Chelator-assisted washing for the extraction of lead, copper, and zinc from contaminated soils: A remediation approach

Chelators have proven to be effective extractants in soil washing and represent a suitable remediation technology for potentially toxic elements (PTEs) from contaminated sites. In this paper, the extraction of lead (Pb), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) from contaminated real and reference soils using both biodegradable (EDDS and HIDS) and persistent (EDTA and DTPA) chelators was investigated. Different metal–chelator complex formation constants, pH,...