Enhanced Electrokinetic Remediation of Copper-Contaminated Soils near a Mine Tailing Using the Approaching-Anode Technique
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 142, Issue 2
Abstract
The soils contaminated by copper (Cu) near a mine tailing are remedied via an enhanced electrokinetical (EK) method utilizing approaching anodes (AAs). The variations in the removal efficiency and soil pH as a function of treatment time are determined. The maximum Cu removal efficiency is as high as 61.98% under a voltage gradient of for 48 h; in contrast to 38.97% when the conventional electrokinetic remediation with one fixed anode (FA) is employed. Several anodes were inserted as AAs in the treated soil. They were switched in turn from the anode towards the cathode allowing for high ions concentrations and high redox potentials to quickly migrate towards the cathode. As a result, the soil remediation is accelerated. The mechanism of Cu electromigration behavior in soils during an enhanced EK method is described as the elution in an electrokinetically-driven chromatogram.
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Acknowledgments
This work was financially supported jointly as a project of National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 21003054) and a scientific research project of Department of Education of Guangdong Province (Grant No. 2013CXZDA013).
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Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 142 • Issue 2 • February 2016
Copyright
© 2015 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 21, 2014
Accepted: Jul 8, 2015
Published online: Oct 20, 2015
Published in print: Feb 1, 2016
Discussion open until: Mar 20, 2016
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