Effects of water salinity on cadmium availability at soil–water interface: implication for salt water intrusion

Low-lying paddy fields in estuaries can be affected by salt water intrusion; however, it remains unclear how salt water intrusion influences the availability of heavy metals in paddy soil. In this study, batch adsorption and incubation experiments of soil were conducted with different salt water sampled along the estuary to investigate the effects of salt water intrusion on cadmium (Cd) availability. The surface complexation model (SCM) was established to assess the effects of pH on Cd adsorption behavior, which presented typical pH-dependent characteristics. The results of SCM also showed that Cd-chloro complexes became the dominant species when the ionic strength increased. The results of Cd fractions in the incubation experiments revealed a significant increase in dissolved Cd with increasing ionic strength. This may be attributed to the increased point of zero charge (pH pzc ) in the presence of salt water with higher salinity, which likely formed more positive charges on soil surfaces, causing an inhibition of Cd adsorption via electrostatic repulsion. Moreover, higher concentrations of Cl – in salt water favored the formation of Cd-chloro complexes, facilitating Cd release from soil particles. This study provides mechanistic insights into the impact of salt water intrusion on Cd availability at the soil–water interface of paddy soil along the estuary. Graphical abstract