Recycling of EDTA solution after soil washing of Pb, Zn, Cd and As contaminated soil

Soil washing with EDTA is known to be an effective means of removing toxic metals from contaminated soil. A practical way of recycling of used soil washing solution remains, however, an unsolved technical problem. We demonstrate here, in a laboratory scale experiment, the feasibility of using acid precipitation to recover up to 50% of EDTA from used soil washing solution obtained after extraction of Pb (5330 mg kg−1), Zn (3400 mg kg−1), Cd (35 mg kg−1) and As (279 mg kg−1) contaminated soil. Up to 100% of EDTA residual in the washing solution and 100%, 97%, 98% and 100% of initial Pb, Zn, Cd and As concentration in the solution, respectively, were removed in an electrolytic cell using a graphite anode. We employed the recovered EDTA and treated washing solution to prepare recycled soil washing solution with the same potential for extracting toxic metals from soil as the original. The efficiency of soil washing depends on the EDTA concentration. Using twice recycled 30 mmol EDTA kg−1 soil, we removed 44%, 20%, 53% and 61% of Pb, Zn, Cd and As, respectively, from contaminated soil.

► EDTA recycling is an imperative for cost-effective soil washing.
► EDTA was acid-precipitated from the washing solution.
► Toxic metals were removed in the electrolytic cell.
► Recycled EDTA retained toxic metal extraction potential.