Antimony (Sb) and lead (Pb) in contaminated shooting range soils: Sb and Pb mobility and immobilization by iron based sorbents, a field study

Gudny Okkenhaug; Karl-Alexander Grasshorn Gebhardt; Katja Amstaetter; Helga Lassen Bue; Hannes Herzel; Espen Mariussen; Åsgeir Rossebø Almås; Gerard Cornelissen; Gijs D Breedveld; Grete Rasmussen; Jan Mulder

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2016.01.005

Antimony (Sb) and lead (Pb) in contaminated shooting range soils: Sb and Pb mobility and immobilization by iron based sorbents, a field study

J Hazard Mater. 2016 Apr 15:307:336-43. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2016.01.005. Epub 2016 Jan 8.

Affiliations

¹ Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Department of Environmental Sciences, P.O.Box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway; Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), Sognsveien 72, N-0806 Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: go@ngi.no.
² University of Oslo (UiO), Department of Geosciences, P.O.Box 1047 Blindern, N-0316 Oslo, Norway.
³ Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), Sognsveien 72, N-0806 Oslo, Norway; CDM Smith Consult GmbH, Neue Bergstr. 13, 64665 Alsbach, Germany.
⁴ Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Department of Geology and Mineral Resources Engineering, Sem Sælands veg 1, N-7491 Trondheim, Norway; Norwegian Environment Agency, P.O. Box 5672 Sluppen, 7485 Trondheim, Norway.
⁵ Friedrich-Schiller University, Institute of Geosciences, Burgweg 11, 07749 Jena, Germany; BAM Federal Institute of Materials Research and Testing, Unter den Eichen 87, 12205 Berlin, Germany.
⁶ Norwegian Defence Research Establishment, Instituttvn. 20, N-2027 Kjeller, Norway.
⁷ Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Department of Environmental Sciences, P.O.Box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway.
⁸ Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Department of Environmental Sciences, P.O.Box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway; Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), Sognsveien 72, N-0806 Oslo, Norway; Environmental Sciences and Analytical Chemistry (ACES), Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden.
⁹ Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), Sognsveien 72, N-0806 Oslo, Norway; University of Oslo (UiO), Department of Geosciences, P.O.Box 1047 Blindern, N-0316 Oslo, Norway.
¹⁰ Norwegian Defence Estates Agency, Grev Wedels Plass 5, N-0103 Oslo, Norway.

PMID: 26799225
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2016.01.005

Abstract

Small-arm shooting ranges often receive a significant input of lead (Pb), copper (Cu) and antimony (Sb) from ammunition. The goal of the present study was to investigate the mobility, distribution and speciation of Pb and Sb pollution under field conditions in both untreated and sorbent-amended shooting range soil. Elevated Sb (19-349μgL(-1)) and Pb (7-1495μgPbL(-1)) concentrations in the porewater of untreated soil over the four-year test period indicated a long-term Sb and Pb source to the adjacent environment in the absence of remedial measures. Mixing ferric oxyhydroxide powder (CFH-12) (2%) together with limestone (1%) into the soil resulted in an average decrease of Sb and Pb porewater concentrations of 66% and 97%, respectively. A similar reduction was achieved by adding 2% zerovalent iron (Fe°) to the soil. The remediation effect was stable over the four-year experimental period indicating no remobilization. Water- and 1M NH4NO3-extractable levels of Sb and Pb in field soil samples indicated significant immobilization by both treatments (89-90% for Sb and 89-99% for Pb). Results from sequential extraction analysis indicate fixation of Sb and Pb in less accessible fractions like amorphous iron oxides or even more crystalline and residual mineral phases, respectively. This work shows that amendment with Fe-based sorbents can be an effective method to reduce the mobility of metals both in cationic and anionic form in polluted shooting range soil.

Keywords: Antimony; Field test; Lead; Porewater; Shooting range soil; Soil amendment.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't