Natural restoration of heavy metal contaminated soils: The role of interfacial processesNatural restoration of heavy metal contaminated soils: The role of interfacial processes Πλήρης Δημοσίευση σε Συνέδριο Conference Full Paper 2015-11-112001enMacroscale (transport and redox fronts) and microscale (mass transfer, surface adsorption, precipitation and dissolution reactions) processes influence the natural restoration time of heavy metal contaminated soils. The objective of this work was to estimate the characteristic times of the various macroscale and microscale processes that occur in heavy metal contaminated sites and evaluate the recovery times of natural restoration. A mathematical model developed to describe the fate, speciation and transport of heavy metals in porous media was used to simulate the leaching of heavy metals in column studies. The characteristic times of all the processes affecting the fate and transport of heavy metals were determined. The leaching of heavy metals attached to intra-granular sites was determined to be the slow mass transfer process that controls the mobility of heavy metals in contaminated soils. The concentration of metals (such as cadmium) at residual levels exceeded the regulatory standards. Natural restoration of heavy metal contaminated soils to regulatory levels may only be achieved over the span of generations. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Ground Water Quality 2001 Nikolaidis Nikolaos Νικολαιδης Νικολαος