Ferritization treatment of copper in soil by electrokinetic remediation.

The usefulness of the combined use of the electrokinetic (EK) remediation and a ferrite treatment zone (FTZ) was demonstrated for a treatment of the contaminated soil with heavy metal ions. Copper ions in contaminated soil were transferred into the FTZ by the EK technology and were ferritized in this system. The distribution of copper in a migration chamber after EK treatment with FTZ for 48h showed the large difference in the total and eluted concentration of copper. This indicated that copper ions transferred by EK into the FTZ were ferritized there with ferrite reagent in soil alkalified by EK process. The copper-ferrite compound, which was not dissolved with diluted acid, was retained in the FTZ and accumulated there. The ratio of the ferritized amount of copper against total copper was 92% in the EK process with FTZ after 48 h.