Copper and Zinc mono-and multi-component adsorption kinetics in tropical soils: a multivariate analysis

Abstract

Copper and zinc are present in fertilizers, such as copper sulfate and zinc sulfate, and evaluation of their susceptibility to leaching is important, as well as their interaction and competitiveness in soil systems. This article aimed to evaluate the adsorption kinetics of copper and zinc in mono- and multi-component systems in an Oxisol, Inceptisol and Entisol Quartzipsamment using multivariate analyses. Physical, chemical, and mineralogical analyses of the soils were performed, and the batch method was used. Copper and zinc solutions containing the same concentrations of target and competitive ions were used in the sorption kinetics assays, and quantification was performed in an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The pseudo first-order, pseudo second-order and Elovich models were fitted to the observed data. The results showed that the first principal component was related to the adsorption estimated by the pseudo first-order model and the adsorption properties of the soils. The second principal component was associated with charged adsorptive surfaces, such as clay and organic matter. In the dendrogram, Cluster 1 consisted of the Inceptisol, which contains minerals that enhance the adsorption of ions. Cluster 2 highlighted the similarities in ion adsorption between the Oxisol and Entisol Quartzipsamment, which have lower ion retention capacities.