Modelling of the vertical migration process of phosphogypsum components in the soil profile

Abstract

This paper focuses on the study of the process of vertical migration of phosphogypsum components according to the soil profile. The qualitative and quantitative identification of main biogenic elements (phosphorus, sulphur, calcium etc) and heavy metals in lysimetric solutions from various horizons while getting on the surface of soil solutions containing phosphogypsum components is carried out by means of designed laboratory and experimental complex. The mineral hard soil fraction is also analysed. According to the results of the X-ray diffractometrical researches, the carbonates with heavy metals in their structure, caused by the ion-exchange with Са2+, were found in the mineral structure of the illuvial horizon soil samples. The results of experimental modeling indicate significant changes in the chemical parameters of groundwater, which are obtained by passing water with phosphogypsum particles on a model soil profile, which makes it easy to track the input data. In the upper part of the profile after 1 000 hours and for the first speed of the infiltration process, the constant moisture level was 25,6%, after the second speed of infiltration, it rose to 29.1 %. Noted that the highest concentration of biogenic elements (calcium, sulfur, potassium) was found in lysimetric solutions obtained from the humus and eluvial horizons. In addition, it is determined that iron is present up to 5 %, nickel – within the range of 1–3 %, and copper – up to 1 %. It should be noted that the biochemical transformations of silicon influence the fractional distribution of heavy metals, which can be fixed by sorption-sedimentation mechanisms in silica, oligo and polysilicon compounds, as well as in crystalline lattice structures of clay minerals, quartz, etc. The model of soil and geochemical situation was formed according to the soil profile under the influence of the phosphogypsum within the three-dimensional surface, developed with the help of the stochastic reconstructions based on the images of the scan electron microscopes.