Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Binding characteristics of Pb2+ to natural fulvic acid extracted from the sediments in Lake Wuliangsuhai, Inner Mongolia plateau, P. R. China

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Environmental Earth Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Humic substance (HS) is the determining factor in controlling the geochemistry behavior and progress of heavy metals. Using fulvic acid (FA) extracted from natural sediment as sorbent, this work studied binding characteristics between FA and Pb2+ considering the influences of temperature, ionic strength and FA concentrations. The results showed the amount of bound-Pb increased with increasing initial Pb2+ concentrations and FA concentrations, but decreased with increasing ionic strengths. Correspondingly, the logarithm conditional distribution coefficients (log K D) of bound-Pb sharply declined as the increase of initial Pb2+, and log K D increase accompanied the increase of FA concentrations and decrease with the ionic strengths. The two-site ligand binding model fit all the binding experimental data very well and proved that two classes of binding sites were involved in the interaction of Pb2+ with the extracted FA. The results clearly confirmed the chemical heterogeneity of the binding sites present in the FA extracted from the lake sediment. Fourier transform infrared spectra indicated that two types of functional groups exist in the extracted FA and participated in the interaction of FA and Pb2+, corresponding to the two-site ligand binding model in description of the characteristics of Pb2+–FA complex. The apparent stability constant (K S) values calculated for the strong binding sites (S1) were higher than for the weak sites (S2) by 1–2 orders of magnitude; however, S1 sites were limited in numbers, as evidenced by lowering the maximum binding capability (B max) values, which were 3–40 times smaller than those for S2 sites. The bound process of Pb2+ to FA is spontaneous and exothermic from the result of the thermodynamic parameters. This work is important to reveal the mechanism of binding characteristics between Pb2+ and FA. It also gives a theoretical and practical direction to understanding the environmental effect of HS, environmental geochemical behavior and bio-availability of heavy metals in lakes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abbt-Braun G, Lankes U, Frimmel FH (2004) Structural characterization of aquatic humic substances—the need for a multiple method approach. Aquat Sci 66:151–170

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aiken GR, McKnight DM, Wershaw RL, MacCarthy P (1985) Humic substances in soil, sediment, and water: geochemistry, isolation and characterization. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Akar D, Shahwan T, Eroglu A (2005) Kinetic and thermodynamic investigations of strontium ions retention by natural kaolinite and clinoptilolite minerals. Radiochim Acta 93:477–485

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anđelković T, Nikolić R, Bojić A, Anđelković D, Nikolić G (2010) Binding of cadmium to soil humic acid as a function of carboxyl group content. Maced J Chem Chem Eng 29:215–224

    Google Scholar 

  • Benedetti MF, Milne CJ, Kinniburgh DG, Van Riemsdijk WH, Koopal LK (1995) Metal ion binding to humic substances: application of the non-ideal competitive adsorption model. Environ Sci Technol 29:446–457

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bonten LTC, Groenenberg JE, Weng L, Riemsdijk WHV (2008) Use of speciation and complexation models to estimate heavy metal sorption in soils. Geoderma 146(1):303–310

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buffle J (1988) Complexation reactions in aquatic systems. An analytical approach

  • Buschmann J, Kappeler A, Lindauer U, Kistler D, Berg M, Sigg L (2006) Arsenite and arsenate binding to dissolved humic acids: influence of pH, type of humic acid, and aluminum. Environ Sci Technol 40:6015–6020

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carbonaro RF, Atalay YB, Di Toro DM (2011) Linear free energy relationships for metal–ligand complexation: bidentate binding to negatively-charged oxygen donor atoms. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 75:2499–2511

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chakraborty P, Manek A, Niyogi S, Hudson J (2014) Determination of dynamic metal complexes and their diffusion coefficients in the presence of different humic substances by combining two analytical techniques. Anal Lett 47:1224–1241

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Christl I, Kretzschmar R (2001) Relating ion binding by fulvic and humic acids to chemical composition and molecular size. 1. Proton binding. Environ Sci Technol 35:2505–2511

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Christl I, Metzger A, Heidmann I, Kretzschmar R (2005) Effect of humic and fulvic acid concentrations and ionic strength on copper and lead binding. Environ Sci Technol 39:5319–5326

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Evangelou V, Marsi M, Chappell M (2002) Potentiometric–spectroscopic evaluation of metal-ion complexes by humic fractions extracted from corn tissue. Spectrochim Acta Part A Mol Biomol Spectrosc 58:2159–2175

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fakour H, Lin T-F (2014) Experimental determination and modeling of arsenic complexation with humic and fulvic acids. J Hazard Mater 279:569–578

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Geyer W, Brüggemann L, Hanschmann G (1998) Prediction of properties of soil humic substances from FTIR spectra using partial least squares regression. Int J Environ Anal Chem 71:181–193

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giovanela M, Parlanti E, Soriano-Sierra E, Soldi M, Sierra M (2004) Elemental compositions, FT-IR spectra and thermal behavior of sedimentary fulvic and humic acids from aquatic and terrestrial environments. Geochem J 38:255–264

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gondar D, López R, Fiol S, Antelo J, Arce F (2006) Cadmium, lead, and copper binding to humic acid and fulvic acid extracted from an ombrotrophic peat bog. Geoderma 135:196–203

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guardado I, Urrutia O, Garcia-Mina JM (2005) Methodological approach to the study of the formation and physicochemical properties of phosphate-metal-humic complexes in solution. J Agric Food Chem 53:8673–8678

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gustafsson JP, Persson I, Oromieh AG, van Schaik JW, Sjöstedt C, Kleja DB (2014) Chromium (III) complexation to natural organic matter: mechanisms and modeling. Environ Sci Technol 48:1753–1761

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haiber S, Herzog H, Burba P, Gosciniak B, Lambert J (2001) Two-dimensional NMR studies of size fractionated Suwannee River fulvic and humic acid reference. Environ Sci Technol 35:4289–4294

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heidmann I, Christl I, Kretzschmar R (2005) Aggregation kinetics of kaolinite-fulvic acid colloids as affected by the sorption of Cu and Pb. Environ Sci Technol 39:807–813

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herrero A, Barrado E, Rey F, Machado A (2000) Influence of the ligand concentration and pH on the complexation of Cu (II) by a soil fulvic acid. Analusis 28:127–131

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kinniburgh DG, Milne CJ, Benedetti MF, Pinheiro JP, Filius J, Koopal LK, Van Riemsdijk WH (1996) Metal ion binding by humic acid: application of the NICA-Donnan model. Environ Sci Technol 30:1687–1698

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koopal LK, Saito T, Pinheiro JP, Riemsdijk WHV (2005) Ion binding to natural organic matter: general considerations and the NICA-Donnan model. Colloids Surf, A 265:40–54

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee MH, Choi SY, Chung KH, Moon H (1993) Complexation of Cadmium (II) with humic acids: effects of pH and humic acid origin. Bull Korean Chem Soc 14:727

    Google Scholar 

  • Levy JL, Zhang H, Davison W, Galceran J, Puy J (2012) Kinetic signatures of metals in the presence of Suwannee River fulvic acid. Environ Sci Technol 46:3335–3342

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu G, Cai Y (2010) Complexation of arsenite with dissolved organic matter: conditional distribution coefficients and apparent stability constants. Chemosphere 81:890–896

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lu X, Hanna J, Johnson W (2000) Source indicators of humic substances: an elemental composition, solid state 13 C CP/MAS NMR and Py-GC/MS study. Appl Geochem 15:1019–1033

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Milne CJ, Kinniburgh DG, Tipping E (2001) Generic NICA-Donnan Model Parameters for Proton Binding by Humic Substances. Environ Sci Technol 35:2049–2059

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Milne CJ, Kinniburgh DG, Riemsdijk WH, Van Edward T (2003) Generic NICA-Donnan model parameters for metal-ion binding by humic substances. Environ Sci Technol 37:958–971

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nakamoto K (1997) Infrared and Raman spectra of inorganic and coordination compounds. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Nakamoto K, McCarthy PJ (1968) Spectroscopy and structure of metal chelate compounds. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Otto WH, Carper WR, Larive CK (2001) Measurement of cadmium (II) and calcium (II) complexation by fulvic acids using 113Cd NMR. Environ Sci Technol 35:1463–1468

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patricia M, Sandrine H, Koopal LK (2006) Modeling metal-particle interactions with an emphasis on natural organic matter. Environ Sci Technol 40:7459–7466

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pinheiro J, Mota A, Benedetti M (1999) Lead and calcium binding to fulvic acids: salt effect and competition. Environ Sci Technol 33:3398–3404

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pinheiro J, Mota A, Benedetti M (2000) Effect of aluminum competition on lead and cadmium binding to humic acids at variable ionic strength. Environ Sci Technol 34:5137–5143

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reemtsma T, These A, Springer A, Linscheid M (2006) Fulvic acids as transition state of organic matter: indications from high resolution mass spectrometry. Environ Sci Technol 40:5839–5845

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Riggle J, von Wandruszka R (2005) Binding of inorganic phosphate to dissolved metal humates. Talanta 66:372–375

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ritchie JD, Perdue EM (2003) Proton-binding study of standard and reference fulvic acids, humic acids, and natural organic matter. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 67:85–96

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schnitzer M, Gupta UC (1965) Determination of acidity in soil organic matter. Soil Sci Soc Am J 29:274–277

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shaker AM, Komy ZR, Heggy SE, El-Sayed ME (2012) Kinetic study for adsorption humic acid on soil minerals. J Phys Chem A 116:10889–10896

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Slaveykova VI, Wilkinson KJ, Ceresa A, Pretsch E (2003) Role of fulvic acid on lead bioaccumulation by Chlorella kesslerii. Environ Sci Technol 37:1114–1121

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stevenson FJ (1994) Humus chemistry: genesis, composition, reactions. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Tan W, Xiong J, Li Y, Wang M, Weng L, Koopal LK (2013) Proton binding to soil humic and fulvic acids: experiments and NICA-Donnan modeling. Colloids Surf A 436:1152–1158

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tipping E, Hurley MA (1992) A unifying model of cation binding by humic substances. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 56:3627–3641

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang C, Wang Z, Peng A, Hou J, Xin W (1996) Interaction between fulvic acids of different origins and active oxygen radicals. Sci China Ser C Life Sci/Chin Acad Sci 39:267–275

    Google Scholar 

  • Warwick P, Inam E, Evans N (2005) Arsenic’s interaction with humic acid. Environ Chem 2:119–124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weng L, Temminghoff EJ, Van Riemsdijk WH (2001) Contribution of individual sorbents to the control of heavy metal activity in sandy soil. Environ Sci Technol 35:4436–4443

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xia K, Bleam W, Helmke PA (1997) Studies of the nature of Cu2+ and Pb2+ binding sites in soil humic substances using X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Geochimica Et Cosmochimica Acta 61:2211–2221

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xiong J et al (2013) Lead binding to soil fulvic and humic acids: nICA-Donnan modeling and XAFS spectroscopy. Environ Sci Technol 47:11634–11642

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang Y, Shu L, Wang X, Xing B, Tao S (2011) Impact of de-ashing humic acid and humin on organic matter structural properties and sorption mechanisms of phenanthrene. Environ Sci Technol 45:3996–4002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yates LM, Von Wandruszka R (1999) Decontamination of polluted water by treatment with a crude humic acid blend. Environ Sci Technol 33:2076–2080

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yu S, Chen C, Chang P, Wang T, Lu S, Wang X (2008) Adsorption of Th(IV) onto Al-pillared rectorite: effect of pH, ionic strength, temperature, soil humic acid and fulvic acid. Appl Clay Sci 38:219–226

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang J, Dai J, Wang R, Li F, Wang W (2009) Adsorption and desorption of divalent mercury (Hg 2 +) on humic acids and fulvic acids extracted from typical soils in China. Colloids Surf A 335:194–201

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (41163006, 41003049) and Inner Mongolia Natural Science Foundation (2015MS0407).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China

    Jinghua Wang, Jiang He & Boyi Zhao

  2. College of Environment and Resources, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China

    Jinghua Wang, Changwei Lü & Jiang He

  3. Institute of Environmental Geology, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China

    Jinghua Wang, Changwei Lü & Jiang He

Authors
  1. Jinghua Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Changwei Lü
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jiang He
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Boyi Zhao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Changwei Lü or Jiang He.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Wang, J., Lü, C., He, J. et al. Binding characteristics of Pb2+ to natural fulvic acid extracted from the sediments in Lake Wuliangsuhai, Inner Mongolia plateau, P. R. China. Environ Earth Sci 75, 768 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-016-5608-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-016-5608-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation