Effects of zero-valent iron added in the flooding or drainage process on cadmium immobilization in an acid paddy soil


Yang Yang , Hanbing Meng , Shiwen Hu , Zebin Hong , Wenting Chi , Guojun Chen , Kuan Cheng , Qi Wang , Tongxu Liu , Fangbai Li , Kexue Liu

DOI:10.1016/j.jes.2023.03.032

Received January 18, 2023,Revised , Accepted March 23, 2023, Available online April 03, 2023

Volume 36,2024,Pages 19-31

Zero-valent iron (ZVI) is a promising material for the remediation of Cd-contaminated paddy soils. However, the effects of ZVI added during flooding or drainage processes on cadmium (Cd) retention remain unclear. Herein, Cd-contaminated paddy soil was incubated for 40 days of flooding and then for 15 days of drainage, and the underlying mechanisms of Cd immobilization coupled with Fe/S/N redox processes were investigated. The addition of ZVI to the flooding process was more conducive to Cd immobilization. Less potential available Cd was detected by adding ZVI before flooding, which may be due to the increase in paddy soil pH and newly formed secondary Fe minerals. Moreover, the reductive dissolution of Fe minerals promoted the release of soil colloids, thereby increasing significantly the surface sites and causing Cd immobilization. Additionally, the addition of ZVI before flooding played a vital role in Cd retention after soil drainage. In contrast, the addition of ZVI in the drainage phase was not conducive to Cd retention, which might be due to the rapid decrease in soil pH that inhibited Cd adsorption and further immobilization on soil surfaces. The findings of this study demonstrated that Cd availability in paddy soil was largely reduced by adding ZVI during the flooding period and provide a novel insight into the mechanisms of ZVI remediation in Cd-contaminated paddy soils.

Copyright © Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press. All rights reserved.京ICP备05002858号-3