Soil remediation time to achieve clean-up goals I: Influence of soil water content

The current models are not simple enough to allow a quick estimation of the remediation time. This work reports the development of an easy and relatively rapid procedure for the forecasting of the remediation time using vapour extraction. Sandy soils contaminated with cyclohexane and prepared with different water contents were studied. The remediation times estimated through the mathematical fitting of experimental results were compared with those of real soils. The main objectives were: (i) to predict, through a simple mathematical fitting, the remediation time of soils with water contents different from those used in the experiments; (ii) to analyse the influence of soil water content on the: (ii(1)) remediation time; (ii(2)) remediation efficiency; and (ii(3)) distribution of contaminants in the different phases present into the soil matrix after the remediation process. For sandy soils with negligible contents of clay and natural organic matter, artificially contaminated with cyclohexane before vapour extraction, it was concluded that (i) if the soil water content belonged to the range considered in the experiments with the prepared soils, then the remediation time of real soils of similar characteristics could be successfully predicted, with relative differences not higher than 10%, through a simple mathematical fitting of experimental results; (ii) increasing soil water content from 0% to 6% had the following consequences: (ii(1)) increased remediation time (1.8-4.9h, respectively); (ii(2)) decreased remediation efficiency (99-97%, respectively); and (ii(3)) decreased the amount of contaminant adsorbed onto the soil and in the non-aqueous liquid phase, thus increasing the amount of contaminant in the aqueous and gaseous phases.     

Remediation efficiency of vapour extraction of sandy soils contaminated with cyclohexane: Influence of air flow rate, water and natural organic matter content

This work reports the analysis of the efficiency and time of soil remediation using vapour extraction as well as provides comparison of results using both, prepared and real soils. The main objectives were: (i) to analyse the efficiency and time of remediation according to the water and natural organic matter content of the soil; and (ii) to assess if a previous study, performed using prepared soils, could help to preview the process viability in real conditions. For sandy soils with negligible clay content, artificially contaminated with cyclohexane before vapour extraction, it was concluded that (i) the increase of soil water content and mainly of natural organic matter content influenced negatively the remediation process, making it less efficient, more time consuming, and consequently more expensive; and (ii) a previous study using prepared soils of similar characteristics has proven helpful for previewing the process viability in real conditions.     

Soil vapor extraction in sandy soils: influence of airflow rate

Airflow rate is one of the most important parameters for the soil vapor extraction of contaminated sites, due to its direct influence on the mass transfer occurring during the remediation process. This work reports the study of airflow rate influence on soil vapor extractions, performed in sandy soils contaminated with benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene. The objectives were: (i) to analyze the influence of airflow rate on the process; (ii) to develop a methodology to predict the remediation time and the remediation efficiency; and (iii) to select the most efficient airflow rate. For dry sandy soils with negligible contents of clay and natural organic matter, containing the contaminants previously cited, it was concluded that: (i) if equilibrium between the pollutants and the different phases present in the soil matrix was reached and if slow diffusion effects did not occur, higher airflow rates exhibited the fastest remediations, (ii) it was possible to predict the remediation time and the efficiency of remediation with errors below 14%; and (iii) the most efficient remediation were reached with airflow rates below 1.2 cm(3)s(-1) standard temperature and pressure conditions.     

Effect of hydrocarbon pollution on the microbial properties of a sandy and a clay soil

The aim of this work was to ascertain the effects of different types of hydrocarbon pollution on soil microbial properties and the influence of a soil's characteristics on these effects. For this, toxicity bioassays and microbiological and biochemical parameters were studied in two soils (one sandy and one clayey) contaminated at a loading rate of 5% and 10% with three types of hydrocarbon (diesel oil, gasoline and crude petroleum) differing in their volatilisation potential and toxic substance content. Soils were maintained under controlled conditions (50-70% water holding capacity, and room temperature) for six months and several microbiological and toxicity parameters were monitored 1, 60, 120 and 180 days after contamination. The toxic effects of hydrocarbon contamination were greater in the sandy soil. Hydrocarbons inhibited microbial biomass, the greatest negative effect being observed in the gasoline-polluted sandy soil. In both soils crude petroleum and diesel oil contamination increased microbial respiration, while gasoline had little effect on this parameter, especially in the sandy soil. In general, gasoline had the highest inhibitory effect on the hydrolase activities involved in N, P or C cycles in both soils. All contaminants inhibited hydrolase activities in the sandy soil, while in the clayey soil diesel oil stimulated enzyme activity, particularly at the higher concentration. In both soils, a phytotoxic effect on barley and ryegrass seed germination was observed in the contaminated soils, particularly in those contaminated with diesel or petroleum.     

Mobilization of phenol and dichlorophenol in unsaturated soils by non-uniform electrokinetics

The poor mobility of organic pollutants in contaminated sites frequently results in slow remediation processes. Organics, especially hydrophobic compounds, are generally retained strongly in soil matrix as a result of sorption, sequestration, or even formation into non-aqueous-phase liquids and their mobility is thus greatly reduced. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using non-uniform electrokinetic transport processes to enhance the mobility of organic pollutants in unsaturated soils with no injection reagents. Phenol and 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP), and kaolin and a natural sandy loam soil were selected as model organics and soils, respectively. The results showed that non-uniform electrokinetics can accelerate the desorption and movement of phenol and 2,4-DCP in unsaturated soils. Electromigration and electroosmotic flow were the main driving forces, and their role in the mobilization of phenol and 2,4-DCP varied with soil pH. The movement of 2,4-DCP in the sandy loam towards the anode (about 1.0 cmd(-1)V(-1)) was 1.0-1.5 cmd(-1)V(-1) slower than that in the kaolin soil, but about 0.5 cmd(-1)V(-1) greater than that of phenol in the sandy loam. When the sandy loam was adjusted to pH 9.3, the movement of phenol and 2,4-DCP towards the anode was about twice and five times faster than that at pH 7.7, respectively. The results also demonstrated that the movement of phenol and 2,4-DCP in soils can be easily controlled by regulating the operational mode of electric field. It is believed that non-uniform electrokinetics has the potential for practical application to in situ remediation of organics-contaminated sites.     

Airflow dispersion in unsaturated soil

Dispersion data is abundant for water flow in the saturated zone but is lacking for airflow in unsaturated soil. However, for remediation processes such as soil vapour extraction, characterization of airflow dispersion is necessary for improved modelling and prediction capabilities. Accordingly, gas-phase tracer experiments were conducted in five soils ranging from uniform sand to clay at air-dried and wetted conditions. The disturbed soils were placed in one-dimensional stainless steel columns, with sulfur hexafluoride used as the inert tracer. The tested interstitial velocities were typical of those present in the vicinity of a soil vapour extraction well, while wetting varied according to the water-holding capacity of the soils. Results gave dispersivities that varied between 0.42 and 2.6 cm, which are typical of values in the literature. In air-dried soils, dispersion was found to increase with the pore size variability of the soil. For wetted soils, particle shape was an important factor at low water contents, while at high water contents, the proportion of macroporous space filled with water was important. The relative importance of diffusion decreased with increasing interstitial velocity and water content and was, in general, found to be minor compared to mechanical mixing across all conditions studied.     

The use of maize and poplar in chelant-enhanced phytoextraction of lead from contaminated agricultural soils

Chelant-enhanced phytoextraction of heavy metals is an emerging technological approach for a non-destructive remediation of contaminated soils. The main objectives of this study were (i) to assess the extraction efficiency of two different synthetic chelating agents (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and ethylenediaminedisuccinic acid (EDDS)) for desorbing Pb from two contaminated agricultural soils originating from a mining and smelting district and (ii) to assess the phytoextraction efficiency of maize (Zea mays) and poplar (Populus sp.) after EDTA application. EDTA was more efficient than EDDS in desorbing and complexing Pb from both soils, removing as much as 60% of Pb. Maize exhibited better results than poplar when extracting Pb from the more acidic (pH approximately 4) and more contaminated (up to 1360 mg Pb kg(-1)) agricultural soil originating from the smelting area. On the other hand, poplars proved to be more efficient when grown on the near-neutral (pH approximately 6) and less contaminated (up to 200 mg Pb kg(-1)) agricultural soil originating from the mining area. Furthermore, the addition of EDTA led to a significant increase of Pb content especially in poplar leaves, proving a strong translocation rate within the poplar plants.     

The impact of zero-valent iron nanoparticles upon soil microbial communities is context dependent

Nanosized zero-valent iron (nZVI) is an effective land remediation tool, but there remains little information regarding its impact upon and interactions with the soil microbial community. nZVI stabilised with sodium carboxymethyl cellulose was applied to soils of three contrasting textures and organic matter contents to determine impacts on soil microbial biomass, phenotypic (phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA)), and functional (multiple substrate-induced respiration (MSIR)) profiles. The nZVI significantly reduced microbial biomass by 29 % but only where soil was amended with 5 % straw. Effects of nZVI on MSIR profiles were only evident in the clay soils and were independent of organic matter content. PLFA profiling indicated that the soil microbial community structure in sandy soils were apparently the most, and clay soils the least, vulnerable to nZVI suggesting a protective effect imparted by clays. Evidence of nZVI bactericidal effects on Gram-negative bacteria and a potential reduction of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are presented. Data imply that the impact of nZVI on soil microbial communities is dependent on organic matter content and soil mineral type. Thereby, evaluations of nZVI toxicity on soil microbial communities should consider context. The reduction of AM fungi following nZVI application may have implications for land remediation.     

Removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from manufactured gas plant-contaminated soils using sunflower oil: laboratory column experiments

Laboratory column experiments were performed to remove PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) from two contaminated soils using sunflower oil. Two liters of sunflower oil was added to the top of the columns (33 cm x 21 cm) packed with 1 kg of PAH-contaminated soil. The sunflower oil was applied sequentially in two different ways, i.e. five additions of 400 ml or two additions of 1l. The influence of PAH concentration and the volume of sunflower oil on PAH removal were examined. A soil respiration experiment was carried out and organic carbon contents of the soils were measured to determine degradability of remaining sunflower oil in the soils. Results showed that the sunflower oil was effective in removing PAHs from the two soils, more PAHs were removed by adding sunflower oil in two steps than in five steps, probably because of the slower flow rate in the former method. More than 90% of total PAHs was removed from a heavily contaminated soil (with a total 13 PAH concentration of 4721 mg kg(-1)) using 4 l of sunflower oil. A similar removal efficiency was obtained for another contaminated soil (with a total 13 PAH concentration of 724 mg kg(-1)), while only 2l was needed to give a similar efficiency. Approximately 4-5% of the sunflower oil remained in the soils. Soil respiration curves showed that remaining sunflower oil was degraded by allowing air exchange and supplying with nutrients. Organic carbon content of the soil was restored to original level after 180 d incubation. These results indicated that the sunflower oil had a great capacity to remove PAHs from contaminated soils, and sunflower oil solubilization can be an alternative technique for remediation of PAH contaminated soils.     

Remediation of heavy metals contaminated soils by ball milling

In the present work, the use of ball milling reactors for the remediation of lead contaminated soils was investigated. Lead immobilization was achieved without the use of additional reactants but only through the exploitation of weak transformations induced on the treated soil by mechanical loads taking place during collisions among milling media. The degree of metal immobilization was evaluated by analyzing the leachable fraction of Pb(II) obtained through the "synthetic precipitation leaching procedure". The reduction of leachable Pb(II) from certain synthetic soils, i.e., bentonitic, sandy and kaolinitc ones, was obtained under specific milling regimes. For example, for the case of bentonitic soils characterized by a Pb(II) concentration in the solid phase equal to 954.4 mg kg(-1), leachable Pb(II) was reduced, after 7 h of mechanical treatment, from 1.3 mg l(-1) to a concentration lower than the USEPA regulatory threshold (i.e., 0.015 mg l(-1) for drinkable water). Similar results were obtained for sandy and kaolinitic soils. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, electron dispersive spectroscopy and granulometric analyses revealed no significant alterations of the intrinsic character of sandy and bentonitic soils after milling except for a relatively small increase of particles size and a partial amorphization of the treated soil. On the other hand, the mechanical treatment caused the total amorphization of kaolinitic soil. The increase of immobilization efficiency can be probably ascribed to specific phenomena induced by mechanical treatment such as entrapment of Pb(II) into aggregates due to aggregation, solid diffusion of Pb(II) into crystalline reticulum of soil particles as well as the formation of new fresh surfaces (through particle breakage) onto which Pb(II) may be irreversibly adsorbed.     

Effect of soil on microbial responses to metal contamination

An experiment was conducted to investigate microbial responses to metal inputs in five soils with varying clay and organic contents; one soil had also a higher pH. These soils were treated with a low metal, sewage sludge control or with this sludge contaminated to achieve Cu=112, Ni=58 and Zn=220 mg kg(-1) in medium and Cu=182, Ni=98 and Zn=325 mg kg(-1) in high metal soils. CO(2) evolution rates were measured at 1 week and at 4-5-day intervals thereafter until the end of the incubation (7 weeks). Extractable metals (CaCl(2) and water), biomass C, metabolic quotient, ergosterol, bacterial-fungal phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA-3 weeks only) ratio and mineral N were measured at 3 and 7 weeks. Metal inputs caused a marked increase in metal availability in the slightly acidic sandy loams, a smaller increase in slightly acidic clays and had little effect in the alkaline loam. After an initial increase in CO(2) evolution with metal inputs in all soils, the high metal treatment alone caused a significant decrease at later stages, mainly in sandy loams. Although biomass C and metabolic quotient decreased in all soils with higher metal inputs, the effect was more pronounced in the sandy loams. Metal inputs increased ergosterol and decreased bacterial-fungal PLFA ratios in most soils. Larger mineral N contents were found in all high metal soils at 3 weeks but, after 7 weeks, metals caused a significant decrease in sandy loams. CaCl(2) and water-extractable Cu, Ni and Zn contents were closely correlated with microbial indices in sandy loam but not in clay soils. Overall, the effect of treatments on microbial and extractable metal indices was greater in loams. Within a single series, higher organic soils showed less pronounced responses to metal inputs, although this trend was not always consistent.     

Dissolution and removal of PAHs from a contaminated soil using sunflower oil

This study reports on the feasibility of remediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contaminated soils using sunflower oil, an environmentally-friendly solvent. Batch experiments were performed to test the influence of oil/soil ratio on the remediation of PAH contaminated soil, and to test the mass transfer behaviors of PAHs from soil to oil. An empirical model was employed to describe the kinetics of PAH dissolution and to predict equilibrium concentrations of PAHs in oil. PAH containing oil was regenerated using active carbon. Results show that dissolution of PAHs from a Manufactured Gas Plant (MGP) soil at oil/soil ratios of one or two were almost the same. Nearly all PAHs (81-100%) could be removed by sunflower oil dissolution. Mass transfer coefficients for low molecular PAHs namely fluoranthene, phenanthrene and anthracene were one or two orders of magnitude higher than those for high molecular PAHs with 4-6 rings. Ninety milliliters of PAH containing oil could be regenerated by 10 g active carbon in a batch reactor. Such a remediation procedure indicates that sunflower oil is a promising agent for the removal of PAHs from MGP soils. However, further research is required before the method can be used for in situ remediation of contaminated sites.     

Assessment of inorganic lead species and total organo-alkyllead in some Egyptian agricultural soils

This study was carried out to assess the amounts of (i) total Pb in soil, (ii) inorganic Pb species: exchangeable (EXCH), carbonate (CARB), easily reducible (EASR), moderately reducible (MODR), organic matter and sulfides (ORGS), and residual (RESD) bound Pb, and (iii) total organo-lead as alkyllead, in alluvial and lacustrine soils of the Nile delta, Egypt. Wide ranges of soil Pb were found in the alluvial (18.2-1850 microg g(-1)) and the lacustrine (39-1985 microg g(-1)) soils. The topsoil was highly enriched with Pb relative to the subsurface soils, especially in highly contaminated soils. There was no significant relationship between soil type and Pb content. Amounts of soil Pb greater than the background level (14 microg g(-1)) are due to Pb deposited from various anthropogenic activities. The partitioning of soil Pb into different species varied according to the intensity of contamination. It followed the sequence: RESD > ORGS > CARB > MODR > EASR in the slightly contaminated alluvial as well as lacustrine soils. In the highly contaminated soils, it followed the sequence: ORGS > MODR > CARB > EASR > RESD in the alluvial soils, and the sequence: ORGS > CARB > MODR > EASR > RESD in the lacustrine soils. There is high binding capacity of organic matter and sulfides to Pb, especially in the highly contaminated soils. The concentrations of total alkyllead in soils varied markedly and were related to both intensity of contamination and depth in the soil. The subsurface soil (15-30 cm) was highly enriched by alkyllead (means 224 and 353 ng g(-1) in the alluvial and lacustrine soils, respectively) relative to the surface and deeper soils. The proportion of total alkyllead as a percentage of total Pb in the soil was generally very low. It did not exceed 1.6% in the slightly contaminated soils, and 0.6% in the highly contaminated ones.     

Plant uptake, accumulation and translocation of phenanthrene and pyrene in soils

Uptake, accumulation and translocation of phenanthrene and pyrene by 12 plant species grown in various treated soils were comparatively investigated. Plant uptake and accumulation of phenanthrene and pyrene were correlated with their soil concentrations and plant compositions. Root or shoot accumulation of phenanthrene and pyrene in contaminated soils was elevated with the increase of their soil concentrations. Significantly positive correlations were shown between root concentrations or root concentration factors (RCFs) of phenanthrene and pyrene and root lipid contents. The RCFs of phenanthrene and pyrene for plants grown in contaminated soils with initial phenanthrene concentration of 133 mgkg(-1) and pyrene of 172 mgkg(-1) were 0.05-0.67 and 0.23-4.44, whereas the shoot concentration factors of these compounds were 0.006-0.12 and 0.004-0.12, respectively. For the same soil-plant treatment, shoot concentrations and concentration factors of phenanthrene and pyrene were generally much lower than root. Translocations of phenanthrene and pyrene from shoots to roots were undetectable. However, transport of these compounds from roots to shoots usually was the major pathway of shoot accumulation. Plant off-take of phenanthrene and pyrene only accounted for less than 0.01% of dissipation enhancement for phenanthrene and 0.24% for pyrene in planted versus unplanted control soils, whereas plant-promoted biodegradation was the predominant contribution of remediation enhancement of soil phenanthrene and pyrene in the presence of vegetation.     

Soil remediation: humic acids as natural surfactants in the washings of highly contaminated soils

The remediation of the highly contaminated site around the former chemical plant of ACNA (near Savona) in Northern Italy is a top priority in Italy. The aim of the present work was to contribute in finding innovative and environmental-friendly technology to remediate soils from the ACNA contaminated site. Two soils sampled from the ACNA site (A and B), differing in texture and amount and type of organic contaminants, were subjected to soil washings by comparing the removal efficiency of water, two synthetic surfactants, sodium dodecylsulphate (SDS) and Triton X-100 (TX100), and a solution of a natural surfactant, a humic acid (HA) at its critical micelle concentration (CMC). The extraction of pollutants by sonication and soxhlet was conducted before and after the soil washings. Soil A was richer in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, whereas soil B had a larger content of thiophenes. Sonication resulted more analytically efficient in the fine-textured soil B. The coarse-textured soil A was extracted with a general equal efficiency also by soxhlet. Clean-up by water was unable to exhaustively remove contaminants from the two soils, whereas all the organic surfactants revealed very similar efficiencies (up to 90%) in the removal of the contaminants from the soils. Hence, the use of solutions of natural HAs appears as a better choice for soil washings of highly polluted soils due to their additional capacity to promote microbial activity, in contrast to synthetic surfactants, for a further natural attenuation in washed soils.     

Transfer of hexazinone and glyphosate through undisturbed soil columns in soils under Christmas tree cultivation

Field studies monitoring pesticide pollution in the Morvan region (France) have revealed surface water contamination by some herbicides. The purpose of this study was to investigate in greater detail the transport of two herbicides, used in Christmas tree production in the Morvan, under controlled laboratory conditions. Thus, the leaching of hexazinone (3-cyclohexyl-6-dimethyl-amino-1-methyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4 (1H,3H) dione) and glyphosate (N-(phosphono-methyl-glycine)) through structured soil columns was studied using one loamy sand and two sandy loams from sites currently under Christmas tree cultivation in the Morvan. The three soils were cultivated sandy brunisol [Sound reference base for soils, D. Baize, M.C. Girard (Coord.), INRA, Versailles, 1998, 322 p] or, according to the FAO [FAO, World reference base for soil resources, ISSS-ISRIC-FAO, FAO, Rome, Italy, 1998], the La Garenne was an arenosol and the two other soils were cambisols. The clay contents of the soils ranged from 86 to 156 g kg(-1) and the organic carbon ranged from 98 to 347 g kg(-1). After 160 mm of simulated rainfall applied over 12 days, 2-11% of the applied hexazinone was recovered in the leachate. The recovery was much higher than that of glyphosate, which was less than 0.01%. The greater mobility of hexazinone might be related to its much lower adsorption coefficient, K(oc), 19-300 l kg(-1), compared with 8.5-10231 l kg(-1) for glyphosate (literature values). Another factor that may explain the higher amounts of hexazinone recovered in the leachates of the three soil columns is its greater persistence (19.7-91 days) relative to that of glyphosate (7.9-14.4 days). The mobility of both herbicides was greater in the soils with higher gravel contents, coarser textures, and lower organic carbon contents. Moreover, glyphosate migration seems negatively correlated not only to soil organic carbon, but also to aluminium and iron contents of soils. This soil column study suggests that at the watershed scale, surface water contamination by hexazinone could occur via the horizontal subsurface flow in upper centimeters of soil. In contrast, the surface water contamination with glyphosate by this mechanism appears unlikely.     

污染土壤修复的技术再造与展望

污染土壤的面积在迅速扩大,迫切需要修复、治理;随着土壤污染组分的日益复杂化,等待着全面、高效的修复技术的研制。对污染土壤修复相关技术现状进行剖析表明,现有的各种污染土壤修复技术由于存在着许多技术上难以克服的问题,需要从技术的现有进展和技术构想进行整体意义上的创新,即如何把现有的技术进行参数优化、改造后进行最佳组合与综合,才能取得该技术领域的重大突破。污染土壤的生态化学修复,其实质在于技术的再造,代表了21世纪污染土壤修复技术的发展方向。     

Residual gasoline saturation in unsaturated soil with and without organic matter

The goal of this study was to investigate the influence of one variable, natural organic matter, on residual gasoline saturation in sandy soils. Capillary pressure-saturation (P_c−S) relationships (air-gasoline) were determined for three physically-similar sandy soils, with different organic carbon contents (0.086%, 0.89% and 1.65%) and residual gasoline saturations were compared. Two initial moisture conditions, residual water saturation and air-dry, were evaluated. One soil type was packed to two different bulk densities. Visualization of the soils using cryo-scanning electron microscopy was performed to aid in better understanding the role of the organic matter in the soil. The results showed that soils with higher organic contents had higher residual gasoline saturations when starting with an initially air-dry soil. Increasing the bulk density of the same air-dried soil resulted in an increase in residual gasoline saturation. In the presence of a residual water saturation, however, residual gasoline saturations were virtually identical for the three soils and independent of bulk density; approximately 5–10 times lower than in soil that was initially air-dry. The presence of the residual water effectively coated the surface of the soil thereby reducing or eliminating gasoline/soil interactions. Some residual water may also be occupying very small pore spaces, making these locations inaccessible to the gasoline.     

Sorption of native polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) to black carbon and amended activated carbon in soil

Organic pollutants (e.g. polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH)) strongly sorb to carbonaceous sorbents such as black carbon and activated carbon (BC and AC, respectively). For a creosote-contaminated soil (Sigma15PAH 5500 mg kg(dry weight(dw))(-1)) and an urban soil with moderate PAH content (Sigma15PAH 38 mg kg(dw)(-1)), total organic carbon-water distribution coefficients (K(TOC)) were up to a factor of 100 above values for amorphous (humic) organic carbon obtained by a frequently used Linear-Free-Energy Relationship. This increase could be explained by inclusion of BC (urban soil) or oil (creosote-contaminated soil) into the sorption model. AC is a manufactured sorbent for organic pollutants with similar strong sorption properties as the combustion by-product BC. AC has the potential to be used for in situ remediation of contaminated soils and sediments. The addition of small amounts of powdered AC (2%) to the moderately contaminated urban soil reduced the freely dissolved aqueous concentration of native PAH in soil/water suspensions up to 99%. For granulated AC amended to the urban soil, the reduction in freely dissolved concentrations was not as strong (median 64%), especially for the heavier PAH. This is probably due to blockage of the pore system of granulated AC resulting in AC deactivation by soil components. For powdered and granulated AC amended to the heavily contaminated creosote soil, median reductions were 63% and 4%, respectively, probably due to saturation of AC sorption sites by the high PAH concentrations and/or blockage of sorption sites and pores by oil.     

The influences of fly ash on stabilization for Cd in contaminated soils

Soil contaminated with potentially toxic metals (PTMs) has being a global environmental issue, which needs to be addressed on the priority basis. Fly ash (FA) is a kind of low-cost alkaline materials, which has been widely used in remediation of soil contaminated by PTMs, while the effects of FA on the stability for PTMs in contaminated farmland soil are still not clearly evaluated. In this study, cadmium (Cd) contaminated soil samples, collected from Shaanxi (SX), Hubei (HB), and Zhejiang (ZJ) province of China, were amended with FA addition (0, 1%, 2.5%, 5%, and 10% dose), and 1-year changes of Cd availability in soil samples were focused on. In addition, biological assessment method through pot culture was carried out to evaluate the reuse potential of Cd contaminated soils amended by FA. The result indicated that FA had a notable impact on decreasing the Cd mobility of SX soil (sand type), with 18.2~52.1% reduction in the DTPA extractable solution, followed by HB soil with 5.9~16.7% reduction, but no obvious effect of FA on ZJ soil (clay type) was observed. Furthermore, the results of pot experiment revealed that FA application could increase the biomass of Chinese cabbage. However, the DTPA extractable Cd in soils after planation and the Cd accumulation of plant increased. The results revealed that FA was not a promising soil stabilizer to immobilize HMs in Cd contaminated soil, and careful consideration should be given to Cd contaminated soils with FA restoration especially in their using for farmland productive due to the remaining risk of Cd bioavailability. These results also contributed to provide references for similar soil pollution remediation.