Chemical Forms of Heavy Metals in Carbonate-Derived Laterite and Enrichment of Its Iron Oxide Minerals

In this paper the seven-step continuous extracting method was employed in the studyof chemical forms of the six heavy metals Co, Zn, Pb, Cu, Cr and Mn. The result shows thatthe metals in the laterite are present in the chemical form of crystalline iron oxides andresidues, and they are transformed toward organic and exchangeable forms in the surface soil.Linear regression analysis indicates that the above heavy metals have a positive correlation withthe crystalline iron oxide minerals. The crystalline iron oxide minerals have a very importantrole to play in the enrichment of heavy metals, especially the solid components in the laterite.