Kill two birds with one stone: Ceramisite production using organic contaminated soil

Area of Science:

• Environmental Engineering
• Materials Science
• Soil Remediation

Background:

• Organic-contaminated soil poses environmental risks.
• Ceramsite production offers a potential remediation pathway.
• Pollutant removal mechanisms during ceramsite production require clarification.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate the remediation of coking-contaminated soil via ceramsite production.
• Determine the removal mechanisms and gas-solid phase distribution of organic pollutants (PAHs and PHC).
• Assess ceramsite quality with varying contaminated soil ratios.

Main Methods:

• Ceramsite production from coking-contaminated soil at 1160°C.
• Analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and petroleum hydrocarbon (PHC) concentrations.
• Computed tomography scanning for structural analysis.
• High-temperature in-situ thermal analysis.

Main Results:

• Ceramsite quality met standards with up to 60% contaminated soil.
• PAHs and PHC were virtually eliminated from the final ceramsite.
• High-ring PAHs were detected in flue gas; cracks formed in ceramsite above 200°C.
• Pollutants volatilized into flue gas around 400°C.

Conclusions:

• Ceramsite production is a viable method for remediating PAH and PHC-contaminated soils.
• Thermal desorption and degradation are key pollutant removal mechanisms.
• Understanding pollutant behavior at high temperatures is crucial for process optimization.