TECHNICAL PAPERS
Apr 15, 2003

Mercury-Contaminated Soil Remediation by Iodide and Electroreclamation

Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 129, Issue 5

Abstract

Mercury was removed from a field-contaminated soil by a combination of redox and complexation processes with iodide/iodine and electrokinetic mobilization. Iodide added to the cathode compartment was transported into the soil and oxidized to iodine near the anode. Mercury was mobilized and transported to the anode as a mercury–iodide complex. After 5 days, some 50% of the total mercury content had migrated to the anode compartment, and another 25% was recovered from the soil water in the vicinity of the anode. No volatile mercury was formed. Electromigration is the dominant transport process for the (charged) mercury–iodide complex, since electro-osmosis would have moved the mercury toward the cathode. The combination of iodide as complexing agent and an electric field for physical mobilization could be developed to a new method for in situ remediation of mercury contaminated soil.

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Information

Published In

Go to Journal of Environmental Engineering
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 129Issue 5May 2003
Pages: 441 - 446

History

Received: Jun 22, 2001
Accepted: Jul 21, 2002
Published online: Apr 15, 2003
Published in print: May 2003

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Authors

Affiliations

Pascal Suèr
Man—Technology—Swedish Geotechnical Institute, SE-581 93 Linköping, Sweden; formerly, Environment Research Centre, Örebro Univ., Örebro, Sweden (corresponding author).
Thomas Lifvergren
Man—Technology—Environment Research Centre, Örebro Univ., S 701 82 Örebro, Sweden.

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