We are developing the test methods to improve the reproducibility of the soil leaching test.

Research

Involvement in Developing Standards

Research on Test Methods for Soil Contamination Assessment

Under the Soil Contamination Countermeasures Act in Japan, soil leaching and soil content tests are specified to assess contamination levels. In order to better assess the level of soil contamination, it is expected that test procedures will be clarified and efficient methods will be developed to minimize the variability of analytical results. In this context, we are working on the optimization of test methods with the aim of improving the reproducibility of the soil leaching test.

Effect of solid-liquid separation parameters on lead concentration in the extract (Imoto et al., 2018)

Under the Soil Contamination Countermeasures Act in Japan, soil leaching and soil content tests are specified to assess contamination levels. In order to better assess the level of soil contamination, it is expected that test procedures will be clarified and efficient methods will be developed to minimize the variability of analytical results. In this context, we are working on the optimization of test methods with the aim of improving the reproducibility of the soil leaching test.

Column percolation test
Comparison of breakthrough curve (BTC) shapes at different contact times and the relationship to degree of equilibrium: The two BTCs can be indistinguishable even at low degree of equilibrium (Imoto, 2024)

Papers

  • Imoto, Y., Yasutaka, T., Someya, M., Higashino, K., Influence of solid-liquid separation method parameters employed in soil leaching tests, on apparent metal concentration, Science of the Total Environment, 624, 96-105, 2018.
  • Imoto, Y., Insight into the relationship between similarity and the degree of equilibrium of contaminant release curves through numerical simulations, Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, 267, 104451, 2024.

Involvement in Developing International Standards

  • JIS A 1231:2023 Test method for leaching characteristics of geomaterials -- Up-flow percolation test