Copper complexation by natural organic matter in contaminated and uncontaminated ground water

Abstract

Ground-water samples were collected from an uncontaminated and a contaminated site. Copper complexation was characterized by ion- selective electrode (ISE), fluorescence quenching (FQ), and cathodic stripping voltammetric (CSV) titrations. All of the samples were titrated at their natural pH values and some of the samples were also titrated at other pH values. For a total Cu concentration of 10-6 M, the free Cu2+ concentrations in the samples from the uncontaminated site were all less than 10-7 M, while free Cu2+ in the samples from the contaminated site were all less than 10-8 M. For a particular sample and total Cu concentration, the free Cu2+ concentration decreased as the pH increased. Relative to ISE, FQ underestimated and CSV overestimated the degree of Cu2+ binding. The Cu2+ -complexing properties of the ground waters are similar to many published results for the same pH and for ligand concentrations normalized to T.O.C. Chemical equilibrium computations indicate that organic complexes would dominate Cu speciation in the uncontaminated ground waters for 10-7 to 10-5 M total Cu. In the contaminated ground waters, sulfide complexes would be the predominant Cu species for total Cu less than the total S(-11) concentration. Organic complexes would dominate Cu speciation for total Cu greater than total S(-11). © 1990 Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.