| Abstract: | Investigations of heavy metal adsorption in an acid forest soil To examine the adsorption of heavy metals in an acid forest soil (Pseudogley-Pelosol), undisturbed soil columns of 5 cm length were treated over a period of 276 days with solutions containing Pb, Cu, Zn and Cd. It can be shown that the heavy metals added were preferably adsorbed in the humus-rich, upper part of the soil. When treating the soil with the four heavy metals simultaneously, Pb, Cu and Cd were completely adsorbed in the soil matrix. However 20% of given Zn were leached out of the soil columns. Lowering pH in the percolation solution from pH 4 to 3 led to the mobilisation of previously adsorbed Cu, Cd and Zn, whereas Pb completely remained in the soil. |
