Leaching Column Tests on Arsenic-Soil Interactions

The leaching column test is a very useful and versatile tool that can be used to study the interactions between soils and various contaminants. This paper presents the results of leaching column tests conducted to examine the interactions of arsenic with soils. The migrations of arsenic through compacted soil columns are monitored for both the sorption and desorption phases of the leaching column tests to study the arsenic-soil interactions during these phases. The effects of varying amounts of organics in the soil on the sorption and desorption of arsenic are also investigated. While low contents of organics appear not to have too much effect on the sorption/desorption characteristics of the admixed soils, higher organics contents significantly affect these characteristics.