Chromium Release from a COPR-Contaminated Soil at Varying Water Content and Redox Conditions

Many soils in the region of Kanpur, North India, are heavily affected by the leather industry and its upstream supplier sector, as indicated by elevated chromium (Cr) contents. Under reducing conditions-for instance, at water saturation after monsoon rain or flood irrigation-the dynamic and species distribution of Cr may be affected due to changes in redox potential (E). In this study, the influence of E on the speciation and release of Cr from a contaminated agricultural soil was investigated. A soil sample that was affected by hyperalkaline leachate from chromite ore processing residue, was taken and packed in soil columns, and subjected to a saturation-drainage-saturation cycle. After initial water saturation, the E dropped slowly to minimum values of around ‒100 mV (calculated to pH 7), while E was controlled by CrO/CrO(s), or CrO/(Fe,Cr)OOH redox couples. Soil drainage resulted in a quick return to oxidizing conditions; i.e., E > 300 mV. The Cr species distribution and release showed a clear trend with E. At the beginning of the experiment, under oxidizing and weakly reducing conditions (E range from >100 to 300 mV), Cr(VI) was released in particular. However, under moderately reducing conditions (E range from 100 to -100 mV), Cr was gradually immobilized and irreversible sequestered via reductive precipitation. The results presented in this study provide an improved understanding of the mobility of Cr(VI) in contaminated soils at varying water contents, which is essential for the evaluation of environmental risks in this region.