Insights into the weathering behavior of pyrite in alkaline soil through electrochemical characterizations: Actual hazards or potentially benefits?

Pyrite is the most common metal sulfide mineral in the crust and readily weathers under natural circumstances to release H+ to acidify surrounding groundwater and soil, resulting in heavy metal ions in the surrounding environment (e.g., meadow and saline soils). Meadow and saline soils are two common, widely distributed alkaline soils and can affect pyrite weathering. Currently, the weathering behaviors of pyrite in saline and meadow soil solutions have not been systematically studied. Electrochemistry coupled with surface analysis methods were employed to study pyrite weathering behaviors in simulated saline and meadow soil solutions in this work. Experimental results suggest that saline soil and higher temperatures increase pyrite weathering rates due to the lower resistance and greater capacitance. Surface reactions and diffusion control the weathering kinetics, and the activation energies for the simulated meadow and saline soil solutions are 27.1 and 15.8 kJ mol-1, respectively. In-depth investigations reveal that pyrite is initially oxidized to Fe(OH)3 and S0, and Fe(OH)3 further transforms into goethite gamma-FeOOH and hematite alpha-Fe2O3, while S0 ultimately converts into sulfate. When these iron compounds enter alkaline soils, the alkalinity of soil changes, and iron (hydr)oxides effectively reduce the bioavailability of heavy metals and benefit alkaline soils. Meanwhile, weathering of natural pyrite ores

Automated summary

Pyrite, the most common metal sulfide mineral, weathers easily and releases acidifying substances, resulting in heavy metal contamination in surrounding meadow and saline soils. This study investigates the weathering behaviors of pyrite in simulated saline and meadow soil solutions, and finds that saline soil and higher temperatures enhance pyrite weathering rates. Surface reactions and diffusion control the weathering kinetics, with different activation energies observed in the two soil solutions. The transformation of pyrite leads to the formation of iron (hydr)oxides, which contribute to the alkalinity and reduced bioavailability of heavy metals in alkaline soils.