Understanding the remobilization of copper, zinc, cadmium and lead due to ageing through sequential extraction and isotopic exchangeability.

Artificial infiltration facilities (AIFs) are useful to control urban runoff and regulate combined sewer overflows. Over the years, AIFs accumulate significant amounts of soakaway sediments and organic matter. The prolonged retention of soakaway sediments in AIFs is likely to cause metal remobilization due to ageing processes. The measurement of the individual consequence of ageing demands homogeneity in physical and chemical profiles of samples. This leads to assessment of metal remobilization in a single soil core through solid-phase extractions and isotopic exchangeability (E value). Depth-wise variation in the physicochemical properties and metal content of the underlying soil (below 1 m of AIFs) was created through 2 weeks of continuous leaching with artificial road runoff (ARR). Ten samples obtained from a 50-cm core by sectioning it at 5-cm intervals were subsequently incubated for 18 months. The results suggest that degradation of organic matter and changes in functional groups due to ageing govern metal remobilization. In general, the top segment showed significant alteration due to ageing. Post incubation, Zn increased dramatically in contrast to subdued Cu and Pb levels in exchangeable fractions with concomitant rise in organic-bound fractions. Isotopic exchangeability of Cd and Zn showed pronounced effect of ageing, although the effect of ageing was distinct in chemical partitioning and isotopic exchangeability of metals; a comparative study of short-term versus long-term incubation will benefit assessment of initial dynamics and final equilibrium. Consequently, the outcome from this work is a viable tool in risk prediction related to soakaway sediment accumulation in AIF.