In a previous study, we assessed the feasibility of ferric chloride ($FeCl_3$) as a washing agent in bench-scale in-situ soil washing to remove Pb from agricultural paddy soil. Herein is a subsequent study to evaluate variations in soil properties after $FeCl_3$ soil washing in terms of fractionation and bioavailability of Pb and chemical properties of the soil. After soil washing, the soil pH decreased from 4.8 to 2.6 and the exchangeable fractions of Pb in the soil increased from 12 mg/kg to 15 mg/kg. Variations in the Pb fractionation of the soil increased Pb bioavailability by almost three-fold; however,the base saturation decreased by 75%. The concentrations of total nitrogen and available phosphate were similar before and after soil washing. The available silicate concentration significantly increased after soil washing but was two times lower than that of soil washed with HCl, which is widely used as a washing agent. This indicates that $FeCl_3$ can be an acceptable washing agent that protects the soil clay structure. The results suggest that soil amendment, such as liming, is needed to recover soil pH, reduce mobility of Pb, and provide exchangeable bases of Ca, Mg, and K as essential elements for the healthy growth of rice plants in reused soil that has been washed.

Keywords: Pb;Soil washing;Paddy;Fractionation;Chemical properties;