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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Built Environ.
Sec. Geotechnical Engineering
Volume 10 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fbuil.2024.1483262
This article is part of the Research Topic Recent Advances in Soil Improvement View all 3 articles

Exploring the Strengthening Mechanisms of Various Treatments in Electrokinetic Remediation of Cu-and Pb-Contaminated Loess

Provisionally accepted
Pengli He Pengli He 1Wenle Hu Wenle Hu 1,2*Jinjun Guo Jinjun Guo 1
  • 1 Luoyang Institute of Science and Technology, Luoyang, Henan Province, China
  • 2 Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Given the enrichment of copper and lead mines and the high yields in North-Western China, the development of efficient technologies for the simultaneous decontamination of such sites is both challenging and imperative, particularly as land contamination continues to pose significant environmental concerns. Electrokinetic (EK) technology has become an increasingly popular alternative to traditional soil remediation methods due to its time efficiency and reduced risk of secondary pollution. This study examines the effects of electric field intensity, electrode materials, and electrolyte pH control on the removal efficiency of heavy metals from loess. An EK reactor is employed in the experiments to measure pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and the electromigration of heavy metal ions. The results indicate that higher electric field strength not only increases electric current and cumulative electroosmotic flow (EOF) but also advances the acidic peak at the anode, facilitating the migration and removal of copper and lead ions. Compared to graphite electrodes, EKG electrodes not only enhance electric current and cumulative EOF but also lower the pH near the anode, reducing the focusing effect near the cathode. This improvement results in an increased removal efficiency of copper and lead by approximately 25% and 5%, respectively. When the cathode electrolyte pH is adjusted from 9.0 or 4.0 to 7.0, electric current and cumulative EOF significantly increase, the focusing effect is reduced, and the migration and removal of copper and lead are enhanced. These findings underscore the improved efficiency of EK remediation and demonstrate the potential of utilizing a modified EK reactor for the treatment of Cu-and Pb-contaminated loess.

    Keywords: Loess soil, Electrokinetic remediation, heavy metal, Electrodes, controlling electrolyte pH

    Received: 19 Aug 2024; Accepted: 13 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 He, Hu and Guo. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Wenle Hu, Luoyang Institute of Science and Technology, Luoyang, Henan Province, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.