Analysis of Complexing Agents Used to Facilitate Electrokinetic Remediation of Hg Contaminated Soil

By Hamza Syed

Abstract

Soil and ground water at an industrial site in New York have been contaminated with mercury. Electrokinetic remediation is being tested as an alternative to conventional procedures to decontaminate this site. This method is potentially more cost effective because it avoids excavation by utilizing an insitu treatment capable of drastically reducing mercury concentrations. The electrokinetic remediation technique relies on ion migration driven by a voltage gradient between two electrodes; complexing agents are added to form soluble complexes with the mercury to facilitate and this ion migration. Various chemical compounds have been tested for their viability as potential complexing agents in a series of batch studies. Agents investigated include KI, KI+EDTA, NaCl, BaCl and NaNO3. Of these chemicals, the KI, KI+EDTA and NaCl were shown to be the most effective complexing agent in the solubilisation of mercury. Control tests using water procured from the contaminated sites were conducted to confirm the effectiveness of the complexing agents. Results of the batch study will be presented in the poster.