title: Treatability of volatile chlorinated hydrocarbon-contaminated soils of different textures along a vertical profile by mechanical soil aeration: A laboratory test.
abstract: Mechanical soil aeration is a simple, effective, and low-cost soil remediation technology that is suitable for sites contaminated with volatile chlorinated hydrocarbons (VCHs). Conventionally, this technique is used to treat the mixed soil of a site without considering the diversity and treatability of different soils within the site. A laboratory test was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of mechanical soil aeration for remediating soils of different textures (silty, clayey, and sandy soils) along a vertical profile at an abandoned chloro-alkali chemical site in China. The collected soils were artificially contaminated with chloroform (TCM) and trichloroethylene (TCE). Mechanical soil aeration was effective for remediating VCHs (removal efficiency >98%). The volatilization process was described by an exponential kinetic function. In the early stage of treatment (0-7hr), rapid contaminant volatilization followed a pseudo-first order kinetic model. VCH concentrations decreased to low levels and showed a tailing phenomenon with very slow contaminant release after 8hr. Compared with silty and sandy soils, clayey soil has high organic-matter content, a large specific surface area, a high clay fraction, and a complex pore structure. These characteristics substantially influenced the removal process, making it less efficient, more time consuming, and consequently more expensive. Our findings provide a potential basis for optimizing soil remediation strategy in a cost-effective manner.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining &Technology, Beijing 100083, China; State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China. Electronic address: mayan2202@163.com.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
authors.forename: Deyi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.affiliation: BGI Engineering Consultants Ltd., Beijing 100038, China.
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining &Technology, Beijing 100083, China.
authors.forename: Jiaqi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: School of Environment and Energy, Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, China.
authors.forename: Zhifen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China.
authors.forename: Zhu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China.
authors.forename: Fasheng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China. Electronic address: duxiaom1963@126.com.
authors.forename: Xiaoming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Du
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation / Q000379:methods*; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D007700:Kinetics; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds
keywords: Contaminated site; Mechanical soil aeration; Particle-size fraction; Texture of soil profile; Treatability test; Volatile chlorinated hydrocarbons (VCHs)