Investigation of a biosurfactant-enhanced electrokinetic method and its effect on the potentially toxic trace elements in waterways sediments

ABSTRACT

In this study, the biosurfactant–enhanced electrokinetic method was investigated for the removal of potentially toxic trace elements (As, Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se and Zn) in waterways sediments. The effect of this method was compared to the removal capacities of deionized water in the same conditions in order to assess its efficiency. After treatment, batch leaching tests have shown that almost toxic elements (As: 81.3%; Ba: 80%; Cr: 97.3%; Cu: 82%; Zn: 94.5%; Mo: 13.8%; Ni: 62.7%; Se: 66.8% and Sb: 9.3%) were less released in waters. On the whole sediment samples, Ba and Cd displayed the highest removal rates (Ba: 71.2% and Cd: 77.5%). The use of biosurfactant enhanced the electrokinetic method by improving the trace elements migration and altering pH and Eh locally generated by the system. Overall, the application of this new approach dredged sediments seems to be promising but needed further investigations for industrial applications.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

KEYWORDS:

• Sediment
• biosurfactant
• electrokinetic
• metals
• remediation

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Arras Urban Community for collecting sediment samples in Scarpe waterways (Saint-Laurent-Blangy, Hauts-de-France region) and Mr. Jean Philippe Dos Santos, for the BioSurfactant furniture. We are also grateful to Johana Caboche and Damien Bertrancourt (IMT Llle-Douai) for their analytical contributions.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Geolocation

This work has been conducted in IMT Lille Douai permises, using fluvial sediment dredged at Saint-Laurent-Blangy (Haut-de france, France).

Data availability statement

Data available on request from the authors.

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, [MB], upon reasonable request.