Copper and zinc distribution coefficients for sandy aquifer materials

Distribution coe�cients (Kd) were measured for copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) in laboratory batch experiments for 17 sandy aquifer materials at environmentally relevant solute concentrations (Cu: 5±300 mg/l, Zn: 20±3100 mg/l). The Kd values ranged two to three orders of magnitude (Cu: 70±10,800 l/ kg; Zn: 6±22,800 l/kg) and correlating them to the characteristics of the aquifer material (particle size distribution, organic C content, surface area, pH) revealed good correlation with pH in the range 5.3± 8.9 (Cu: r 2=0.72; Zn: r 2=0.94). Including any other of the measured aquifer characteristics improved the correlation only a few percent. The results indicate that the mobility of Cu and Zn in sandy aquifers, as re¯ected in the measured Kd values, is very restricted at pH values above 6, since the relative migration velocity is less than 1%. However, at lower pH values, Zn seems to become mobile in sandy aquifers. # 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved