Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 22, 2026

Resource Recycling of Red Soil to Synthesize Fe2O3/FAU-type Zeolite Composite Material for Heavy Metal Removal
Published on: June 2, 2022
Humic substances-enhanced electroremediation of heavy metals contaminated soil
Mahdi Bahemmat1, Mohsen Farahbakhsh1, Mehran Kianirad2
1Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, University of Tehran, Iran.
Abstract:
The effects of catholyte conditioning and the use of humic acids (HAs) and fulvic acids (FAs) as chelating agents to improve electrokinetic (EK) remediation efficiency were investigated using a real and highly contaminated soil. By applying a constant voltage (2.0V/cm) to the soil, pH and current changes and heavy metals (HMs) concentration were investigated through a range of durations and positions. The observations demonstrated that both catholyte conditioning with 0.1N HNO3 and using humic substances (HSs) enhance remediation efficiency. After 20 days of EK treatment, the removal efficiency of HMs in HS-enhanced EK remediation was about 2.0-3.0 times greater than when unenhanced. The quantity of HMs moving toward the cathode exceeded the anode, from which it could be reasonably inferred that most negatively charged HM-HS complexes were moved by electroosmotic forces. Further, free HM cations and positively charged complexed HMs migrated to the catholyte compartment by electromigration. The results obtained in this study, demonstrate the suitability of HS-enhanced EK remediation in HMs contaminated soil.
Related Concept Videos
Microbial Bioremediation of Uranium
Extraction: Advanced Methods
Bioremediation
Microbial Leaching
Microbial Bioremediation of Hydrocarbons
Acid Mine Drainage

