• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.64 no.2
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• pp.159-164
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• 2021

Heavy metals exist in soils in various chemical forms including free metal ions and organo-metal complexes. The ratio of free metal ions has been known to be highly associated with the plant absorption of heavy metals. This study aims to understand the effect of free ions and organo-metal complexes on the absorption of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) by plants. For this, lettuce grown in a hydroponic system for 28 days was consequently grown another 48 hours using Pb and Cd solutions. The ratios of free ion to organo-metal complexes in the solutions were adjusted at 100:0, 90:10, 70:30, 60:40 by four different organic acids (citric, oxalic, acetic, and humic acid). After that, the concentration of Pb and Cd in lettuce were analyzed. The Pb and Cd absorption by lettuce was more relied on the types of organic acids treated and the type of metals rather than the ratio of free metal ions. For example, citric acid increased the Pb absorption while it decreased the Cd absorption by lettuce. There was no significant relationship between free metal ion ratios and both Pb and Cd uptake by lettuce. It could be explained that citric acid, a relatively higher molecular weight organic acid, has higher ion binding capacity, so it forms organo-Pb complex easily due to the higher affinity of Pb on the binding site in comparison with Cd. Consequently, this complexation would assist Pb uptake by lettuce.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.243-252
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• 1992

This research was conducted to investigate the influence of kind and concentration of organic ligands such as humic (HA) or fulvic acid (FA) on the removal of Cu or Pb from the aqueous solution employing the principles in metal-ligand complexation. Increasing HA concentration enhanced the efficiency of Cu or Pb removal, but there existed upper critical concentrations capable of forming maximum HA-metal complex. which ranged 53-289 and 42-315mg/L for Cu and Pb, respectively. At these concentrations. efficiency of removal was 70 to 95 % for Pb, but 13 to 65 % for Cu. Amounts of Cu and Pb which complexed with 100mg HA were estimated to be 7.5 and 34.1mg, respectively. FA-metal complex forming reactions were fitted significantly to the empirical models of Freundlich for Cu and Langmuir for Pb. Fulvic acid precipitated nearly 100% of Pb in solution, but formed precipitates with Cu in only 13 to 29%. Comparing organic ligands. HA had a higher removal efficiency for Cu but FA had such for Pb. Metalligand complex formation was differed from kinds and concentrations of corresponding ligands and metals. Results demonstrated that this principle has a strong potential to be employed for treating heavy metals in aqueous solution.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.51-57
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• 1993

Objective of this research was to assess the influence of reaction time on the heavy metal-organic ligand complexation by employing kinetic models. Aqueous solutions of humic (HA) or fulvic acid (FA) were reacted with metal solutions with 1:1 ratio to form complexes. Efficiency of organic ligand on metal removal was determined by separating the precipitates from solution using $0.45\;{\mu}m$ filter paper. Complexation between Cu or Pb and HA or FA followed the first- or multiple first order kinetics, largely depending on metal concentration and kind of organic ligand. Amounts of precipitates were increased proportionally with reaction time but reached to quasiequilibrium where rate of precipitate formation was not varied with time. Copper-ligand complexation was, irrespective of ligand, fitted to the single first order kinetics at Cu concentrations lower than $300{\mu}M$, but this was fitted to the multiple first order kinetics at Cu concentrations higher than $300{\mu}M$. As increasing Cu concentrations, the precipitates formed more readily, judging from the increased rate constants (${\kappa}$). In the multiple first order kinetics, ${\kappa}$ was decreased as reaction steps proceeded. Most of Cu-ligand precipitates were formed within 15 min. FA precipitated Cu more rapidly than HA did. ${\kappa}$ for Pb-HA complexation was decreased but that for Pb-FA reaction was increased, as increasing Pb concentration. Most of Pb-organic ligand complexation occurred within 30 min. Afterwards, ${\kappa}$ values were relatively small and not affected much by time. Pb was precipitated by humic acid more readily than Cu when metal concnetrations were $200{\sim}300{\mu}M$. However, when metal concentrations were in the ranges of $400{\sim}500{\mu}M$, a reversed tendency was observed.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.37-42
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• 1993

Influences of metal concentration, pH and temperature on metal-ligand precipitate formation were investigated, as a part of projects for removing heavy metals from aqueous solution employing the principles in metal-ligand complexation. Aqueous solutions of HA or FA were reacted with those of heavy metals with 1:1 ratio. Efficiency of humic (HA) or fulvic acid (FA) on removing metals was evaluated by separating the precipitates from soltuions with the filtering method. When HA was a counter ligand, there existed three ranges of metal concentrations affecting precipitation : precipitate fromation was not available, was reached to the maximum, and afterwards was decreased again. The concentration ratios of metal to HA for initiating complexation were dependent upon kinds of metal and concentrations of ligand. Amount of Pb to form maximum precipitates per unit mg of HA was 1.3 times higher than that of Cu. When FA was a counter ligand, concentrations of metal-FA precipitates were increased proportionally with the treated metal concentrations. Efficiency of FA fro removing Pb was nearly 100%, but it was ranged from 12 to 19% for Cu, depending on FA concentration. pH exerted a considerable effect on complexation between Pb and FA, showing precipitates were increased six times at most per unit increase of pH. Ranges of pH increasing significantly the mounts of precipitates were coincied with pH jump ranges of the titration curve of organic ligands. As increasing temperature from 15 to $55^{\circ}C$, increases of FA-Cu precipitates were doubled, but those of FA-Pb were accounted for only 6%, However, HA-metal complexation was not affected by temperature.