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Updated: Jun 22, 2026
09:33
An Anaerobic Biosensor Assay for the Detection of Mercury and Cadmium
Published on: December 17, 2018
Mercury adsorption-desorption and transport in soils
Lixia Liao1, H M Selim, R D Delaune
1School of Plant, Environmental and Soil Sciences. mselim@agctr.lsu.edu
Journal of Environmental Quality
|June 25, 2009
Summary
Mercury strongly binds to soils, showing minimal release and mobility in experiments. Soil organic matter significantly enhances mercury adsorption, indicating its immobility in various soil types.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Chemistry
- Soil Science
- Geochemistry
Background:
- Mercury contamination poses significant environmental risks.
- Understanding mercury's behavior in soils is crucial for remediation strategies.
- Quantifying mercury retention and mobility is essential for risk assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify mercury retention and release in different soil types.
- To assess the mobility and transport of mercury through soil columns.
- To investigate the influence of soil properties on mercury adsorption.
Main Methods:
- Kinetic sorption experiments were conducted to measure mercury adsorption.
- Column miscible displacement transport experiments simulated mercury movement in soils.
- Mercury adsorption was analyzed using nonlinear models like the Freundlich equation.
Main Results:
- Mercury adsorption was rapid, highly nonlinear, and irreversible across all tested soils.
- Sorption capacities followed the order: Sharkey clay > Olivier loam > Windsor sand.
- Mercury mobility was significantly retarded, with very low effluent concentrations and erratic breakthrough curves.
Conclusions:
- Mercury is strongly retained and highly immobile in the investigated soils.
- Irreversible mercury adsorption is attributed to stable complex formation and high-affinity binding sites.
- Soil organic matter plays a critical role in enhancing mercury adsorption and reducing its mobility.
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