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Enhanced Heavy Metal Phytoextraction from Marine Dredged Sediments Comparing Conventional Chelating Agents (Citric Acid and EDTA) with Humic Substances

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Abstract

Laboratory experiments were carried out to examine the effects of chelating agents on heavy metal extraction from slightly contaminated dredged sediments from the port of Livorno (Italy). Ethylene diamine tetraacetate (EDTA), citric acid (CA) and humic substances (HS) were tested in two different concentrations each: 120 and 480, 500 and 2,000, 500 and 1,000 mg/l, respectively. Solubilisation of heavy metals (Cu and Zn) was observed for both EDTA and HS in the extraction kinetic experiments: 58% of the total Cu and 50% of the total Zn in the sediment were mobilised from the solid matrix using EDTA (480 mg/l) and 32% of the total Cu and 5% of the total Zn, using HS (1,000 mg/l). It was observed that solubilized metal levels were positively related to the chelating agent concentration. HS performance in the heavy metals mobilisation and phyto-toxicity tests was considered promising. HS represent an innovation in enhanced phytoextraction techniques: they can be considered an environmentally non-impacting bio-agronomic amendment. CA induced no significant effects on heavy metal mobilisation and it also negatively affects seed germination (Germination Index < 40%). Laboratory experiments with plants showed that none of the treatments significantly affected the biomass production and a trend could only be detected for the heavy metal uptake into shoots of Paspalum vaginatum sp. Transplantation of seashore paspalum is useful as a pre-treatment of contaminated dredged sediments, since it is a salt-tolerant species and it can be easily adaptable on a nutrient poor and fine textured medium.

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Acknowledgements

The present work was funded by the Italian Ministry of the Environment, Land and Sea within the Italian-Israeli Cooperation on Environmental Technologies – Project 5 and partially by COFIN 2006/2008 “Definizione di un protocollo su base sperimentale per la messa a punto della metodologia di fitorimediazione di terreni e sedimenti con contaminazioni di diversa natura”.

The authors thank Dr. Giovanni Motta and Dr. Massimo Dini (Livorno Port Authority – Environment, Safety and Quality District) for providing the studied sediments.

The authors thank also Dr. Eleonora Peruzzi, Dr. Cinzia Trassinelli, Dr. Cristina Macci, Dr. Serena Doni and Dr. Natalia Menoni (ISE–CNR Pisa) for the technical assistance in the chemical and biological measurements and Dr. Francesco Orlandi for data collection.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, University of Pisa, Via Gabba 22, 56122, Pisa, Italy

    Veronica Bianchi, David Giraldi & Renato Iannelli

  2. Institute of Ecosystem Study, National Research Council, Via Moruzzi 1, 56122, Pisa, Italy

    Grazia Masciandaro & Brunello Ceccanti

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  1. Veronica Bianchi
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  2. Grazia Masciandaro
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  4. Brunello Ceccanti
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  5. Renato Iannelli
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Correspondence to Veronica Bianchi.

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Bianchi, V., Masciandaro, G., Giraldi, D. et al. Enhanced Heavy Metal Phytoextraction from Marine Dredged Sediments Comparing Conventional Chelating Agents (Citric Acid and EDTA) with Humic Substances. Water Air Soil Pollut 193, 323–333 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-008-9693-0

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