Effects of soil solution pH on adsorption and desorption of Cd, Cu and Zn by soils

In order to reveal the mechanism of heavy metal behavior in soils relating to factors such as soil pH, organic matter, C.E.C. and soil minerals influencing the activities of heavy metals, Cd, Cu and Zn were applied to soil columns filled with 8 different soils with adjusted soil pH to several levels between 3.0 to 11.0 and the amounts of adsorption and desorption of these heavy metals were measured. 1. At the adsorption maxima of three heavy metals(Cd, Cu and Zn) soil pH appeared to be near 6.0 regardless of properties of the 8 soils, and adsorption gradually decreased above and below pH 6.0. This phenomenon was the same in both heavy metal solutions and mixed solutions, and the mixed solution, containing three heavy metals, revealed slightly higher amounts of Cu adsorption and Cd adsorption. 2. It was also found that the adsorption of Cu and Zn by soils was positively correlated with C.E.C. and the organic matter of soils, respectively. However, the pH values showing maxima of heavy metal adsorption were negatively correlated with organic matter content by contrast with the correlation between the maxima and the C.E.C. values in soils. 3. The adsorption of Cu by soils markedly increased more with application than with NaOH application for soil pH adjusment. This was probably because of Ca effects in Cu precipitation in soils, in addition to the effect of the simple soil pH itself on Cu adsorption 4. It was also revealed that adsorbed Cu was hardly desorbed by solution from the Daejeong soil series compared to the Jeonbug and Yechun soil series. This was because the Daejeong soil series consisted of large amounts of expanding type Vermiculite minerals and also was high in C.E.C. and soil organic matter.