Surfactant-enhanced mobilization of persistent organic pollutants: Potential for soil and sediment remediation and unintended consequences.

This review aims to provide an overview of the sources and reactions of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and surfactants in soil and sediments, the surfactant-enhanced solubilisation of POPs, and the unintended consequences of surfactant-induced remediation of soil and sediments contaminated with POPs. POPs include chemical compounds that are recalcitrant to natural degradation through photolytic, chemical, and biological processes in the environment. POPs are potentially toxic compounds mainly used in pesticides, solvents, pharmaceuticals, or industrial applications and pose a significant and persistent risk to the ecosystem and human health. Surfactants can serve as detergents, wetting and foaming compounds, emulsifiers, or dispersants, and have been used extensively to promote the solubilization of POPs and their subsequent removal from environmental matrices, including solid wastes, soil, and sediments. However, improper use of surfactants for remediation of POPs may lead to unintended consequences that include toxicity of surfactants to soil microorganisms and plants, and leaching of POPs, thereby resulting in groundwater contamination.

Effect of a water-based drilling waste on receiving soil properties and plants growth.

This investigation was undertaken to determine the relative effects of recommended land spraying while drilling (LWD) loading rate application for a source of water-based drilling waste material on selected soil properties and phytotoxicity. Drilling waste material was obtained from a well where a nitrate gypsum water based product was used to formulate the drilling fluid. The fluid and associated drill cuttings were used as the drilling waste source to conduct the experiment. The study was carried out in triplicate and involved five plant species, four drilling waste loading rates and a representative agricultural soil type in Alberta. Plant growth was monitored for a period of ten days. Drilling waste applied at 10 times above the recommended loading rate improved the growth and germination rate of all plants excluding radish. Loading rates in excess of 40 and 50 times had a deleterious effect on radish, corn and oat but not on alfalfa and barley. Germination rate decreased as waste loading rate increased. Effects on soil physical and chemical properties were more pronounced at the 40 and 50 times exceeding recommended loading rate. Significant changes in soil parameters occurred at the higher rates in terms of increase in soil porosity, pH, EC, hydraulic conductivity, SAR and textural classification. This study indicates that the applications of this type of water based drill cutting if executed at an optimal loading rate, may improve soil quality and results in better plant growth.

Evaluation of TENORMs field measurement with actual activity concentration in contaminated soil matrices.

The occurrence of technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive materials (TENORMs) concentrated through anthropogenic processes in contaminated soils at oil and gas facilities represent one of the most challenging issues facing the Canadian and US oil and gas industry today. Natural occurring radioactivity materials (NORMs) field survey techniques are widely used as a rapid and cost-effective method for ascertaining NORMs risks associated with contaminated soils and waste matrices as well other components comprising the environment. Because of potentially significant liability issues with Norms if not properly managed, the development of quantitative relationships between TENORMs field measurement techniques and laboratory analysis present a practical approach in facilitating the interim safe decision process since laboratory results can take days. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the relationships between direct measurements of field radioactivity and various laboratory batch techniques using data collection technologies for NORM and actual laboratory radioactivity concentrations. The significance of selected soil characteristics that may improve or confound these relationships in the formulation of empirical models was also achieved as an objective. The soil samples used in this study were collected from 4 different locations in western Canada and represented a wide range in terms of their selected chemical and physical properties. Multiple regression analyses for both field and batch data showed a high level of correlation between radionuclides Ra-226 and Ra-228 as a function of data collection technologies and relevant soil parameters. All R2 values for the empirical models were greater than 0.80 and significant at P<0.05. The creation of these empirical models could be valuable in improving predictability of radium contamination in soils and therefore, reduce analytical costs as well as environmental liabilities.