Application of the Electrokinetic-Fenton Process for the Treatment of Lubricant-Contaminated Railroad Soil

Abstract

Soil pollution around railroad sites is mainly caused by heavy oils such as diesel and lubricants. In particular, the majority of contamination in soil around railroad turnouts is caused by oil that drips off of railcars and lubricants that leak during vehicle maintenance. Generally, removing lubricants from contaminated soil is more difficult than removing diesel, due to the properties of the respective oils. This study aims to investigate alternative remediation method of lubricant-contaminated soils around railroad turnouts. The EK-Fenton process was used to clean up the lubricant-contaminated railroad soil. Several operating conditions were tested, including the concentration of hydrogen peroxide, and electrolyte types and concentrations. We determined that the removal efficiency was affected by the amount of EOF in the soil and its oxidizing capacity. The TPH removal efficiency was greatest at 0.1 M of NaCl electrolyte and 5 % (v/v) of hydrogen peroxide. This shows that the in-situ EK-Fenton process is a promising remediation technique for decontaminating railroad soil polluted with lubricant oil.