Separation of heavy metals: Removal from industrial ...
The surface soil contains elevated levels of heavy metals, especially lead, mercury, and cadmium. Other contaminants include PCBs, 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane, and trichloroethene. Batch extraction studies identified ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid (EDTA) and citric acid as potential chelating agents for soil washing to remove heavy metals.