Experimental Study on Solidification and Stabilization of Heavy-Metal-Contaminated Soil Using Cementitious Materials

Remediation of Cd-contaminated soil by electrokinetics coupled with the permeable reactive barrier from immobilized yeast

Yeast was used to prepare permeable reactive barrier (PRB) with immobilized microbial technology, and the electrokinetics coupled with the immobilized yeast PRB (IMEK-PRB) was established to remediate Cd-contaminated soil. The effect of the different PRBs prepared by immobilized microbial technology on Cd removal was explored. The voltage gradient had influence on the removal of Cd, and the removal reached as high as 53.70 % at a voltage gradient of 2.5 V/cm. The lowest removal about 34.12 % was obtained with yeast pellets prepared by the embedding method used as PRB. The yeast in PRB was partially broken and adhered, and the intensity of the absorption peak of the group analyzed with infrared spectra and the crystal diffraction peak from X-ray diffraction changed, leading to a decrease in its activity. The average removal of Cd increased by >10 % when fly ash-based yeast pellets prepared with the adsorption-embedding method, and fly ash-adsorbed yeast prepared by the adsorption method were used as PRB. IMEK-PRB remediation would greatly reduce the toxicity of Cd-contaminated soil, weaken harmful effects on the soil environment and reduce environmental risks. The fly ash-based yeast pellets used in IMEK-PRB have great application prospects for the remediation of Cd-contaminated soil.

Use of Alkali-Activated Slag as an Environment-Friendly Agent for High-Performance Stabilized Soil

Discharged slag not only occupies a large amount of land for disposal, but also causes serious environmental pollution. The use of alkali-activated slag (AAS) instead of cement as a soil-stabilization agent is beneficial for industrial waste disposal and energy conservation, which complies with the concept of green and low-carbon sustainable development in the construction industry. In this study, the compressive strength, water permeability coefficient, chloride migration coefficient and sulfate resistance of alkali-activated slag-stabilized soil (AASS) were evaluated, and compared with those of cement-stabilized soil (CSS). The hydrated crystalline phases and microscopic pore structures were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) tests, respectively. The results indicate that, compared with CSS, AASS exhibits a higher compressive strength, lower water permeability, chloride migration coefficient and better resistance to sulfate attack, with the optimum dosage higher than 10 wt.%. The results of the MIP analysis show that the addition of AAS reduces the porosity by 6.47%. The combined use of soil and AAS proves to be a viable and sustainable method of waste utilization and carbon emission reduction in the construction industry, which provides a practical path towards carbon peaking and carbon neutrality.

A review on the clean-up technologies for heavy metal ions contaminated soil samples

The soil contamination with heavy metal ions is one of the grave intricacies faced worldwide over the last few decades by the virtue of rapid industrialization, human negligence and greed. Heavy metal ions are quite toxic even at low concentration a swell as non-biodegradable in nature. Their bioaccumulation in the human body leads to several chronic and persistent diseases such as lung cancer, nervous system break down, respiratory problems and renal damage etc. In addition to this, the increased concentration of these metal ions in soil, beyond the permissible limits, makes the soil unfit for further agricultural use. Hence it is our necessity, to monitor the concentration of these metal ions in the soil and water bodies and adopt some better technologies to eradicate them fully. From the literature survey, it was observed that three main types of techniques viz. physical, chemical, and biological were employed to harness the heavy metal ions from metal-polluted soil samples. The main goal of these techniques was the complete removal of the metal ions or the transformation of them into less hazardous and toxic forms. Further the selection of the remediation technology depends upon different factors such as process feasibility/mechanism of the process applied, nature and type of contaminants, type and content of the soil, etc. In this review article, we have studied in detail all the three technologies viz. physical, chemical and biological with their sub-parts, mechanism, pictures, advantages and disadvantages.

The effects of long-term freezing-thawing on the strength properties and the chemical stability of compound solidified/stabilized lead-contaminated soil

Solidification/stabilization (S/S) is the prevalent remediation technology for the treatment of heavy metal contaminated soils (HMCS). However, under the stress of complex surrounding environments, S/S effectiveness tends to deteriorate and freezing-thawing is one of the most influential natural forcings. The different proportions of cement, lime, and fly ash were used as the compound curing agents to treat solidified/stabilized HMCS with varying levels of lead contamination. The resulting samples were subjected to up to 180 freeze-thaw cycles (F-T) (1 day per cycle). Unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests and semi-dynamic leaching tests were performed after F-T to explore the strength evolution of compound solidified/stabilized lead-contaminated soils (Pb-CSCS) and the chemical stability of the lead within. The results show that the F-T duration changes the strength deterioration mechanism of Pb-CSCS under F-T. There has been a shift in the main influencing factor from the promoted curing agent hydration by short-term F-T to the structural damage of the specimen induced by prolonged F-T. The variations in leachate pH, lead leachability, and diffusion ability with progressing F-T revealed a degradation effect of the changes in the physical states of water and crack propagation brought by F-T. These unfavorable changes in soil structure and chemistry reduce the acid resistance of Pb-CSCS. Notably, fly ash and cement facilitate the strength maintenance of Pb-CSCS under long-term F-T conditions. Curing formulations that included both cement and fly ash significantly increased the UCS of treated soils by up to 80.5% (3 F-T) under short-term F-T. In contrast, the curing formulation without fly ash lost 51.8% of its strength after 180 F-T conditions. For lead stabilization, cement and especially lime are favored. The results showed a 25% increase in the total proportion of lime and cement in the curing agent formulation, leading to a 41.4% reduction of lead leaching risk.

Does Current Knowledge Give a Variety of Possibilities for the Stabilization/Solidification of Soil Contaminated with Heavy Metals?-A Review

Stabilization/solidification of contaminated soil is a process that allows simultaneous strengthening of the soil structure, disposal of contamination and recycling of industrial waste, implemented as substitutes for Portland cement or additives to improve the properties of the final product obtained. Extremely intensive development of studies pertaining to the S/S process prompted the authors to systematize the binders used and the corresponding methods of binding the contamination, and to perform an analysis of the effectiveness expressed in geomechanical properties and leachability. The study pays close attention to the types of additives and binders of waste origin, as well as the ecological and economic benefits of their use. The methods of preparing and caring for the specimens were reviewed, in addition to the methods of testing the effectiveness of the S/S process, including the influence of aging factors on long-term properties. The results of the analyses carried out are presented in the form of diagrams and charts, facilitating individual evaluation of the various solutions for the stabilization/solidification of soils contaminated with heavy metals.