Analyzing Physical-Mechanical and Hydrophysical Properties of Sandy Soils Exposed to Long-Term Hydrocarbon Contamination

Ivan Lange (), Pavel Kotiukov and Yana Lebedeva
Additional contact information
Ivan Lange: Department of Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology, Saint-Petersburg Mining University, 199106 Saint-Petersburg, Russia
Pavel Kotiukov: Department of Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology, Saint-Petersburg Mining University, 199106 Saint-Petersburg, Russia
Yana Lebedeva: Department of Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology, Saint-Petersburg Mining University, 199106 Saint-Petersburg, Russia

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 4, 1-12

Abstract: This paper aims to investigate the issue of sandy soil contamination by oil hydrocarbons. Laboratory procedures used to study conditionally pure and contaminated sands include grain-size measurements and evaluation of physical-mechanical and hydrophysical properties. The results of the analysis of sand samples using visual and microscopic studies and sieve analysis show that, unlike in conditionally pure sands, in contaminated samples, the surface of mineral particles is covered by hydrocarbon film. The presence of the latter enables micro- and macroaggregates to be formed. Studies of the physical and hydrophysical properties of sands using a technique with pre-weighed glass containers, as well as a filtering device, SPETSGEO pipes, showed that, in comparison with conditionally pure samples, contaminated specimens of sandy soils have lower densities and higher permeabilities and water yields. Testing the mechanical properties of contaminated sands on the GPP-30 direct shear apparatus using the consolidated dried shear strength method revealed an increase in the angle of internal friction with a decrease in specific adhesion compared to conditionally clean sands.

Keywords: sandy soils; oil hydrocarbon contamination; particle-size distribution; hydrocarbon films; microaggregates; sandy soil properties (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/4/3599/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/4/3599/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:4:p:3599-:d:1069686

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().