scholarly journals Hydrocarbon-Contamination of Soils: The Potential of Sodium Clays to Decelerate Soil Toxicants

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 193
Author(s):  
Mark Anglin Harris
Keyword(s):  
Red Mud ◽  
Spreading Rate ◽  
Hydrocarbon Contamination ◽  
Polluted Soils ◽  
Inorganic Particles ◽  
Clay Particles ◽  
Contamination Of Soils ◽  
Red Muds ◽  
Constant Head ◽  
Water Repellence

<p>Hydrocarbon-contamination can change hydraulic conductivity (HC) in soils, and hence increase the spreading rate of aqueous toxicants in the ground. A constant head permeameter used in the laboratory to measure HC of soils taken from near the Pitch Lake in Trinidad determined that the HC exceeded that of a reference soil having “normal HC” for a loam. Although water moved rapidly through it, the Pitch Lake soil (PLS) remained dry due to water repellence. Treatment consisted of either of two red mud bauxite wastes mixed at 25 and 50% w/w with PLS at air dry. One of the bauxite wastes had undergone treatment with gypsum several years before and hence contained a greater proportion of calcium ions compared to the other red mud which contained more sodium ions. At 25% w/w the non-gypsum-treated red mud waste decreased HC of the PLS by 50%, and at 50% w/w caused a 10-fold decrease of HC on the PLS. The gypsum-treated red mud waste had no effect on the HC of the PLS. The drastic decrease in HC of the hydrocarbon-contaminated soil implies blocking of hydraulic channels by inorganic particles. The high levels of Na<sup>+</sup> released in the Bayer beneficiation process dispersed and released fine &lt; 5 mµ clay particles from the non-gypsum-treated red muds. This suggests that the rapid movement of aqueous pollutants in such hydrocarbon-polluted soils could be similarly curtailed under field conditions.</p>

The liming effect of bauxite processing residue (red mud) on sandy soils

Soil Research ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 321 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. E. Snars ◽  
R. J. Gilkes ◽  
M. T. F. Wong
Keyword(s):  
Red Mud ◽  
Waste Product ◽  
Bauxite Residue ◽  
Sandy Soils ◽  
Titration Curves ◽  
Incubation Experiments ◽  
Soil Liming ◽  
Red Muds ◽  
P Leaching ◽  
Water Repellence

Bauxite residue (red mud) is produced in large amounts in alumina refineries as a waste product of the Bayer process. This material has the potential to be used as a soil liming agent due to its high pH and high acid neutralisation capacity. Soil incubation experiments compared red mud from several Australian and overseas refineries to estimate its liming effect relative to lime (CaCO3). Two acid (pH 4.3, 4.6) sandy soils were mixed with 8 rates of 17 red muds, 3 limes, and NaOH. Values of EC and pH were measured at 1, 4, and 16 weeks incubation. Each red mud produced a different buffering curve when added to soil, although the shapes of curves could be classified into 5 behavioural groups. The liming equivalent of red mud decreased with increasing target soil pH. For a target pH of 6 the lime equivalent of the red muds was 11–42% for soil 1 and 13–50% for soil 2. No single characteristic of red mud could be used to accurately predict the liming equivalent, as its liming effect is due to several, variable constituents (e.g. free caustic, sodalite, calcite). The pH reached for a certain rate of addition of red mud to soil can be estimated from a comparison of the buffering (titration) curves of both the soil and the red mud. In every case, CaCO3 had a much larger liming capacity than red mud and red mud may not be an economical alternative to lime except where other benefits are associated with its use (e.g. lower cost, decreased P leaching, reduced water repellence).

Conversion of Red Muds into Pozzolans

1991 ◽  
Vol 245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean Pera
Keyword(s):  
Red Mud ◽  
Mineralogical Composition ◽  
Waste Materials ◽  
Strength Development ◽  
Blended Cements ◽  
Temperature Range ◽  
Lime Consumption ◽  
Red Muds ◽  
Mineralogical Compositions

ABSTRACTRed muds are waste materials obtained from the aluminium extraction industry. They consist mainly of clays, aluminium and iron hydrated oxides. Three muds were studied; they differed in chemical and mineralogical compositions. They were converted into reactive pozzolans by calcination in the temperature range 600–800°C for five hours. Pozzolanicity was investigated on calcined red mud-OPC mixes studying strength development and lime consumption as evaluated by DTA. The nature of hydrates formed during hardening was also identified.The mineralogical composition of the mud is the most important factor affecting its pozzolanicity. Blended cements containing 30% calcined red mud develop significant strengths.

scholarly journals Assessment of Mercury-Polluted Soils Adjacent to an Old Mercury-Fulminate Production Plant

2009 ◽  
Vol 2009 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Camps Arbestain ◽  
L. Rodríguez-Lado ◽  
M. Bao ◽  
F. Macías
Keyword(s):  
Surface Waters ◽  
Contaminated Soils ◽  
Flow Direction ◽  
Surface Flow ◽  
Mercury Contamination ◽  
Production Plant ◽  
Polluted Soils ◽  
Flow Through ◽  
Contamination Of Soils ◽  
Surrounding Soil

Mercury contamination of soils and vegetation close to an abandoned Hg-fulminate production plant was investigated. Maximum concentrations of Hg (>6.5 gkg−1soil) were found in the soils located in the area where the wastewater produced during the washing procedures carried out at the production plant used to be discharged. A few meters away from the discharge area, Hg concentrations decreased to levels ranging between 1 and 5 gkg−1, whereas about 0.5 ha of the surrounding soil to the NE (following the dominant surface flow direction) contained between 0.1 and 1 gkg−1. Mercury contamination of soils was attributed (in addition to spills from Hg containers) to (i) Hg volatilization with subsequent condensation in cooler areas of the production plant and in the surrounding forest stands, and (ii) movement of water either by lateral subsurface flow through the contaminated soils or by heavy runoff to surface waters.

scholarly journals Physicochemical and Microstructural Properties of Red Muds under Acidic and Alkaline Conditions

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 2993
Author(s):  
Qingke Nie ◽  
Youdong Li ◽  
Guohui Wang ◽  
Bing Bai
Keyword(s):  
Specific Surface ◽  
Surface Area ◽  
Specific Surface Area ◽  
Red Mud ◽  
Ph Value ◽  
Soil Layer ◽  
Microstructural Properties ◽  
Naoh Solution ◽  
Red Muds ◽  
Hcl Solution

The main purpose of this study was to characterize the mineral and chemical composition of typical red muds in China. Changes in the physicochemical and microstructural properties of red muds collected from the Shanxi and Shandong provinces were investigated after they were immersed in an alkaline NaOH or an acidic HCl solution for 7, 28, and 120 days. The results showed that red mud has a high cation exchange capacity and active physicochemical properties, which can be closely related to its extremely high alkalinity and complex microstructure. The neutralization of red mud with the HCl solution results in the release of Na+ from the red mud particles into the leachate and can effectively decrease the pH value of the filtrate. The neutralization process can result in a significant decrease in the liquid limit, plastic limit and plasticity index, whereas the opposite was observed for the different parameters after the addition of the NaOH solution. In this sense, acid neutralization can significantly improve the cementation property of the red mud. This result will increase the water permeability of the acid-treated soil layer and improve the growth ability of plants. The specific surface area of red mud immersed in the NaOH solution decreased, whereas the specific surface area of red mud immersed in the HCl solution increased. This study contributes to our understanding of red mud properties after the red mud has been subjected to acidic and alkaline treatments, and the results can provide insights into the safe disposal of red mud.

scholarly journals Variation of the Hydraulic Conductivity of Clayey Soils in Exposure to Organic Permeants

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (11) ◽  
pp. 1036 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanane Mortezaei ◽  
Mehran Karimpour Fard
Keyword(s):  
Dielectric Constant ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Double Layer ◽  
Clayey Soils ◽  
Contamination Control ◽  
Clay Particles ◽  
Soil Plasticity ◽  
Low Dielectric ◽  
Constant Head ◽  
Constant Head Method

Clayey soils are the most common material used in waterproofing and play an essential role in waste and contamination control. Permeability is a key parameter in such problems and its determination is needed in ensuring the satisfactory performance of the soil. Research has shown that a permeant fluid with a low dielectric constant can shrink the double layer around the clay particles which will, in turn, increase the permeability of the soil. In this paper, the permeability of two types of clay with different plasticity, exposed to the flow of water and methanol as polar and miscible solvents and gasoline and car oil as non-polar and immiscible solvents is investigated. In addition, the effect of soil properties such as plasticity and compaction water content on permeability of the samples is examined. To this end, soil samples are prepared and compacted at various water contents. Then, permeability tests are conducted according to the modified constant head method and the effects of parameters such as the fluid dielectric constant, water content of the samples and soil plasticity are examined. The results demonstrate that the lower dielectric constant of the organic fluid decreases the thickness of the double layer, providing more space for the flow of the permeant and as a result, the permeability of the clay increases. The reduction of the permeant dielectric constant from 80.4 to 2.28 led to a remarkable increase in soil permeability.

scholarly journals Phytoremediation of hydrocarbon-contaminated soils with emphasis on the effect of petroleum hydrocarbons on the growth of plant species

2009 ◽  
Vol 89 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ravanbakhsh Shirdam ◽  
Ali Daryabeigi Zand ◽  
Gholamreza Nabi Bidhendi ◽  
Nasser Mehrdadi
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Contaminated Soil ◽  
Contaminated Soils ◽  
Petroleum Hydrocarbons ◽  
Petroleum Hydrocarbon ◽  
Green Technology ◽  
Hydrocarbon Contamination ◽  
Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons ◽  
Control Treatment ◽  
Polluted Soils

To date, many developing countries such as Iran have almost completely abandoned the idea of decontaminating oil-polluted soils due to the high costs of conventional (physical/chemical) soil remediation methods. Phytoremediation is an emerging green technology that can become a promising solution to the problem of decontaminating hydrocarbon-polluted soils. Screening the capacity of native tolerant plant species to grow on aged, petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated soils is a key factor for successful phytoremediation. This study investigated the effect of hydrocarbon pollution with an initial concentration of 40 000 ppm on growth characteristics of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and common flax (Linum usitatissumum). At the end of the experiment, soil samples in which plant species had grown well were analyzed for total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) removal by GC-FID. Common flax was used for the first time in the history of phytoremediation of oil-contaminated soil. Both species showed promising remediation efficiency in highly contaminated soil; however, petroleum hydrocarbon contamination reduced the growth of the surveyed plants significantly. Sorghum and common flax reduced TPHs concentration by 9500 and 18500 mg kg‑1, respectively, compared with the control treatment.

scholarly journals USE OF DUMPED RED MUD OF ALUMINA INDUSTRY AT GRANULATION OF THE MOLTEN SULFUR-CONTAINING BLAST FURNACE SLAG

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (31) ◽  
pp. 837-845
Author(s):  
Andrey B LEBEDEV ◽  
Vladimir A UTKOV ◽  
Olga A KAYGORODOVA ◽  
Marsel A KADYROV
Keyword(s):  
Blast Furnace ◽  
Red Mud ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Natural Waters ◽  
Thermal Power ◽  
Alumina Production ◽  
Industrial Gases ◽  
Red Muds ◽  
Alumina Industry ◽  
Sulfur Containing

There is a problem of using waste of alumina production from bauxite red mud. Warehousing of it is fraught with ecological catastrophes. Red muds constantly worsen the environment due to dusting and pollution of natural waters. Red mud is a product of bauxite processing. One ton of alumina accounts for 1 to 2.5 tons of red mud. Currently, it is not being processed, despite the availability of 3,000 publications and patents on this topic. One of them is justified by the ambiguity in the economic effectiveness of its use by consumers. In this paper, the options for economic and environmental efficiency of RM use are presented as substitutes for expensive lime and limestone used for purification of industrial gases emitted to the atmosphere in large quantities with toxic sulfur compounds. Laboratory and industrial tests revealed the sorption properties of red muds. When cleaning gases from sulfur emitted into the atmosphere by furnace gases, thermal power plants, sinter machines, and steelmaking furnaces. In addition, the ecological and technological efficiency of purification of sulfur-containing gases released in the areas of granulation of molten blast-furnace slags is shown.

scholarly journals Influence of vinasse application in hydraulic conductivity of three soils

2013 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 689-698 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudio A. Uyeda ◽  
Jarbas H. de Miranda ◽  
Sergio N. Duarte ◽  
Pedro R. F. de Medeiros ◽  
Carlos T. dos S. Dias
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Pore Space ◽  
Monovalent Cation ◽  
Exchange Capacity ◽  
Saturated Soil ◽  
Clay Particles ◽  
Randomized Design ◽  
Red Latosol ◽  
Constant Head ◽  
Different Doses

The potassium ion, present in great amount in the vinasse because it is a monovalent cation, has the characteristic of promoting the dispersion of clay particles, in the same way as the sodium, causing a reduction in the pore space of the soil and, in its turn, reducing its permeability. To evaluate this effect of reduction by application of vinasse to the soil, an experiment was conducted for three different soils, with the objective of evaluating the effect of the application of different doses of vinasse on hydraulic conductivity of saturated soil and verifying its possible chemical changes of these soils. For that, it was used PVC columns (in a scheme of constant head permeameter to obtain the values of hydraulic conductivity of saturated soil), filled with three soils - Dark Red Latosol (DRL), Purple Latosol (PL) and Eutrophic Red Nitossol (ERN) - , in which were applied four doses of vinasse (0, 150, 300 and 450m³ ha-1), distributed in a completely randomized design with a 3x4 factorial scheme with three replications. The results evidenced that only the Dark Red Latosol (DRL) showed a reduction in the values of hydraulic conductivity of saturated soil, and in front of the application of vinasse, up to 300m³ ha-1, it was observed an increase in the concentrations of potassium, calcium and cation exchange capacity (CEC) ions.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document