Competitive sorption of copper, nickel, and zinc by an Oxisol

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Abstract
The competitive sorption of copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn) in an Oxisol suspension was investigated using the Sheindrof‐Rebhun‐Sheituch (SRS) equation. Experimental data were obtained for a system containing these cations as single components, binary, and ternary mixtures. The associated competitive coefficients aij can be viewed as a way to quantify competitive interaction. The competition coefficients obtained for the cations indicated that the sorption of Ni and Zn by the soil was significantly inhibited by the presence of Cu, while the inhibition exerted in the reverse situation was milder. After a ij ‐values were substituted in the SRS equation, the sorption values predicated by this equation for the ternary solute mixture Cu‐Ni‐Zn, were compared to values determined experimentally. The SRS equation modeled sorption successfully for the range of solute concentrations used.