Chromium speciation in mildly heated Cr(VI)-doped latosol soil.

Cr(VI) chemical reduction in natural organic matter (NOM)-bearing latosol soil was investigated under various heating conditions at < or = 378 K. An enhanced Cr(VI) reduction rate has been observed for the reaction at 353-378 K. The effect of Fe(II) naturally occurring in the latosol soil on Cr(VI) chemical reduction is negligible compared with the effect of NOM. Cr(OH)(3) was quantitatively specified by X-ray absorption spectroscopy to be the key chromium species ( approximately 80%) after approximately 90% of Cr(VI) was chemically reduced by NOM at 353-378 K. This study indicates a potential strategy for using the heat extracted from industrial flue gas with a heat exchanger to chemically reduce Cr(VI) in NOM-bearing or organics-amended soils that contain Cr(VI).