Modeling phytoremediation of aged soil Ni from anthropogenic deposition using Alyssum murale.

Several field-scale phytoextraction scenarios were created in a greenhouse study to investigate the feasibility of using Alyssum murale, to remediate three types of industrially Ni-contaminated soil (heavy clay, sand, organic muck) from Port Colborne, Ontario. The observed distribution of Ni mass between soil and aboveground vegetation was used in STELLA modeling software to predict timelines for the target soil Ni concentration, namely 1200 mg Ni/kg. Alyssum murale grown in sand would have a relatively constant pool of Ni available for plant uptake, which would not be the case for plants grown in organic muck and heavy clay.

Towards an exposure narrative for metals and arsenic in historically contaminated Ni refinery soils: Relationships between speciation, bioavailability, and bioaccessibility.

Archived soils contaminated with Ni, Cu, Co, and As from legacy operations of a nickel refinery at Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada were speciated using mineral liberation analysis. Four Ni minerals were identified as fingerprint compounds of the historical refinery emissions. Cu and Co were present in solid solution in these minerals due to their presence in the refinery's feed.