Simultaneous sorption and desorption of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn in acid soils

The sorption and desorption of six heavy metals by and from the surface or immediately subsurface horizons of eleven acid soils of Galicia (N.W. Spain) were characterized by means of batch experiments in which the initial sorption solution contained identical mass concentrations of each metal. Concentration-dependent coefficients Kd were calculated for the distribution of the metals between the soil and solution phases, and the values obtained for initial sorption solution concentrations of 100 mg L−1 of each metal (Kd100) were used, for each soil, to order the metals as regards their sorption and retention. Pb and Cu were sorbed and retained to a greater extent than Cd, Ni or Zn, which had low Kd100 values. Pb was sorbed more than any other metal. Cr was generally sorbed only slightly more than Cd, Ni or Zn, but was strongly retained, with Kd100 (retention) values greater than those of Pb and Cu in soils with very low CEC (<3 cmol(+) kg−1). The sorption of Pb and Cu correlated with organic matter content, while the retention of these and the other metals considered appeared to depend on clay minerals, especially kaolinite, gibbsite, and vermiculite.