Different strategies to assess Cu and Pb mobilization in polluted river sediments

Summary For studying the mechanisms of trace metal mobilization in sediments several strategies have been employed, such as single extraction, sequential extractions, ion exchange, or progressive acidification. Several authors assert that sequential extraction is the best option. In this study two procedures are used in order to assess the mobility of copper and lead in heavily polluted river sediments: sequential extraction using a modified Tessier procedure, and progressive acidification, using an automated method. Six heavily polluted sediment samples are studied by applying the two procedures. The amount of metal released at different pH-values (pH 5 and pH 2) is compared with the resulting distribution when the sequential extraction procedure is applied. The information obtained from the two different approaches is discussed. For both metals a different behaviour is observed when applying each of the two procedures. Thus, copper is more easily released than lead when progressive acidification is followed, whereas an inverse situation is observed when sequential extraction is applied.