Chromium(VI) Adsorption and Reduction in Soils under Anoxic Conditions: The Relative Roles of Iron (oxyhr)oxides, Iron(II), Organic Matters, and Microbes

Chromium (Cr) transformation in soils mediated by iron (Fe) (oxyhr)oxides, Fe(II), organic matter (OM), and microbes is largely unexplored. Here, their coupling processes and mechanisms were investigated during anoxic incubation experiments of four Cr(VI) spiked soil samples with distinct physicochemical properties from the tropical and subtropical regions of China. It demonstrates that easily oxidizable organic carbon (EOC, 55-84%) and microbes (16-48%) drive Cr(VI) reduction in soils enriched with goethite and/or hematite, among which in dryland soils microbial sulfate reduction may also be involved. In contrast, EOC (38 ± 1%), microbes (33 ± 1%), and exchangeable and poorly crystalline Fe (oxyhr)oxide-associated Fe(II) (29 ± 3%) contribute to Cr(VI) reduction in paddy soils enriched with ferrihydrite. Additionally, exogenous Fe(II) and microbes significantly enhance Cr(VI) reduction in ferrihydrite- and goethite-rich soils, and Fe(II) greatly promotes but microbes slightly inhibit Cr passivation. Both Fe(II) and microbes, especially the latter, promote OM mineralization and result in the most substantial OM loss in ferrihydrite-rich paddy soils. During the incubation, part of the ferrihydrite converts to goethite but microbes may hinder the transformation. These results provide deep insights into the geochemical fates of redox-sensitive heavy metals mediated by the complicated effects of Fe, OM, and microbes in natural and engineered environments.

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Publication Details

Journal
Environmental Science & Technology
Published
2024-10-03
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.4c08677
Citations
21
Primary Topic
Chromium effects and bioremediation
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
6.61

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article

Chromium(VI) Adsorption and Reduction in Soils under Anoxic Conditions: The Relative Roles of Iron (oxyhr)oxides, Iron(II), Organic Matters, and Microbes

Long‐Jun Ding, Hui Yin, Xionghan Feng, Xiaopeng Huang et al.
21 citations
Environmental Science & Technology
Chromium effects and bioremediation
6.61
article

Chromium(VI) Adsorption and Reduction in Soils under Anoxic Conditions: The Relative Roles of Iron (oxyhr)oxides, Iron(II), Organic Matters, and Microbes

Long‐Jun Ding, Hui Yin, Xionghan Feng, Xiaopeng Huang, Jiangshan Li, Jing Zhang, Mei Hong, Fan Liu, Chunmei Chen, Shuqi Jiang, Yong Guan, Juan Xiong, Wenfeng Tan, Wentao Wang
article en
21 citations

Abstract

Chromium (Cr) transformation in soils mediated by iron (Fe) (oxyhr)oxides, Fe(II), organic matter (OM), and microbes is largely unexplored. Here, their coupling processes and mechanisms were investigated during anoxic incubation experiments of four Cr(VI) spiked soil samples with distinct physicochemical properties from the tropical and subtropical regions of China. It demonstrates that easily oxidizable organic carbon (EOC, 55-84%) and microbes (16-48%) drive Cr(VI) reduction in soils enriched with goethite and/or hematite, among which in dryland soils microbial sulfate reduction may also be involved. In contrast, EOC (38 ± 1%), microbes (33 ± 1%), and exchangeable and poorly crystalline Fe (oxyhr)oxide-associated Fe(II) (29 ± 3%) contribute to Cr(VI) reduction in paddy soils enriched with ferrihydrite. Additionally, exogenous Fe(II) and microbes significantly enhance Cr(VI) reduction in ferrihydrite- and goethite-rich soils, and Fe(II) greatly promotes but microbes slightly inhibit Cr passivation. Both Fe(II) and microbes, especially the latter, promote OM mineralization and result in the most substantial OM loss in ferrihydrite-rich paddy soils. During the incubation, part of the ferrihydrite converts to goethite but microbes may hinder the transformation. These results provide deep insights into the geochemical fates of redox-sensitive heavy metals mediated by the complicated effects of Fe, OM, and microbes in natural and engineered environments.

Environmental Science & TechnologyVol. 58(41)
Inner Mongolia Agricultural University (CN), University of Science and Technology of China (CN), Tianjin University (CN), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN), Ministry of Ecology and Environment (CN), Huazhong Agricultural University (CN), Institute of High Energy Physics (CN), Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics (CN), Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences (CN), National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory (CN), University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN), Carnegie Mellon University (US), Hubei University (CN)
National Natural Science Foundation of China, Youth Innovation Promotion Association of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Department of Science and Technology of Inner Mongolia, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities
Life in Land
Openalex Percentile: Top 2%
Chromium effects and bioremediation
6.61
DOISourceOpenAlex
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