Abstract
Oil-contaminated soils from a former landfill and gas station site in Korea were treated by thermal desorption. The removal efficiencies of the different oil components such as total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), unresolved complex mixtures (UCM), and alkylated PAHs (Alk-PAHs) by thermal desorption were determined. The effects of temperatures (200, 400, and 600 °C) and treatment times (15, 30, 45, and 60 min) on the thermal desorption efficiency were studied. The treatment efficiency increased with increasing temperature from 200 to 400 °C and with increasing treatment time. Almost complete removals of TPH, UCM, PAHs, and Alk-PAHs were observed after 15 min at 400 °C. The treatment temperatures of 400 and 600 °C did not show a significant difference (p-value > 0.05). Overall, this study shows that the different components of oil in the oil-contaminated soils can be treated effectively in a relatively short time by thermal desorption, and such high removal efficiency in a relatively short time for the oil-contaminated soils can be of advantage for the treatment of highly contaminated or weathered soils where biological treatment efficiency is low.
Highlights
Oil contamination of soil and groundwater due to various reasons including leaking pipes in industrial complexes and gas stations is regarded as serious environmental and social problems [1, 2]
Total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) are the main constituents of crude oil; they are one of the most common pollutants found in oil-contaminated soils [3]
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which can be found in oil-contaminated soils, are one of the crude oil components harmful to organisms
Summary
Oil contamination of soil and groundwater due to various reasons including leaking pipes in industrial complexes and gas stations is regarded as serious environmental and social problems [1, 2]. PAHs have two or more fused aromatic rings with a pair of carbon atoms shared between rings in the molecules They are often found in the atmospheric, soil, and water environments mostly due to anthropogenic activities [4]. Previous studies on thermal desorption of oil-contaminated soils focused on the optimization of treatment conditions such as temperature, flow rate of sweeping gas, and treatment time [17, 18]. In this study, the changes in the different oil components found in oilcontaminated soils including TPH, PAHs, Alk-PAHs, and UCM were studied and compared under different conditions of thermal desorption. A soil sample was taken from a site where it was used to be a landfill site from 1960 to 1970 and a gas station site from 1988 to 2010, and the thermal desorption efficiencies for removal of TPH, UCM, PAHs, and Alk-PAHs were determined. The effects of factors such as moisture content, temperature, and operating time on the thermal desorption efficiency were studied
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
