Kinetics studies of heavy metal release are an important form of environmental diagnostics in contaminated areas, due to the possibility of determining, aside from the total release contents after increasing equilibrium times, the rate (velocity) of heavy metal to soil solution. The objective of this study was to determined Pb kinetics release from soils of the heavy metal mining and metallurgy area in Adrianópolis (PR), Brazil, in the Ribeira river valley. Eight soils were exposed to different contamination forms: (soils 2, 4 and 5 - residue incorporated in the soil profile; soils 3, 6 and 7 - sprinkled with particulate matter from the factory chimney; soil 8 - contamination by rain water flowing from the shut down factory towards the Ribeira river). Soil 1, under native forest, was chosen as reference of the natural soil Pb levels. The soil samples, collected from two layers (0-10 cm, 20-40 cm), were subjected to sequential extractions with 0.1 mol L-1 citric acid during different periods (2; 14; 38; 86; 182; 326; 518; 806; and 1,382 h). The high total Pb contents (extracted by concentrated HF and HNO3 and 30 % (v/v) H2O2) (maximum content of 24,755.6 mg kg-1) revealed intense soil contamination. The release kinetics data were fitted to parabolic equations of diffusion; lead release was gradual and biphasic (higher in the first phase). The environmental risks were considered high in the soils 3 and 5, where the evaluated levels of total Pb accumulated were high (reaching 18,577.4 mg kg-1). The Pb release rate was highest from soil 6, where clay content was low.
Pb specific adsorption; parabolic diffusion equation; citric acid
