Control of grain-size distribution of serpentinite soils on mineralogy and heavy metal concentration

Abstract

The proportion of various grain size particles in soils is controlled largely by climate condition and moisture regimes. In general, tropical regions produce thick layers of fine grain soils due to high degree of weathering. Depends on the texture of soils, the capacity for storage of heavy metals changes. Serpentinized-ultramafic soils of Malaysia are of concern in this study containing high natural content of chromium, nickel and cobalt. These soils are comprised of a mixture of variable minerals ranging from inherited serpentines to magnetite, chlorite, ilmenite and minor to trace amounts of allochthonous quartz, clay minerals and phyllosilicates, such as kaolinite oxides and hydrous oxides of iron and manganese. The particle size distribution of serpentinite soils in Malaysia has received very limited study previously. This study attempts to find a relationship between the partitioning of Cr, Ni and Co among different soil size fractions with the mineralogical composition of serpentinite soils.