Citric Acid-Enhanced Electroremediation of Toxic Metal-Contaminated Dredged Sediments: Effect of Open/Closed Orifice Condition, Electric Potential and Surfactant

Citric acid (CA), a widely used eco-friendly electrolyte, can be employed as an agent for enhancing toxic metal (TM) removal from contaminated dredged sediment using electrokinetic (EK) technology. In this study, dredged harbor sediments co-contaminated by TMs were subjected to enhanced EK treatment using a mixture of chelating agent (CA) and surfactant as an additive in the processing fluids. Several control conditions that may influence the efficiency of TM removal were tested, including open/closed sediment chamber orifices, electric potential gradients (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 V cm−1), and electrolyte surfactant. Tween 20 (4 mmol L−1) was used as a surfactant within the electrolyte to investigate the extent of TM removal in sediment with high organic matter content. The results showed that an open orifice led to a greater electro-osmotic flow (EOF) with moderate TM removal. In contrast, a closed orifice with a nonionic surfactant electrolyte allowed the highest removal of TMs from the matrix. Moreover, increasing the electric potential gradient led to a higher EOF under the open orifice condition, but no significant increase in TM removal was observed owing to a higher accumulation of TMs in the middle of the matrix, caused by the opposite direction of EOF and electro-migration of metal-citrate complexes.