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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Sustainable Agricultural Systems Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #404332
Research Project: Soil, Crop, and Manure Biochemistry and Molecular Ecology: Bridging Knowledge Gaps in Microbiome Response to Management and Climate Change

Location: Sustainable Agricultural Systems Laboratory

Title: Chromium speciation and mobility in contaminated coastal urban soils affected by water salinity and redox conditions

Author
item SRICHAROENVECH, PIYAPAS - University Of Delaware
item SIEBECKER, MATTHEW - Texas Tech University
item TAPPERO, RYAN - Brookhaven National Laboratory
item LANDROT, GAUTIER - European Synchrotron Radiation Facility
item Fischel, Matthew
item SPARKS, DONALD - University Of Delaware

Submitted to: Journal of Hazardous Materials
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/27/2023
Publication Date: 9/29/2023
Citation: Sricharoenvech, P., Siebecker, M., Tappero, R., Landrot, G., Fischel, M.H., Sparks, D.L. 2023. Chromium speciation and mobility in contaminated coastal urban soils affected by water salinity and redox conditions. Journal of Hazardous Materials. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132661.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132661

Interpretive Summary: Chromium is a pollutant that impacts global human and environmental health. It is a common byproduct of manufacturing and is present in many urban soils. In this study we determined chromium release from contaminated soils in freshwater and saltwater systems to determine how sea level rise will change chromium movement in water and soils. The experiments showed that seawater decreased the chromium release. These results help decision on pollutant cleanup in areas impacted by future sea level rise. The results also help inform scientists and policy makers of risks associated with chromium and sea level rise in coastal areas with the goal of reducing harm to human and environmental health.

Technical Abstract: Chromium (Cr) is a redox-sensitive element in contaminated coastal urban soils. Sea level rise (SLR) with subsequent soil inundation may facilitate Cr transformation and mobilization through alterations in local redox conditions and porewater ion composition. We investigated the impact of water salinity and redox conditions on Cr chemistry in these environments. Synchrotron-based X-ray spectroscopy and wet chemical analyses revealed that the soils contained very high levels of Cr (up to 4320 mg kg-1) and that chromite (~52%) and Fe-Cr hydroxide coprecipitates (~44%) were the predominant Cr species. The abundance of these two components resulted in low Cr mobility under non-flooded conditions. Chromium(II) was identified in the soils, potentially derived from the waste parent material. Seawater and anoxic conditions resulted in lower Cr release compared to freshwater and aerobic conditions. Up to three to eight times more Cr was released under aerobic conditions versus anaerobic conditions in the freshwater versus saltwater, respectively, with total dissolved Cr values remaining below 0.02 mg L-1. The decrease in Cr release was likely due to Cr reduction by Fe(II) and sulfide. This work provides important information on how salinity and redox fluctuations impact Cr cycling which is likely to occur during SLR.”