A comparison of the efficiency of different surfactants for removal of crude oil from contaminated soils.
This paper presents the results from study investigating the efficiency with which different surfactants remove crude oil from contaminated soil using a soil washing process. The surfactants studied were aqueous solutions of rhamnolipid, saponin and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The efficiency of surfactants' removal was quantified and then GC/MS analysis conducted to investigate the distribution of hydrocarbons remaining on the washed soil samples compared to those on a control. The results showed that SDS removed the most crude oil from soil, followed by rhamnolipid and then saponin. However, the different surfactants showed preferences in terms of which crude oil components they removed from the contaminated soil. SDS removed more of the aliphatics than aromatic hydrocarbons whereas saponin removed the aromatic hydrocarbon preferentially to the aliphatic hydrocarbons. Clearly these results provide important information for the selection of surfactants used to remove crude oil from contaminated soils.
Urum
Kingsley
K
Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK.
Grigson
Steve
S
Pekdemir
Turgay
T
McMenamy
Sean
S
D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006017:Glycolipids / Q000737:chemistry; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010316:Particle Size; D010578:Petroleum / Q000032:analysis*; D016062:Porosity; D012503:Saponins / Q000737:chemistry; D012967:Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate / Q000737:chemistry; D012987:Soil / Q000592:standards; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*
D006017:Glycolipids; D010578:Petroleum; D012503:Saponins; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; C418382:rhamnolipid; D012967:Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate