Extraction and Characterization of Humic Acids and Humin Fractions from a Black Soil of China

Twenty-three progressive extractions were performed to study individual humic acids (HAs) and humin fractions from a typical black soil (Mollisol) in Heilongjiang Province, China using elemental analysis and spectroscopic techniques. After 23 HA extractions the residue was separated into high and low organic carbon humin fractions. HA yield was the highest for the first extraction and then gradually decreased with further extractions. Organic carbon (OC) of the humin fractions accounted for 58% of total OC …

Using humic acid for remediation of sandy soils contaminated by heavy metal

This paper presents the development of a new remediation technology for contaminated sandy soil using humic acid (HA). Distribution of amount of Cr (VI) in the aqueous or solid system containing humic acid and sandy soil, was studied using batch experiments, es-pecially for effects of reaction time, pH, concentrations, temperature and irradiation on the reduction of Cr (VI), and the optimum reaction conditions. The results indicated a significant increase of the adsorption of Cr (VI) because of the complexion reaction between HA and Cr (VI) that occurred under acidic condition. The reaction mechanisms of HA with chromium on sand surfaces were certified. Thus it came to a conclusion that HA could be used effectively on remediation of Cr (VI)–contaminated soil and groundwater in a wide range of pH, with or without sunlight. These results suggest that the organic-inorganic complex—such as sandy soils coated with humic substances—is important as a metal reservoir in the environment.

Evaluation of Humic Acid Application Methods for Yield and Yield Components of Mungbean

A triplicate field experiment laid out in randomized complete block design was conducted to evaluate different humic acid (HA) application methods at Agricultural Research Farm, of KPK Agricultural University, Peshawar. Three methods of HA application: seed priming, foliar spray and soil application were included in the experiment. Humic acid application methods significantly affected pods plant-1, grains pod-1, 1000 grain weights, and grain yield whereas biological yield was not significantly affected by HA application methods. Humic acid application at the rate of 3 kg&middotha-1 resulted in higher number of pods plant-1, thousand grain weights and grain yield, however it was statistically similar to the treatments where HA was soil applied at rate of 1 and 2 kg&middotha-1, seed priming with 0% (water soaked), 1%, 2% HA solution and foliar spray with 0.01%, 0.05% and 0.1% of HA solution. It is concluded that HA application in all the three methods significantly enhances grain yield and yield components of mungbean.

Performance evaluation of polyamide nanofiltration membranes for phosphorus removal process and their stability against strong acid/alkali solution

In this study,a quantitative performance of three commercial polyamide nanofiltration(NF) membranes(i.e.,NF,NF90,and NF270) for phosphorus removal under different feed conditions was investigated.The experiments were conducted at different feed phosphorus concentrations(2.5,5,10,and 15 mg·L^-1) and elevated pHs(pH 1.5,5,10,and 13.5) at a constant feed pressure of 1 MPa using a dead-end filtration cell.Membrane rejection against total phosphorus generally increased with increasing phosphorus concentration regardless of membrane type.In contrast,the permeate flux for all the membranes only decreased slightly with increasing phosphorus concentration.The results also showed that the phosphorus rejections improved while water flux remained almost unchanged with increasing feed solution pH.When the three membranes were exposed to strong pHs(pH 1.5 and 13.5) for a longer duration(up to 6 weeks)it was found that the rejection capability and water flux of the membranes remained very similar throughout the duration,except for NF membrane with marginal decrement in phosphorus rejection.Adsorption study also revealed that more phosphorus was adsorbed onto the membrane structure at alkaline conditions(pH 10 and 13.5) compared to the same membranes tested at lower pHs(pH 1.5 and 5).In eonelusion,NF270 membrane outperformed Nf and NF90 membranes owing to its desirable performance of water flux and phosphorus rejection particularly under strong alkali solution.The NF270 membrane achieved 14.0 L·m^-2·h^-1 and 96.5% rejection against 10 mg·L^-1 phosphorus solution with a pH value of 13.5 at the applied pressure of 1 MPa.

Effects of Humic Acid and Solution Ph on Dispersion of Na-and Ca-Soil Clays

Dispersed soil clays have a negative impact on soil structure and contribute to soil erosion and contaminant movement. In this study, two typical soils from the south of China were chosen for investigating roles of pH and humic acid (HA) on dispersion of soil clays. Critical flocculation concentration (CFC) of the soil clay suspension was determined by using light transmission at a wavelength of 600 um. The results indicated that effects of pH and HA on dispersion of the soil clays were closely related to the type of the major minerals making up the soil and to the valence of the exchangeable canons as well. At four rates of pH(4, 6, 8 and 10), the CFC for the Na-yellow-brown soil treated with H2O2 was increased from 0.32 to 0.56, 6.0 to 14.0,10.0 to 24.6 and 26.0 to 52.0 mmol L-1 NaCl, respectively when Na-HA was added at the rate of from 0 to 40 mg L-1. With the same Na-HA addition and three pH (6, 8 and 10) treatments, the CFC for the Na-red soil was increased from 0.5 to 20.0, 1.0 to 40.0 and 6.0 to 141.0 mmol L-1 NaCl, respectively. Obviously,pH and HA has greater effects on clay dispersion of the red soil(dominated by 1:1 minerals and oxides)than on that of the yellow-brown soil(dominated by 2: 1 minerals). However, at three rates of pH (6, 8 and 10) and with the addition of Ca-HA from 0 to 40 mg L-1, the CFC of the Ca-yellow-brown soil and Ca-red soil treated with H2O2 was increased from 0.55 to 0.81, 0.75 to 1.28, 0.55 to 1.45 and 0.038 to 0.266, 0.25 to 0.62, 0.7 to 1.6 mmol CaCl2 L-1, respectively. So, Na-soil clays are more sensitive to pH and HA than Ca-soil clays.

Adsorption and desorption of Cd in reclaimed soil under the influence of humic acid:characteristics and mechanisms

Exogenous humus can change the content and migration activity of cadmium(Cd)in soil.Humic acid(HA)is an important soluble humus component in soil.In order to explore the relationship between cadmium pollution mechanism and ecological environment of humic acid in reclaimed soil,the characteristics of humic acid adsorbing cadmium in alkaline conditions were studied.This study employed reclaimed soil from the Huainan mining area,China.The adsorption and desorption characteristics as well as influence mechanisms on the heavy metal cadmium(Cd)were explored under the influence of HA.The results show that:(1)When Cd concentration was low(0.2–10 mg/L),HA had little effect on Cd adsorption and desorption in reclaimed soil.When the Cd concentration was high(15–80 mg/L),HA had a great influence on the adsorption and desorption of Cd in reclaimed soil.The addition of HA can inhibit the adsorption of Cd by reclaimed soil and effectively improve the desorption capacity of Cd by reclaimed soil.(2)The kinetic curves of Cd adsorption and desorption of reclaimed soil with added HA show that both processes(adsorption and desorption)include two stages:rapid reaction and slow reaction.The adsorption of Cd by reclaimed soil under the influence of HA was 18.18%lower than that of normal reclaimed soil,and the increase of Cd desorption was 50.29%.(3)The factors affecting the adsorption and desorption of Cd in the soil were analyzed with gray theory,and their importance can be ordered as follows:Cd concentration>HA concentration>pH>temperature.Considering the influence of HA,a multi-factor coupling function model of adsorption and desorption of Cd in soil is established.This model provides theoretical guidance for the scientific prediction and evaluation of Cd environmental pollution risks in soil and will be useful for developing a new solution for engineering remediation of high concentration Cd contaminated soil.

Interaction of Ca^(2+) and soil humic acid characterized by a joint experimental platform of potentiometric titration, UV–visible spectroscopy, and fluorescence spectroscopy

Rocky desertification has become a major environmental issue in the karst region of southwestern China.Karst rocky desertification was more severe in regions of limestone soil than in adjacent regions of other soils,despite the relatively higher soil organic matter(SOM)content in limestone soil.The underlying mechanism remains ambiguous.We speculated that the geochemical characteristics of limestone soils in the karst region plays an essential role,especially the high calcium content of limestone soil.To test this hypothesis,we collected limestone soil samples from a limestone soil profile in the southwestern China karst region and extracted humic acid(HA)from these limestone soil samples.We investigated the interaction of Ca^(2+)and three HA samples on a joint experimental platform,which consists of an automatic potentiometric titrator,a UV–visible spectrometer,and a Fluorescence spectrometer.HA solutions were titrated by Ca^(2+)and optical spectra of the HA solutions were monitored during the titration experiments.The results indicated that:(1)the interaction of Ca^(2+)and HA is a combined process of adsorption and complexation.Adsorption dominated the overall distribution behavior of Ca^(2+),which could be fit by Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models.Complexation was distinguished only when the concentration of Ca2+is low;(2)the changes of UV–visible spectroscopy and excitation–emission matrix fluorescencespectroscopy spectra of HA samples when they were binding with Ca^(2+)implied the apparent molecular size and structure of HA became larger and more complex;(3)the combination of Ca^(2+)and HA plays an important role in the SOM preservation of limestone soils but the stability of the Ca–HA association was relatively weak.The present study draws attention to maintaining the relatively higher Ca^(2+)concentration in limestone soils in ecologic restoration attempts in karst regions.

Interaction between uranium and humic acid (Ⅱ): complexation, precipitation and migration behavior of U(Ⅵ) in the presence of humic substances

The complexation, precipitation, and migration behavior of uranium in the presence of humic acid (HA) or fulvic acid (FA) were investigated by cation exchange, ultrafiltration and dynamic experiment, respectively. The results showed that (i) complex equilibrium between the uranium and humic substances was achieved at approximately 72 h, (ii) the coordination number varied from 1:1 to 1:2 ( U(Ⅵ) : humic acid) as pH increased from 3 to 6; and (iii) , while the complex stability constant decreased when temperature increased, but increased with pH value. We found that the precipitation of uranyl could only be observed in presence of HA, and the precipitation was influenced by conditions, such as pH, uranium concentration, temperature, and the HA concentration. The maximum precipitation proportion up to 60% could be achieved in the condition of 40 mg/L HA solution at pH 6. We further observed that the migration behavior of uranium in soil in the presence of humic acid (HA) or fulvic acid (FA) was different from that in the presence of inorganic colloid, and the effect of humic substances (HS) was limited.

Interaction between uranium and humic acid(Ⅰ):Adsorption behaviors of U(Ⅵ) in soil humic acids

The adsorption behaviors of uranium on three soil humic acids (HAs), which were extracted from soils of different depths at the same site, were investigated under various experimental conditions. The adsorption results showed that U(Ⅵ) in solutions can be adsorbed by the three soil HAs, with the order of FHA (HA from 5 m depth of soil) >SHA (HA from the surface) >THA (HA from 10 m depth of soil) for adsorption efficiency in each desirable condition, and the adsorption reached equilibrium in about 240 min. Although the maximum adsorption efficiency was achieved at a suitable uranium concentration (10 mg·L-1 U(Ⅵ) for SHA and THA, 20 mg·L-1 U(Ⅵ) for FHA), the adsorption could be described with Langmiur isotherm or Freundlich isotherm equation. The L/S (liquid/solid, mL/g) ratio and pH were important factors influencing the adsorption in our adsorption system besides uranium concentration. The adsorption efficiency decreased with the increase of the L/S ratio and pH at the pH range of 2.0-3.0 for SHA and THA or 2.5-6.0 for FHA. However, no significant difference in adsorption of U(Ⅵ) was observed at the experimental temperature. All the results implied that humic substances have different characteristics in samples even collected at the same site.

Effects of Nano-carbon Humic Acid Water-retaining Fertilizer on Citrus Growth and the Soil Bacterial Community in Citrus Field

[Objective] In order to reveal the effects of reducing the amount of novel nano-carbon humic acid water-retaining fertilizer(CSF) on soil microbial community structure and citrus growth. [Method]In this study,conventional fertilization was as the control(KC1) in Wanzhou citrus orchard of Three Gorges Reservoir area. CSF reductions by 0%(KC2),10%(KC3),20%(KC4),30%(KC5) and 40%(KC6) were used to analyze the changes of soil bacterial community structure,citrus yield and quality. [Result]The results showed that the observed species,Shannon index,Chao1 index and PDwholetree of KC6 were higher than those of KC1,and were the same as KC2. The abundance of Xanthomonadaceae was the highest in KC5. Compared with KC1,the Xanthomonadaceae in KC3,KC4 and KC6 was significantly decreased,and the levels of Nitrosomonadaceae and Pseudomonasaceae were higher than that of KC1 after the treatment of KC6. Sphingomonas in different reduction treatments was lower than that of KC1,but Burkholderia and Pseudomonas were significantly higher than those of KC1. It was found that the similarity among treatments was small after bacterial community similarity clustering analysis,and citrus yield increased somewhat after CSF fertilization reduction.When CSF fertilization reduced by 30%,citrus yield increased by 4. 50%. When CSF fertilization reduced by 40%,citrus yield decreased by4. 14%. After CSF fertilization,citrus quality did not change significantly in CSF conventional fertilization and reduction of 10% and 40%,while significantly decreased in 20% and 30% of fertilization reduction. [Conclusion] CSF fertilization reduction changed the diversity of soil bacterial community structure and the yield and quality of citrus.

Determination of Formation Constants of Co￣(2+), Ni￣(2+),Cu￣(2+) and Zn￣(2+) Complexes with Humic and Fulvic Acidsby Potentiometric Titration Method

The formation constants of Co￣(2+), Ni￣(2+), Cu￣(2+) and Zn￣(2+) complexes with humic acid (HA) and fulvicacid (FA) in red soil were determined by the potentiometric titration method. The constants as a functionof composition of the complexation solutions were obtained by two graphical approaches respectively Theformation constants decreased with increasing concentration of metal in the solution. The results provideunambiguous evidence for the heterogeneity of the function groups of humic substances. The formationconstants of FA were much smaller than those of HA, and the formation constants of Cu￣(2+) were muchgreater than those of Co￣(2+) , Ni￣(2+) and Zn￣(2+) . The potentiometric titration method for determining formationconstants are also discussed in the article.

Characteristics and distributions of humic acids in two soil profiles of the southwest China Karst area

Characteristics and distributions of humic acid(HA) and soil organic matter(SOM) in a yellow soil profile and a limestone soil profile of the southwest China Karst area were systematically investigated to reveal their evolutions in different soils of the study area. The results showed that characteristics and distribution of SOM along the two soil profiles were notably different. Total organic carbon(TOC) contents of soil samples decreased just slightly along the limestone soil profile but sharply along the yellow soil profile. TOCs of the limestone soils were significantly higher than those of the corresponding yellow soils, and C/N ratios of SOMs showed a similar variation trend to that of TOCs, indicating that SOM can be better conserved in the limestone soil than in the yellow soil. The soil humic acids were exhaustively extracted and further fractionated according to their apparent molecular weights using ultrafiltration techniques to explore underlying conservation mechanisms. The result showed that C/N ratios of HAs from different limestone soil layers were relatively stable and that large molecular HA fractions predominated the bulk HA of the top soil, indicating that HA in the limestone profile was protected while bio and chemical degradations were retarded. Combined with organic elements contents and mineral contents of two soils, weconcluded that high calcium contents in limestone soils may play a key role in SOM conservation by forming complexation compounds with HAs or/and enclosing SOMs with hypergene CaCO_3 precipitation.

Formation of Black Patina on Bronze Mirrors Caused by Humic Acid

The formation of black patina caused by soil humic acid under different conditions has been studied,and the black, grey and brown shiny surfaces prepared in laboratory have been analysed. The formation of tin-rich shiny black surface on mirrors was the product of the soil corrosion of the bronze mirrors. It is formed by reaction between the alloy and the humic acid in soil, and leaching of copper and lead oxides through a long period of time when the mirrors were buried under the ground. A dense cormsion-resistallt layer on the bronze mirrors consisted predominantly of stannic oxide.

The effects of soil sand contents on characteristics of humic acids along soil profiles

It is generally accepted that the compositions and properties of soil organic matter （SOM） are influenced by many factors. In order to reveal the effects of soil texture on characteristics and dynamics of SOM and its sub-fraction, humic acid （HA）, along two soil profiles, a yellow soil profile and a purplish soil profile, under the same climate and vegetation conditions were determined. Results indi- cate that the decomposition and humification degrees of SOM and HA of the purplish soils are higher than those of the corresponding yellow soils indicated by A/O-A ratios of HAs, TOCs and HA yields of bulk soil samples, neverthe- less, the development degree of the purplish soil is lower than that of the yellow soil. The variations of E4/E6 ratios of HAs along the soil profiles indicate the overall molecular sizes of HAs decreased downward along the soil profiles. A/O-A ratios of HAs decreased downward along both the soil profiles indicate that humification processes decrease downward along both the soil profiles. Leaching of SOM shows significant effects on the distribution and character- istics of HAs in the yellow soil profile but the purplish soil profile, which is consistent with the higher hydrophobicity of HAs in purplish soils, shows that the distribution char- acteristics of SOM along the soil profiles are a complex result of the combination of soil texture and characteristics of SOM itself. The remarkably different sand contents are concluded tentatively as one of reasons to the differentdistributions and dynamics of HAs along the soil profiles, however, to profoundly understand the evolution and transport of SOM along soil profiles needs more researches.

Study on Humic Acids of the Soil Applied with Corn Stalk by Spectroscopy Measurements

Spectroscopy measurements （Fourier transform infrared differential spectroscopy, Carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry, Matrix-assisted laser resorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry） were performed to study the humic acids of the soil applied with corn stalk. The results showed that after incorporation of corn stalks into the soil, the soil humic acid （HA） changed significantly in different stages. During first 60 days, new HAs were formed by polymerization and seems to be similar to that of initial HAs from composting corn stalk, some little molecular organic matters also reacted with soil HAs and turned into parts of soil HAs. After 60 days of the corn stalk residue incorporation, new HAs were formed by polymerization of decomposed lignin molecules, some methylenes transformed into methyls and methoxyls since the 90th day. Application of corn stalk led to the increase of aliphatic components in soil HAs, the decrease in aromatic components of soil HAs and the suppression in oxidation degree of soil HAs. The average molecular weight of soil HAs also declined because of application of corn stalk.

Spectroscopic characteristics of two typical soil humic acids in China

Humic acid （HA） is known to be a complex organic compound with varying structural and functional characteristics. In this study, three-dimensional excitation emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy （3DEEM）, ultraviolet-visible （UV-Vis） and Fourier-transform infrared （FT-IR） were applied to study the fluorescence characteristics and structure of two typical soil HAs in China. The effects of concentration of HA, pH and ionic strength on the fluorescence behaviors were investigated. The results indicate that ionic strength over the range from 0 to 0.05mol L^-1 NaNO3 did not affect the 3DEEM of HA. The concentration of HA and pH of the test solution had obvious effects on the 3DEEM. When the concentration of soil HA was lower than 10mg L^-1, HA has only one obvious fluorescence peak. However, there were several fluorescence peaks for HA in high concentration （≥50mg L^-1）, and its Ex/Em maximum wavelength shifted towards longer wavelength with increasing the concentration of HA. The fluorescence intensity of HA enhanced with the increase of pH, and achieved maximum at pH 10. The effect of pH on the fluorescence intensity of black soil HA （BHA） was the severest and a polycondensation of BHA existed with the change of pH. At the same condition, the fluorescence intensity of red soil HA （RHA） was stronger than that of BHA. At the excitation wavelength of 340nm, the maximum emission peak positions of RHA and BHA were 474 and 504nm at pH 6.0, and their fluorescence quantum yields （QY） were 2.1-2.5% and 1.5-1.9%, respectively. Based on the maximum emission peak positions and fluorescence quantum yield, RHA and BHA can be distinguished.

Adsorption-desorption behavior of acetochlor to soils in the presence of some environmental substances

The behavior of herbicide acetochlor adsorption desorption to soil in the presence of humic acid (HA), anionic surfactant sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS), cationic surfactant hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (HDAB) and NH 4NO 3 as a chemical fertilizer was studied. Observed acetochlor adsorption isotherm were well described using Freundlich isotherm equation, from which the desorption isotherm equation has been deduced. The deduced equation can more directly describe acetochlor desorption process. The results showed that the enhance of acetochlor adsorption capacity by solid HA was greater than by soluble HA. The presence of NH 4NO 3 can slightly enhance acetochlor adsorption to soil by comparison with that measured in NH 4NO 3 free solution. In soil water system, surfactant acetochlor interaction is very complex, and the surfactant adsorptions as well as acetochlor adsorption need to be considered. When acetochlor soil suspensions contained lower concentration SDBS or HDAB (40 mg/L), K f for acetochlor adsorption was decreased in comparison to that measured in SDBS or HDAB free solution. When acetochlor soil suspensions contained higher concentration SDBS or HDAB (corresponding 1400 mg/L or 200 mg/L), K f for acetochlor adsorption was increased in comparison to that measured in SDBS or HDAB free solution.

Effects of organic acids on heavy metal release or immobilization in contaminated soil

In order to explicit the environmental activity of heavy metals affected by different organic acids in soil,a batch incubation experiment was explored to investigate the influence of high relative molecular mass organic acid(HMWOA)(humic acid and fulvic acid)and low relative molecular mass organic acid(LMWOA)(threonic acid and oxalic acid)on the release or immobilization of Pb,Cu and Cd in soils.Results showed that LMWOA,especially threonic acid,had a good performance in the release of Pb,Cu and Cd from soils,and decrease in the fractions of HOAc-extractable,reducible and oxidable Pb,Cu and Cd.Conversely,HMWOA,especially humic acid,decreased the release of Pb,Cu and Cd,while it increased the fractions of HOAc-extractable,reducible and oxidable Pb,Cu and Cd,indicating that HMWOA can immobilize heavy metals.The release of Pb,Cu and Cd caused by LMWOA was attributed to the dissociation of soil organic matter and amorphous iron oxides since the total organic carbon and the water-soluble iron increased.The immobilization of Pb,Cu and Cd by HMWOA was attributed to the adsorption onto HMWOA followed by amorphous iron since HMWOA resulted in a significant decrease of zeta potential and an increase of amorphous iron oxide.It can be concluded that LMWOA has a potential application in soil washing remediation,while HMWOA can be used in the immobilization remediation for heavy metals contaminated soils.

Soil organic carbon contents, aggregate stability,and humic acid composition in different alpine grasslands in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Alpine grassland soils on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau store approximately 33.5 Pg of organic carbon(C) at 0–0.75 m depth and play an important role in the global carbon cycle.We investigated soil organic C(SOC),water-soluble organic C(WSOC),easily oxidizable organic C(EOC),humic C fractions,aggregate-associated C,aggregate stability,and humic acid(HA) composition along an east-west transect across Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,and explored their spatial patterns and controlling factors.The contents of SOC,WSOC,EOC,humic C fractions and aggregate-associated C,the proportions of macroaggregates(2-0.25) and micro-aggregates(0.25-0.053 mm),and the aggregate stability indices all increased in the order alpine desert < alpine steppe < alpine meadow.The alkyl C,O-alkyl C,and aliphatic C/aromatic C ratio of HA increased as alpine desert < alpine meadow < alpine steppe,and the trends were reverse for the aromatic C and HB/HI ratio.Mean annual precipitation and aboveground biomass weresignificantly correlated with the contents of SOC and its fractions,the proportions of macro- and microaggregates,and the aggregate stability indices along this transect.Among all these C fractions,SOC content and aggregate stability were more closely associated with humic C and silt and clay sized C in comparison with WSOC,EOC,and macro- and microaggregate C.The results suggested that alpine meadow soils containing higher SOC exhibited high soil aggregation and aggregate stability.Mean annual precipitation should be the main climate factor controlling the spatial patterns of SOC,soil aggregation,and aggregate stability in this region.The resistant and stable C fractions rather than labile C fractions are the major determinant of SOC stocks and aggregate stability.

Effects of different conditions on Pb^(2+) adsorption from soil by irrigation of sewage in South China

Pb2＋ adsorption onto a soil by irrigation of sewage in the Pearl River Delta of South China was examined as a function of the reaction time, solution pH, initial lead concentration, organic matter （humic acid） and competitive ions （Cu2＋）. The adsorption of Pb2＋ onto the soil was investigated on batch equilibrium adsorption experiments. Results show that the Pb2＋ adsorption on the soil is relatively rapid in the first 30 min and reaches equilibrium at 2 h, and the kinetics of the adsorption process on the soil is well characterized by the pseudo-second order reaction rate. Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin isothermal models are fit for the adsorption of Pb2＋ onto the soil, and the maximum amount of Pb2＋ adsorption （Qm） is 7.47 mg/g. The amount of Pb2＋ adsorption increases with increasing the pH at the range of 1.2-4.5 and reaches a plateau at the range of 4.5-12. The presence of humic acid in soil decreases the adsorption of Pb2＋ onto the soil at solution pH of 8 since the negatively charged humic acid with Pb2＋ is difficult to be adsorbed on the negatively charged soil surface. The adsorption of Pb2＋ onto the soil also decreases in the presence of Cu2＋ due to file competition adsorption between Pb2＋ and Cu2＋.