Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Mechanism for reverse electroosmotic flow and its impact on electrokinetic remediation of lead-contaminated kaolin

  • Research Paper
  • Published:
Acta Geotechnica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The direction of electroosmotic flow in clay is normal from the anode to the cathode, and the opposite direction is rarely observed. However, electroosmotic flow from the cathode to the anode was observed in kaolin acidified to pH 4 by acetic acid during an electroosmosis experiment. It had an impact on the electrokinetic remediation occurring with lead-contaminated kaolin. The experimental results indicated that reverse electroosmotic flow from the cathode to the anode was caused by a decrease in the absolute value of the soil zeta potential due to the compressed double electric layer and the hydrophilic carboxyl groups in acetate ions. The reverse electroosmotic flow was stronger than normal electroosmotic flow from anode to cathode. The reverse electroosmotic flow had an impact on migration of lead ions in the lead-contaminated kaolin during electrokinetic remediation experiments. The experimental results indicated that the rate for removal of Pb was increased by 10.1% due to the reverse electroosmotic flow. A micro-mechanism model for lead ion migration was built according to the functions of electric field and electroosmotic flows on lead ions, and it explained well the mechanism for the impact of reverse electroosmosis on lead ion removal. The micro-mechanism model indicated that when the direction of the stronger electroosmotic flow is the same as the migration direction of Pb, the rate for removal of Pb is improved, and vice versa.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Zhang W, Yang G, Tu X et al (1999) Determination of pH value in forest soil LYT1239–1999. Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing

  2. Xia J, Cai D, Xia Z et al (1995) Environmental quality standard for soils GB15618–1995. National Environmental Protection Agency, Beijing

  3. Jin Y, E X, Chen C et al (2006) Standards for drinking water quality GB5749–2006. National Institute of Environment Health, China CDC, Beijing

  4. Acar YB, Alshawabkeh AN (1993) Principles of electrokinetic remediation. Environ Sci Tech 27(13):2638–2647

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Alcántara MT, Gómez J, Pazos M et al (2012) Electrokinetic remediation of lead and phenanthrene polluted soils. Geoderma 173–174:128–133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2011.12.009

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Azzam R, Oey W (2001) The utilization of electrokinetics in geotechnical and environmental engineering. Transp Porous Media 42:293–314. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006753622691

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Bao H (2010) Analytical chemistry. Higher Education Press, Beijing, pp 135–137

    Google Scholar 

  8. Cai Z, Yang H, Cheng R (2008) Hydration number of carboxylic acid ions in water. Acta Chim Sinica 66:831–833

    Google Scholar 

  9. Cameselle C, Pena A (2016) Enhanced electromigration and electro-osmosis for the remediation of an agricultural soil contaminated with multiple heavy metals. Process Saf Environ 104:209–217. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psep.2016.09.002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Cameselle C, Reddy KR (2012) Development and enhancement of electro-osmotic flow for the removal of contaminants from soils. Electrochim Acta 86:10–22

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Wu C, Yuan S, Wan J et al (2008) The electromigration of cadmium in contaminated kaolin by a primary cell. Environ Chem 2:168–171

    Google Scholar 

  12. Min F, Qing Z, Li H et al (2013) Study of electrokinetic properties of kaolinite in coal slime. J China Univ Min Technol 02:127–133. https://doi.org/10.13247/j.cnki.jcumt.2013.02.020

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Zeng G, Gao Y (1956) Electrochemical strengthening of soft clay (preliminary test results). J Zhejiang Univ (Eng Sci) 02:15–38.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Gustafsson JP (2012) Visual MINTEQ 3.0 user guide. Dep.of Land & Water Resour.eng

  15. Jalilehvand F, Spngberg D, Lindqvist-Reis P et al (2001) Hydration of the calcium ion. An EXAFS, large-angle X-ray scattering, and molecular dynamics simulation study. J Am Chem Soc 123:431–441. https://doi.org/10.1021/ja001533a

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Jo SU, Kim DH, Yang JS et al (2012) Pulse-enhanced electrokinetic restoration of sulfate-containing saline greenhouse soil. Electrochim Acta 86:57–62

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Kaya A, Yukselen Y (2011) Zeta potential of clay minerals and quartz contaminated by heavy metals. Revue Canadienne De Géotechnique 42:1280–1289. https://doi.org/10.1139/t05-048

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Kimura T, Takase KI, Tanaka S (2007) Concentration of copper and a copper-EDTA complex at the pH junction formed in soil by an electrokinetic remediation process. J Hazard Mater 3:668–672

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Lee KY, Kim KW (2010) Heavy metal removal from shooting range soil by hybrid electrokinetics with bacteria and enhancing agents. Environ Sci Technol 44:9482–9487

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Lei Y, Kai X (2016) Accurate calculation of buffer capacity. Guangzhou Chem Ind 44:131–132

    Google Scholar 

  21. Lu X, Huang X, Cheng J et al (2007) Study of the matrix effects of simulated soil components(kaoline and montmorillonite) on the electrokinetic remediation for Cu(II) contaminated soils. Sciencepaper Online 2:577–581

    Google Scholar 

  22. Méndez E, Pérez M, Romero O et al (2012) Effects of electrode material on the efficiency of hydrocarbon removal by an electrokinetic remediation process. Electrochim Acta 86:148–156

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Mitchell JK, Mitchell J, Mitchell J et al (2005) Fundamentals of Soil Behaviour, pp 282–283

  24. Pamukcu S, Weeks A, Wittle JK (2004) Enhanced reduction of Cr(VI) by direct electric current in a contaminated clay. Environ Sci Technol 38:1236–1241

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Pomi R, Masi M, Marini A et al (2015) Electrokinetic remediation of metal-polluted marine sediments: experimental investigation for plant design. Electrochim Acta 181:146–159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2015.04.093

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Reddy K, Chinthamreddy S (2004) Enhanced electrokinetic remediation of heavy metals in glacial till soils using different electrolyte solutions. J Environ Eng 130:442–455. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9372(2004)130:4(442)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Reddy KR, Chinthamreddy S (2015) Electrokinetic remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils under reducing environments. Waste Manage 19:269–282

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Reginatto AR, Ferrero JC (1975) Collapse potential of soils and soil-water chemistry. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci Geomech Abstr 12:59

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Rojo A, Hansen HK, Agramonte M (2011) Electrokinetic remediation with high frequency sinusoidal electric fields. Sep Purif Technol 79:139–143

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Song Y, Ammami MT, Benamar A et al (2016) Effect of EDTA, EDDS, NTA and citric acid on electrokinetic remediation of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn contaminated dredged marine sediment. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23:10577–10586. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-5966-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Suzuki T, Niinae M, Koga T et al (2014) EDDS-enhanced electrokinetic remediation of heavy metal-contaminated clay soils under neutral pH conditions. Colloids Surf, A 440:145–150

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Vizcaíno RL, Yustres A, León MJ et al (2017) Multiphysics implementation of electrokinetic remediation models for natural soils and porewaters. Electrochim Acta 225:93–104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2016.12.102

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Villen GM, Garcia RA, Paz-Garcia JM et al (2015) The use of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid as enhancing agent for the remediation of a lead polluted soil. Electrochim Acta 181:82–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2015.03.061

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Wang J, Zhang DS, Stabnikova O et al (2005) Evaluation of electrokinetic removal of heavy metals from sewage sludge. J Hazard Mater 124:139–146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2005.04.036

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Chao W, Xia Y(1991) Electrolyte. Xi’an Jiaotong University Press, pp 52

  36. Gan W, He Y, Zhang X et al (2012) Speciation analysis of heavy metals in soils polluted by electroplating and effect of washing to the removal of the pollutants. J Ecol Rural Environ 28:82–87

    Google Scholar 

  37. Yang C, Li J, Cang L (2008) A review: electrokinetic remediation technology and its applications for heavy metals removal from Sewage Sludge. Water Purif Technol 27:1–4

    Google Scholar 

  38. Yang GCC (2019) Integrated electrokinetic processes for the remediation of phthalate esters in river sediments: A mini-review. Sci Total Environ 659:963–972. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.12.334

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Yeung AT, Gu YY (2011) A review on techniques to enhance electrochemical remediation of contaminated soils. J Hazard Mater 195:11–29

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Yuan L, Li H, Xu X et al (2016) Electrokinetic remediation of heavy metals contaminated kaolin by a CNT-covered polyethylene terephthalate yarn cathode. Electrochim Acta 213:140–147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2016.07.081

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Yukselen Y, Kaya A (2003) Zeta potential of kaolinite in the presence of alkali, alkaline earth and hydrolyzable metal ions. Water Air Soil Pollut 145:155–168. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023684213383

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Zhou J, Lu X, Wang Y et al (2000) Molecular dynamics simulationof ionic hydration. J Chem Ind Eng 21:762–765

    Google Scholar 

  43. Zhuang YF, Zou W, Wang Z et al (2012) Electrically conductive PVD No. ZL201210197981.4.

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by research grants from National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2021YFC2901701) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC Grant Nos. 41472039 and 51109168).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Civil Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei, People’s Republic of China

    Yani Liu, Yan-feng Zhuang, Fang Xiao & Zhitao Liu

Authors
  1. Yani Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yan-feng Zhuang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Fang Xiao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Zhitao Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Yan-feng Zhuang led the projects and designed the experiments. Zhitao Liu participated in the experiment design and carried out the experiments. Yani Liu participated in the experiments, carried out the data analysis and drafted the manuscript. Fang Xiao participated in preparation and revision of the manuscript; Yan-feng Zhuang significantly helped with revision of the manuscript and gave final approval for the version to be submitted.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yan-feng Zhuang.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Liu, Y., Zhuang, Yf., Xiao, F. et al. Mechanism for reverse electroosmotic flow and its impact on electrokinetic remediation of lead-contaminated kaolin. Acta Geotech. 18, 1515–1528 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-022-01640-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-022-01640-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation