Remediation of clayey soil contaminated with nickel nitrate using enhanced Electro-Kinetics process and study the geotechnical properties of the remediated soil samples

Abstract

This paper explains the removal efficiency of nickel contamination soil, using electro-reclamation process, that enhanced by absorption method and the impact of this method to enhance the physical and mechanical properties of silty clay soil (CH). The soil samples are artificially contaminated, where salt of nickel nitrate was added to intact soil with 10 g/kg and 20 g/kg. The mixture kept in plastic container for 30 d. Soil samples were remediated using electro kinetics method to study the efficiency of this method to extract nickel from soil and the impact of activated carbon to prevent the reverse flow of electro osmosis. 0.1 M NaOH with distilled water were used as a purging solution at mid and cathode compartment respectively. The removal efficiency of nickel metal tested by using atomic absorption device, it ranged between 31.3 and 43.2%. After that, many experimental laboratory tests were conducted to study the engineering properties of contaminated and remediated soil samples. Remediation process lead to increase the percentage of clay, Atterberg limit (LL and PL), cohesion of soil (c) and lead to decrease sand and silt content of soil.