Comparative study of methods for evaluating the mobility of element species in contaminated soil and technogenic sand under batch and dynamic extraction

A comparative study of the batch and dynamic extraction methods used to evaluate the physicochemical “mobility” of element species in environmental samples was carried out using samples of contaminated soils and technogenic sands of the Dzhida Tungsten–Molybdenum Factory. In determining the total concentration of mobile species of Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, Mn, and Mo, they were extracted with an acetate–ammonium buffer solution (pH 4.8) in the batch mode. Fractionation of the most mobile and environmentally relevant element species, that is, exchange and acid-soluble, was carried out in a dynamic extraction mode in a rotating coil column using calcium nitrate and acetic acid. Element concentrations in the initial samples and extracts were determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry and mass spectrometry. It is shown that the concentrations of mobile species of Cd, Mn, and Mo, isolated with an acetate–ammonium buffer solution, correspond to the sum of these elements in the exchange and acid-soluble fractions, while the concentration of lead in the acetate–ammonium extract is 2–4 times higher. The convergence of the results of dynamic and batch extraction of copper and zinc depends on the type of sample: for sand, the results are in satisfactory agreement, while for soil, the concentration of copper and zinc in the acetate–ammonium extract is 2–4 times lower than their concentration in the exchange and acid-soluble forms. Nevertheless, the data obtained confirm that the conventional method of batch extraction with an acetate–ammonium buffer solution (pH 4.8) can be considered acceptable for the rapid assessment of the physicochemical mobility and potential bioavailability of elements in soil and technogenic sand. For a more detailed study of highly contaminated samples and the assessment of their danger to the environment, it is advisable to separate exchange and acid-soluble fractions.