Using isotopic dilution to assess chemical extraction of labile Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb in soils

Garforth, J.M.; Bailey, E.H.; Tye, A.M.; Young, S.D.; Lofts, S. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3627-851X. 2016 Using isotopic dilution to assess chemical extraction of labile Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb in soils. Chemosphere, 155. 534-541. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.04.096

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Abstract/Summary

Chemical extractants used to measure labile soil metal must ideally select for and solubilise the labile fraction, with minimal solubilisation of non-labile metal. We assessed four extractants (0.43 M HNO3, 0.43 M CH3COOH, 0.05 M Na2H2EDTA and 1 M CaCl2) against these requirements. For soils contaminated by contrasting sources, we compared isotopically exchangeable Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb (EValue, mg kg-1), with the concentrations of metal solubilised by the chemical extractants (MExt, mg kg-1). Crucially, we also determined isotopically exchangeable metal in the soil–extractant systems (EExt, mg kg-1). Thus ‘EExt - EValue’ quantifies the concentration of mobilised non-labile metal, while ‘EExt - MExt’ represents adsorbed labile metal in the presence of the extractant. Extraction with CaCl2 consistently underestimated EValue for Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb, while providing a reasonable estimate of EValue for Cd. In contrast, extraction with HNO3 both consistently mobilised non-labile metal and overestimated the EValue. Extraction with CH3COOH appeared to provide a good estimate of EValue for Cd; however, this was the net outcome of incomplete solubilisation of labile metal, and concurrent mobilisation of non-labile metal by the extractant (MExt < EExt > EValue). The Na2H2EDTA extractant mobilised some non-labile metal in three of the four soils, but consistently solubilised the entire labile fraction for all soil-metal combinations (MExt ≈ EExt). Comparison of EValue, MExt and EExt provides a rigorous means of assessing the underlying action of soil chemical extraction methods and could be used to refine long-standing soil extraction methodologies.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.04.096
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Shore
ISSN:	0045-6535
Additional Keywords:	soil chemical extraction, stable isotope dilution
NORA Subject Terms:	Ecology and Environment Chemistry
Date made live:	04 May 2016 10:15 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/513490

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