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Application of Soil Fractionation Methods to the Study of the Distribution of Pollutant Metals
Author(s) -
Ducaroir Jacques,
Cambier Philippe,
Leydecker JeanPierre,
Prost René
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
zeitschrift für pflanzenernährung und bodenkunde
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.644
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1522-2624
pISSN - 0044-3263
DOI - 10.1002/jpln.19901530511
Subject(s) - pollutant , fractionation , environmental chemistry , organic matter , chemistry , carbonate , dispersion (optics) , particle (ecology) , trace element , particle size distribution , sewage sludge , mineralogy , quartz , particle size , sewage , environmental science , materials science , geology , environmental engineering , metallurgy , chromatography , organic chemistry , physics , oceanography , optics
Three agricultural Fluvisols polluted by sewage sludge were dispersed by shaking in water or in organic solvent for particle size and density separations. The perturbations caused by the ultrasonic treatment were discussed. Only the carbonate particles were disrupted to very fine particles. The pollutant metals were not displaced by the treatments, except perhaps Cd that is partly soluble in water and in other solvents. We discussed the relationship between soil constitution and major element chemical analyses. We obtained enough different fractions by using the ultrasonic and other dispersion treatments and by fractionating versus two physical parameters (i.e. particle size and density), for a correlation study between the contents of major and trace elements. We found that Cu was the only element to be more concentrated in the “free” organic matter. Other metals were more concentrated within an organo‐mineral compartment, containing evoluted organic matter, fine clay and hydrous oxides. No pollutant metals were associated with carbonates, feldspars, and quartz. Other less general features were discussed.