigaciones científicas y técnicas - CONICET, C1425FQB Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Georg Guggenberger
- Institut für Bodenkunde, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Herrenhäuser Straße 2, Hannover D-30419, Germany
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9
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Dai W, Zhang P, Yang F, Wang M, Yang H, Li Z, Wang M, Liu R, Huang Y, Wu S, He G, Zhou J, Wei C. Effects of composite materials and revegetation on soil nutrients, chemical and microbial properties in rare earth tailings. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 850:157854. [PMID: 35940274 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The mining of ionic rare earth elements in Ganzhou left large area of barren tailings with severe vegetation destruction in pressing needs of remediation. However, the remediating effects of soil additives combined with revegetation on the preservation of nutrients in the tailings and microbial communities were rarely studied. For this purpose, pilot experiments were implemented in a field, with the control group (CK) only cultivating plants without adding materials, and three treatments including peanut straw biochar composite (T1), phosphorus‑magnesium composite (T2) and modified zeolite composite (T3) along with the cultivation of Medicago sativa L., Paspalum vaginatum Sw. and Lolium perenne L. Soil pH and organic matter in CK significantly decreased from 4.90 to 4.17 and from 6.62 g/kg to 3.87 g/kg after six months, respectively (p ≤ 0.05), while all the treatments could effectively buffer soil acidification (over 5.74) and delay the loss of soil organic matter. Soil cation exchange capacity was still below the detection limit in all the groups except T2. The results of rainfall runoff monitoring indicated that compared with CK, only T2 could significantly reduce the runoff loss of soil NO3- and SO42- by 45.61 %-75.78 % and 64.03 %-76.12 %, respectively (p ≤ 0.05). Compared with CK, the bacterial diversity in T2 and T3 significantly increased 21.18 % and 28.15 %, respectively (p ≤ 0.05), while T1 didn't change the bacterial or fungal diversity (p > 0.05). Co-occurrence network analysis showed that compared with CK, the whole microbial communities interacted more closely in the three treatments. Functional prediction of the microbial communities revealed all the treatments were dominated by carbon transforming bacteria and saprotrophic fungi except T2. This study demonstrated that the composite materials combined with revegetation couldn't retain soil nitrogen compounds and sulfate in rare earth tailings in the long term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weijie Dai
- Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ping Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Fen Yang
- Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Min Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Huixian Yang
- Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Zhiying Li
- Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Mei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Renlu Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Environmental Pollution Prevention and Control in Red Soil Hilly Region of Jiangxi Province, Jinggangshan University, Jian 343009, China
| | - Yuanying Huang
- National Research Center for Geoanalysis, Beijing 100037, China; Key Laboratory of Ministry of Natural Resources for Eco-geochemistry, Beijing 100037, China
| | - Song Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Genhe He
- School of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Environmental Pollution Prevention and Control in Red Soil Hilly Region of Jiangxi Province, Jinggangshan University, Jian 343009, China
| | - Jing Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Chaoyang Wei
- Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
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Huang S, Feng J, Ouyang Z, Yu J, Hou H, Chi R. Dynamic elution of residual ammonium leaching agent from weathered crust elution-deposited rare earth tailings by magnesium chloride. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 210:112935. [PMID: 35157916 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.112935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The release of residual ammonium (RA) leaching agent from weathered crust elution-deposited rare earth tailings would cause serious environmental pollution, and it was necessary to efficiently remove it from the ore body before the mine closure. In this study, occurrence states of the RA were determined and dynamic elution of RA from rare earth tailings by using magnesium chloride as eluent was investigated. Effects of initial concentration, pH, flow rate, and particle size on the ammonium removal efficiency were investigated, and variations of ammonium occurrence states before and after elution were determined. Lastly, elution mechanism was discussed. Results showed that removal efficiency of RA by magnesium chloride was significantly higher than that by deionized water, and elution efficiency of RA could reach about 95.7% at the optimum laboratory experiment conditions. Energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) analysis illustrated that the residual ammonium was replaced by Mg2+ during the elution process, and occurrence state experimental results showed that 94.0% of water-soluble and adsorbable ammonium was eluted. The empirical kinetic equation of eluting RA by magnesium chloride was established as 1-2/3α-(1-α)2/3= 0.02*C00.6t. This study provided a valuable method for reducing environmental pollution caused by the release of the residual ammonium from the rare earth tailings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuxin Huang
- Hubei Novel Reactor & Green Chemical Technology Key Laboratory, Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Jian Feng
- Hubei Novel Reactor & Green Chemical Technology Key Laboratory, Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Ze Ouyang
- Hubei Novel Reactor & Green Chemical Technology Key Laboratory, Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Junxia Yu
- Hubei Novel Reactor & Green Chemical Technology Key Laboratory, Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China.
| | - Haobo Hou
- Wuhan Univ. (Zhaoqing) GD, HK and MO Environ Technol Research INST, Zhaoqing, Guangdong, China; School of Resource and Environmental Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei, China
| | - Ruan Chi
- Hubei Novel Reactor & Green Chemical Technology Key Laboratory, Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China
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He Z, Zhang R, Sha A, Zuo Q, Xu Z, Wu M, Chi R. Anti-swelling mechanism of DMDACC on weathered crust elution-deposited rare earth ore. J RARE EARTH 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jre.2022.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
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Huang S, Li Z, Yu J, Feng J, Hou H, Chi R. Vertical distribution and occurrence state of the residual leaching agent (ammonium sulfate) in the weathered crust elution-deposited rare earth ore. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 299:113642. [PMID: 34467858 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Weathered crust elution-deposited rare earth ore (WCE-DREO) are rich in middle and heavy rare earth, and ammonium sulfate ((NH4)2SO4) was often used as leaching agent to leach rare earths by in-situ leaching method. However, much of (NH4)2SO4 would remained in the ore body during the leaching process, and release of it would cause seriously environmental pollution after the mine closure. To efficiently remove it, the rare earth ore properties and vertical distribution and occurrence state of the residual leaching agent at mine roof (GP1), mine waist (GP2), and mine foot (GP3) with different depth were investigated and efficient elution method was proposed in this study. Results showed that the rare earth ore mainly consist of quartz, clay minerals (halloysite, illite, and kaolinite) and rock-forming minerals, and pH and moisture contents of them were ranged from 4.0 to 5.0 and 10-20%, respectively. Residual agent was mainly enriched in the middle and deep layer of the ore body with the main form of ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N), and content of it at the three sites followed the order of GP1>GP3>GP2, which was related to the content of the clay minerals and the moisture. Occurrence state experimental results illustrated that about 95% of the NH4+-N existed as water-soluble ammonium (WS-AN) and adsorbable ammonium (AS-AN), and 5% of it existed as fixed ammonium (FX-AN), and concentration ratio of them was in order: WS-AN > AS-AN ≫ FX-AN. Based on the results above, MgCl2 solution was used as an eluent to remove the leaching agent from the ore, and results showed that higher than 90% of residual ammonium could be removed from the ore by it. This study provided a valuable guidance for the residual leaching agent removal from the WCE-DREO body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuxin Huang
- Hubei Novel Reactor & Green Chemical Technology Key Laboratory, Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Zhanhui Li
- Hubei Novel Reactor & Green Chemical Technology Key Laboratory, Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Junxia Yu
- Hubei Novel Reactor & Green Chemical Technology Key Laboratory, Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China.
| | - Jian Feng
- Hubei Novel Reactor & Green Chemical Technology Key Laboratory, Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Haobo Hou
- Wuhan Univ. (Zhaoqing) GD, HK and MO Environ Technol Research INST, Zhaoqing, Guangdong, China; School of Resource and Environmental Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei, China
| | - Ruan Chi
- Hubei Novel Reactor & Green Chemical Technology Key Laboratory, Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China
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Tang J, Qiao J, Xue Q, Liu F, Fan X, Liu S, Huang Y. Behavior and mechanism of different fraction lead leach with several typical sulfate lixiviants in the weathered crust elution-deposited rare earth ore. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:31885-31894. [PMID: 33619617 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-13039-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Recently, some new leaching agents without ammonium, such as magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) and aluminum sulfate [Al2(SO4)3], have been developed to eliminate ammonia nitrogen pollution in in situ mining process of the weathered crust elution-deposited rare earth ore (WCED-REO), but they might cause heavy metal contamination. In this study, characteristics and mechanisms of different fractions of lead (Pb) released by (NH4)2SO4, MgSO4 and Al2(SO4)3 leaching agents were investigated using batch experiments and column leaching tests. The experimental results showed that the amounts of Pb released by the different leaching agents followed the trend of Al2(SO4)3 > (NH4)2SO4 > MgSO4 under the same total cationic charge, and both the acid extractable and reducible fractions of Pb were released. The release of acid extractable fraction Pb was related to the cation hydration radius of NH4+, Mg2+, and Al3+, whereas the release of reducible fraction Pb was mainly influenced by the concentration of H+, especially at pH < 4.0. Furthermore, column leaching tests indicated that pH has little effect on the Pb contents of different fractions released by (NH4)2SO4 and MgSO4 in leaching the WCED-REO. Although Al2(SO4)3 released the largest contents of rare earth and Pb in leachate, the content of residual acid extractable fraction Pb in soil was the most after water injection (simulating the cleaning process after mining). This work can provide a scientific method and theoretical basis for comprehensively assessing the environmental impact of new leaching agents on WCED-REO mining.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Tang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Circulation and Environmental Evolution, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing, 100083, People's Republic of China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiyang Qiao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Circulation and Environmental Evolution, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing, 100083, People's Republic of China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiang Xue
- MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Circulation and Environmental Evolution, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing, 100083, People's Republic of China.
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, People's Republic of China.
| | - Fei Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Circulation and Environmental Evolution, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing, 100083, People's Republic of China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Fan
- MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Circulation and Environmental Evolution, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing, 100083, People's Republic of China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, People's Republic of China
| | - Siwen Liu
- National Research Center for Geoanalysis, Beijing, 100037, China.
- Key Laboratory of Ministry of Natural Resources for Eco-geochemistry, Beijing, 100037, China.
| | - Yuanying Huang
- National Research Center for Geoanalysis, Beijing, 100037, China
- Key Laboratory of Ministry of Natural Resources for Eco-geochemistry, Beijing, 100037, China
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