Electrolyte conditioning for electrokinetic remediation of As, Cu, and Pb-contaminated soil

Abstract

We carried out electrokinetic remediation with electrolyte conditioning and pretreatment using acidic and basic solutions to remediate Cu-, As-, and Pb-contaminated soil on a laboratory scale. Under given conditions the soil pH was made more acidic or more basic, and the pH change influenced the strength of the binding of metals and metalloids onto the soil surface. Catholyte conditioning using an acidic solution increased the removal of Cu and Pb from the soil, and the maximum removal was 6.1% for Cu and 75.1% for Pb. Anolyte conditioning using a basic solution enhanced the transport of arsenic (As), which exists in.