Investigation of the interaction of Greek dolomitic marble with metal aqueous solutions using rutherford backscattering and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

The interaction of Greek dolomitic marble (from Thassos island, northern Greece) with Co2+, Cd2+, Pb2+ and Cr3+ containing aqueous solutions was studied by characterizing the surface of the solid experimental samples, using a combination of spectroscopic, microscopic, and diffraction techniques (RBS, XPS, SEM-EDS, FT-IR, powder-XRD). The obtained results indicated a considerable Cd2+ and Co2+ sorption on the dissolved surface of the carbonate substrate, whereas, under the same experimental conditions, the Pb2+ and Cr3+ interaction is more intense leading to extended overgrowth of crystalline Pb2+ carbonates and massive surface precipitation of amorphous Cr3+ hydroxide/oxyhydroxide.