Assessment of Fate and Transport of Mixed Contaminants in Soil: An Incubation Experiment

Abstract

A study on fate and transport of mixed contaminants (Cr, Cd and PFOA- Perfluorooctanoic acid) in soil was studied through incubation experiment. The study was carried over in Department of Environmental Sciences, Tamilnadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore between February 2022 and April 2022. The experiment includes 10 treatments with 3 replications and studied for 60 days of incubation. The contaminants (Cr, Cd and PFOA) and amendments (Biochar and humic acid) were spiked in known concentration in the unpolluted soil and analytical methods (physical and chemical properties) carried over to know their degradability, mobility, availability in soil. After 60 days of incubation period, the concentration of chromium, cadmium and PFOA was reduced to 31.5 per cent, 27.5 per cent and 30 per cent respectively. This was due to the addition of organic amendments (Biochar and humic acid). These amendments act as a sorbent in accumulating the contaminants within their pore spaces. Hence the concentration of the contaminants reduced in the soil during the incubation period.