Factors Affecting Copper Sorption in Soil.

Studying the reactions of heavy metals with soil and soil components are important in determining the fate of toxic heavy metals in the environment.  Heavy metal binding to soils depends on several factors including soil type, soil pH, organic matter, and other ions present. In this study we have investigated factors affecting sorption of Cu on 3 different Alabama soils which include Decatur (fine, kaolinitic, thermic Rhodic Paleudults), Hartselle ((fine sandy loam, siliceous, Typic, Hapludults), and Sumter soils (Fine-silty, carbonatic, thermic Rendollic Eutrudepts)). These soils are susceptible to contamination with Cu  due to long-term poultry litter application as a fertilizer source for cropping systems in these areas. The mineralogy of the soils determined by XRD shows that mixture of montmorillonite, kaolinite, quartz in Decatur soil; vermiculite in Hartselle soils, and mixture of calcite, monmorillonite, and kaolinite in Sumter soils. The effect of pH, temperature, and other ions present on Cu sorption onto these soils was investigated utilizing batch sorption experiments and analysis of data using ion exchange and Langmuir isotherm models.