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Remediation of oil-contaminated sand with self-collapsing air microbubbles

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Abstract

In this study, a novel chemical-free approach for cleaning oil-contaminated sand with self-collapsing air microbubbles (MBs) with diameter less than 50 μm was developed without the use of chemicals, such as surfactants and alkalis. Diesel and rotary-vane pump oil-contaminated fine and medium sands were treated with MBs to study the effect of oil viscosity and sand grain size on oil removal with MBs. About 95 % of diesel removal was achieved for 24 h old 10 % (w/w) diesel-contaminated medium sand in contrast to only 70 % removal from fine sand after 40-min treatment with MBs. While rotary-vane pump oil removal exceeds that of diesel after 40-min treatment with MBs, combination of mechanical stirring with MBs significantly enhanced the oil removal rate, whereby 95 % diesel removal was achieved from fine sand in 30 min in contrast to only 52 % diesel removal with MBs alone. A possible MBs cleaning mechanism for oil-contaminated sand was also proposed. This study provides experimental evidence for the applicability of self-collapsing MBs as a novel chemical-free approach for cleaning oil-contaminated sand.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the National Environment Agency Singapore for grant number ETRP 1302 111 as financial support for this project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Advanced Environmental Biotechnology Centre, Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute, Nanyang Technological University, 1 Cleantech Loop, Singapore, 637141, Singapore

    Ashutosh Agarwal & Yu Liu

  2. School of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore

    Yufeng Zhou

  3. School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore

    Yu Liu

Authors
  1. Ashutosh Agarwal
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  2. Yufeng Zhou
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  3. Yu Liu
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Correspondence to Ashutosh Agarwal or Yu Liu.

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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

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Agarwal, A., Zhou, Y. & Liu, Y. Remediation of oil-contaminated sand with self-collapsing air microbubbles. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23, 23876–23883 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-7601-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-7601-5

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