Speciation and spatial distribution of Cr in chromite ore processing residue site,Yunnan,China

Remediation of COPR sites requires the key information including chromium oxidation, speciation and spatial distribution. Samples were gathered from a COPR site in Luliang County in Qujing, Yunnan Province of China. The total Cr, Cr(VI) and chromium species were investigated. Results indicated the concentration of total Cr was between 110.5 and 21,774 mg/kg, and the concentration of Cr(VI) was between 0.1 and 1075 mg/kg. The map of total-Cr and ratio of Cr(VI)/total-Cr(%) showed that the maximum of total-Cr and Cr(VI) appeared in the layers near the surface. In the horizontal direction, the pollution was more serious in the middle and southeast part than that in the west. Additionally, acid extractable chromium increased in the layers at depth from-0.3 to-2.0 m, and it decreased in the deeper layers. There was a trend that the movable Cr(VI) migrated to the deeper layers, and then it turned into Cr(III). Water played an important role for the Cr distribution. Cr(VI) in COPR released to the soil solution after rainfall, and then gravity led the solution down to the deeper layers. After repeated rainfall and leaching,Cr(VI) moved to the deeper soil layers. Due to capillarity and evaporation, Cr(VI) migrated and was enriched at thesurface layer. Therefore, measures on controlling water movement should be taken in the remediation of the COPR site.