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Published in Soil Sci Soc Am J 48:548-554 (1984)
© 1984 Soil Science Society of America
677 S. Segoe Rd., Madison, WI 53711 USA
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Electron Microprobe Analysis of Elements Associated with Zinc and Copper in an Oxidizing and an Anaerobic Soil Environment1

F. Y. Lee and J. A. Kittrick2

ABSTRACT

A soil and a harbor sediment contaminated by heavy metals were examined with the electron microprobe to obtain direct evidence of elements associated with heavy metal phases in the samples. Approximately 12 x 103 particles were scanned in order to locate 30 that produced > 100 counts per second (cps) Zn or Cu X-radiation. Sulfur was found to be significantly associated with Zn in the sediment (in ca. 83% of the particles). Most of the Cu-containing particles in the soil (ca. 57%) were not associated with elements above atomic number 9. Sulfur (ca. 33%) and iron (ca. 27%), or both, were the most important associations with the remaining Cu-containing particles. Zinc and copper appeared to be precipitated with the associated elements rather than being adsorbed on the particle surfaces. The results can be predicted from thermodynamic calculations combined with some reasonable assumptions. Compared to chemical extraction analysis, microprobe analysis is more accurate, but less precise for determining the chemical nature of Zn and Cu phases. It may be possible to similarly apply the microprobe to Zn and Cu phases in uncontaminated soils.

NOTES

1 Scientific Paper no. 6538. College of Agriculture Research Center, Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA 99164. Project 0385.

2 Graduate Student and Professor of Soils, respectively.






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