Removal and Potential Recovery of Dissolved Metals from Acid Sulfate Soil Drainage by Spent Coffee-Grounds and Dissolved Organic Carbon

AbstractA 96-h laboratory experiment was conducted to assess the potential of biochar as a water protection tool for acid sulfate soil runoff. Acid sulfate soils pose a risk to water bodies due to acid, metal-rich runoff, especially in drained peatland forests. New water protection methods, such as adsorption with biochar, are needed. We investigated the capability of spruce and birch biochar to adsorb metals and reduce acidity in the water. Water from an acid sulfate site was stirred with biochar, biochar with lime, and biochar with ash. We determined water Al, S, Fe, Cu, Co, Cd, Ni, and Zn concentrations periodically, as well as pH and total organic carbon at the beginning and the end of the experiment. The studied substances are considered the most abundant and environmentally harmful elements in the acid sulfate soils in Finland. Biochar surface characteristics were analyzed with FTIR spectroscopy. Concentration changes were used to parametrize adsorption kinetics models. Biochar adsorbed metals and increased pH, but lime and ash additives did not always improve the adsorption. Spruce biochar and ash addition had generally higher adsorption than birch biochar and lime addition. The adsorption was dominated by Al and Fe at lower pH, while increasing pH improved the adsorption of Cd and Zn. The results show that biochar can increase the water pH, as well as adsorb Al, Fe, Co, Cd, Ni, and Zn. Further work could include an actual-scale biochar reactor in a laboratory and field conditions.

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Trace element reactivity in FeS-rich estuarine sediments: Influence of formation environment and acid sulfate soil drainage

The Science of The Total Environment ◽

10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.08.088 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 438 ◽

pp. 463-476 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Bree Morgan ◽

Andrew W. Rate ◽

Edward D. Burton

Keyword(s):

Trace Element ◽

Estuarine Sediments ◽

Acid Sulfate Soil ◽

Soil Drainage ◽

Acid Sulfate

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Enrichment and fractionation of rare earth elements in FeS- and organic-rich estuarine sediments receiving acid sulfate soil drainage

Chemical Geology ◽

10.1016/j.chemgeo.2012.03.012 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 308-309 ◽

pp. 60-73 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

Bree Morgan ◽

Andrew W. Rate ◽

Edward D. Burton ◽

Michael N. Smirk

Keyword(s):

Rare Earth ◽

Rare Earth Elements ◽

Estuarine Sediments ◽

Acid Sulfate Soil ◽

Soil Drainage ◽

Acid Sulfate

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Metals and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) of surface waters in two adjacent watersheds in the eastern Amazon

Ambiente e Agua - An Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Science ◽

10.4136/ambi-agua.2377 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 14 (6) ◽

pp. 1

Author(s):

Juliana Feitosa Felizzola ◽

Anthony D. Cak ◽

Ricardo De Oliveira Figueiredo ◽

Marcelo De Oliveira Lima

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Dissolved Organic Carbon ◽

Spatial Variation ◽

Secondary Forest ◽

Stream Water ◽

Primary Forest ◽

Native Forest ◽

Negative Consequences ◽

Dissolved Metals ◽

Domestic Activity

Land-use intensification in the "Zona Bragantina" region, an area in the eastern Brazilian Amazon, has accelerated landscape changes from primary forest to a mixture of different land uses: native forest (riparian vegetation), secondary forest, pasture, annual cropland, perennial cropland, bare soil and fallow vegetation, with negative consequences for the stability and equilibrium of river systems. This study examined the temporal and spatial variation of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and metal concentrations in stream water of the Cumaru (ICU) and São João (ISJ) watersheds from May 2014 to April 2015, to understand the chemical changes in forests and agro-ecosystems during one year. In both watersheds, higher concentrations of dissolved metals (aluminum, sodium, barium, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, copper and zinc) and DOC were measured in the rainy season, with considerable variability due to precipitation events. Furthermore, strong spatial variation was observed, with lower conductivity, higher pH, and higher concentrations of DOC and dissolved metals in the downstream reaches, especially for DOC in a small reservoir below a dam in ISJ. Significant human intervention was located in these downstream areas, including nearby agriculture and pasture, and use of stream resources for domestic activity. Sandy soil in these areas likely facilitated leachate processes, mainly in deforested areas, supporting the increased movement of metals from the land to the stream.

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Controls on Dissolved Organic Carbon Concentrations in Streams, Southern Québec

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences ◽

10.1139/f90-173 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 47 (8) ◽

pp. 1537-1544 ◽

Cited By ~ 108

Author(s):

B. W. Eckhardt ◽

T. R. Moore

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Organic Carbon ◽

Dissolved Organic Carbon ◽

Regression Model ◽

Catchment Area ◽

Predictive Power ◽

Soil Drainage ◽

The Poor ◽

Carbon Concentrations ◽

Upland Catchments

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations were measured in streams draining 42 small (0.6–37.2 km2) catchments located in the Appalachian Uplands and St. Lawrence Lowlands. Weekly sampling from mid-April to late-November in four catchments containing < 1% wetland revealed DOC concentrations in streams averaging 3.5–7.2 mg∙L−1 with significant (r2 = 0.28–0.66, P < 0.01) positive relationships to discharge. In four catchments containing 15–69% wetland, average DOC concentrations in streams ranged from 14.5 to 40.0 mg∙L−1 and there was no significant relationship to discharge. Based on five sampling dates from May to November, DOC concentrations in streams draining the 42 catchments showed consistent relationships of varying strength (r2 = 0.26–0.67, P < 0.01) with the variable percent wetland in the catchment. Soil drainage rating, percent forest, mean catchment slope, and catchment area provided little improvement in the regression model. Separating the catchments into two regions (Uplands and Lowlands) improved the predictive power of the regression model for the upland catchments. The poor relationships between DOC and percent wetland in the lowland catchments are attributed to the dry summer during sampling and extensive modification of land use, such as the drainage of wetlands and agriculture. These results indicate that stream DOC concentrations may be predicted from easily-obtained catchment variables, such as percent wetland.

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