A Review on Soil Contamination Sources: Impact on Engineering Properties and Remediation Techniques

Abstract

Soil contamination produced by improper management of various petroleum and industrial products causes potential risks to the environment and soil engineering properties. Such contamination causes environmental deterioration and adversely affects soil engineering performance, altering almost all geotechnical properties. Several remediation techniques have been proposed to decontaminate the polluted soils. Choosing the best technique depends on both the energy consumption during operation and the treatment efficiency. The lack of a universally appropriate treatment method and the unavoidable expansion of contaminated land have justified the sake of reviewing the behavior of contaminated soils to develop both environmentally and geotechnically suitable soils for construction projects. The present paper reviewed some soil contamination sources’ backgrounds, effects, and remediation methods. Soils influenced by petroleum hydrocarbons and industrial effluents were evaluated. According to the reviewed studies, contaminants are evidenced to have a negative impact on soils' geotechnical characteristics by increasing settlement and swelling, reducing shear strength, and decreasing permeability. The need to restore the engineering characteristics of soils suggest the necessity to use remediation or stabilization technique. The electrochemical method, bioremediation, and stabilizing by additives are revealed to be efficient in improving the engineering properties and performance of contaminated soils.

Impacts of Contaminants from Different Sources on Geotechnical Properties of Soils

“…Shayler et al offered foundational insights into soil contaminants and their implications for human health and the environment; however, mechanistic exploration was lacking [22]. In a recent study, Al-Khyat et al examined the repercussions of soil contamination arising from inadequate petroleum and industrial product management on soil quality, yet the consideration of agricultural pollutants was omitted [23]. Consequently, this review aims to address this research gap by elucidating the transport processes of contaminants in both unsaturated and saturated zones, firstly, and examining the impacts of contaminants from diverse sources on soil permeability, shear strength, and compressibility.…”