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Remediation of Micropalstic-heavy Metal Cocontaminated Soils Using Nanoscale Zero-valent Iron Supported on Palygorskite: Mechanisms and Effectiveness
Summary
Researchers developed a remediation approach for soils co-contaminated with microplastics and heavy metals using nanoscale zero-valent iron supported on palygorskite. The composite material effectively inhibited microplastic migration in soil and reduced heavy metal mobility, with the microplastic content in deeper soil layers remaining at only about 8% of initial levels after treatment.
This study investigates the remediation of microplastic-heavy metal co-contaminated soils using nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) supported on palygorskite (PAL), referred to as PAL-nZVI.The composite material was successfully synthesized via a co-precipitation method and characterized using SEM, XRD, and FTIR.The results demonstrated that PAL-nZVI effectively inhibited the migration of microplastics in soil, with the microplastic content in the 10-15 cm layer remaining at only 8.42% of the initial amount after 28 days of treatment with 1% PAL-nZVI, compared to 15.59% in the control group.Additionally, PAL-nZVI significantly enhanced the stabilization of heavy metals, reducing the bioavailable fractions of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb).The weak acid-extractable fraction of Cd decreased by 11.55%, while the residual fraction increased by 11.46%.For Pb, the oxidizable fraction decreased by 22.34%, and the residual fraction increased by 27.35%.The potential ecological risk index (RI) for Cd and Pb decreased by 55.53% and 79.86%, respectively, with 2% PAL-nZVI treatment.The remediation mechanisms included physical adsorption, chemical reduction, surface complexation, and ion exchange.PAL-nZVI's high specific surface area and functional groups facilitated the adsorption of microplastics and heavy metals, while the reducibility of nZVI transformed high-valence heavy metal ions into low-valence states, reducing their toxicity.This study provides a promising approach for the remediation of soils co-contaminated with microplastics and heavy metals.However, further research is needed to optimize the process and evaluate long-term environmental impacts.