A preliminary study on leachability of chromium from a contaminated site

In the present article, chromite ore processing residue (COPR) and soil samples were collected from a chromium contaminated site in Tamil Nadu State, India. Around 155.02 and 28.01 mg g−1 of Cr(VI) was present in COPR and soil samples, respectively. Leachability studies were carried out to assess the leachability of Cr(VI) and Cr(III) from COPR and soil samples following the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) test protocol using (i) acetic acid and (ii) water as leaching medium. Cr(VI) had leached out in both the mediums, whereas Cr(III) leached only in acetic acid as leaching medium since Cr(III) is insoluble at pH > 6. TCLP test results are requisite to assess the extent of leaching of chromium from the contaminated soil or COPR and are a helpful tool for implementation of remediation measures to avoid further contamination. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 32: 1096–1100, 2013