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A series of incubation and leaching experiments were performed to assess the feasibility of three industrial by-products (red gypsum (RG), sugar foam (SF) and ashes from the combustion of biomass (ACB)) to reduce the leachability of Cu, Pb, Zn and As in a sediment of São Domingos mine (Portugal). The changes in the element solid phase speciation were also evaluated by applying a sequential extraction procedure. All amendments significantly reduced the leachability of Zn and Cu, whereas the treatment with RG + SF + ACB also decreased the mobility of As. The reduction in Cu leachability was especially remarkable. This could be due to the great affinity of carbonates (included in SF and SF + ACB amendments) to precipitate with Cu, and maghemite and rutile (RG amendment) for acting as relevant sorbents for Cu. Pb was the least mobile element in the sediment and none of the treatments reduced its mobility. The sequential extraction reveals that the amendments induced a significant decrease in the concentration of elements associated with the residual fraction. Cu, Pb and As are redistributed from the residual fraction to the Al, Fe, and Mn hydr(oxides) fraction and Zn from the residual fraction to the water/acid soluble, exchangeable and bound to carbonates pool.

Four industrial by-products (phosphogypsum, PG; red gypsum, RG; sugar foam, SF and ashes from the combustion of biomass, ACB) were evaluated as possible amendments for reducing the leachability and bioavailability of As and Se in a metalloid-spiked acidic soil. The treatments were applied as single, double and triple amendments and at two different rates. The effectiveness of the treatments was evaluated after a series of leaching experiments using a chelating agent (DTPA solution) or a weak acidification (acetic acid at pH 4.93). The most effective treatments (ACB and RG, both applied at high rate) were identified by means of Cluster Analysis using the leachability indexes. Different sorption mechanisms involved in the overall reduction of metalloid leachability were identified using scanning electron microscopy (SEM-BSE and SEM-EDS). In the ACB-treated samples, Se was found associated to organic matter aggregates and to Fe compounds. In the RG-treated samples, EDS analyses showed that As and Se were associated to Fe/Ti (hydr)oxides phases which are present not only in the by-product as maghemite and rutile, but also in the soil as hematite and goethite. In addition, the application of RG induced the formation of non-crystalline Al-hydroxy polymers with As and Se in their composition.

This study evaluates the potential use of four industrial by-products (phosphogypsum (PG), red gypsum (RG), sugar foam (SF), and ashes from biomass combustion (ACB)), applied at two rates in single and combined amendments to reduce the mobility and availability of Pb, Zn and Ni in a metal-spiked acid soil. Leaching experiments were done to estimate leachability indexes and assess their effectiveness. Most of the treatments significantly reduced the metal leachability although only a few were effective for all metals. Based on principal component and cluster analysis, sugar foam (SF) and a mixture of RG and ACB (RG+ACB), both applied at high rate, were selected as first choices to reduce mobility and availability of the three metals. Metal sorption mechanisms involved in the reduction of their leachability were identified using scanning electron microscopy. In the SF-treated samples, the metals were found associated to amorphous Al-hydroxy polymers deposited on phyllosilicates and organic matter particles. In the (RG+ACB)-treated samples, Pb, Zn, and traces of Ni were found associated to Fe/Ti oxide phases with a significant concentration of S, suggesting the formation of metal-sulfate ternary complexes.