The reduction of petroleum hydrocarbons in soil under saline conditions using ultrasound.

摘要

Salts (i.e. NaCl) and hydrocarbons are common soil pollutants found at contaminated sites generated by the oil and gas industry. In this study, laboratory experiments were conducted to identify the properties influencing interactions of crude oil, dissolved salt, and soil particles and to evaluate the effectiveness of ultrasonic soil remediation. A sample of soil (sand, clay and muskeg) equivalent to 30 ml volume was spiked with 1 to 2% of crude oil (volume: volume). Two salinity categories (no salt and 0.14 M salt added) were selected and the soil slurry was irradiated for up to 40 minutes using a 20 kHz ultrasonic probe. The change in crude oil concentration was measured in treated samples by gas chromatograph and indicated that the application of ultrasound generally increased the removal of hydrocarbons by up to approximately 50% in sand. In contrast, the presence of salt significantly reduced the removal of hydrocarbons.