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Electrical resistivity evaluation of MICP solidified lead contaminated soil

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Abstract

Microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) stands as a potent technique for remediating soils contaminated with heavy metals. However, the lack of efficient methods to detect the efficacy of MICP necessitates the use of electrical resistivity as an indicator. Consequently, an empirical model was devised to assess the strength and lead curing rate of the remediated soil. Through resistivity tests and microscopic experiments, it became evident that water content and lead contamination concentration exerted an influence on the electrical resistivity of the soil. Remarkably, the MICP technology led to a significant increase in the electrical resistivity of the remediated soil. This phenomenon can be attributed to the immobilization of lead ions within the contaminated soil, which consequently alters the soil’s pore structure, thereby resulting in noticeable modifications in electrical resistivity. The empirical model further revealed a linear correlation between the strength of the remediated soil and its electrical resistivity. As the electrical resistivity increased from 1.09 to 8.71 Ω m, the strength of the soil improved from 175 to 1070 kPa. Additionally, a multifactor linear framework elucidated the interrelation between the lead curing rate and water content, primary lead contamination concentration, and electrical resistivity. The rate of lead solidification showed a positive correlation with water content but exhibited a negative correlation with both the initial concentration of heavy metal pollutants and the electrical resistivity. Notably, the highest rate of lead curing rate, reaching 90.89%, was observed at a water content of 16.1%, a pollutant concentration of 100 mg/kg, and an electrical resistivity of 1.54 Ω m. These findings firmly establish electrical resistivity as an effective means of evaluating the remediation effect of MICP, thereby providing a theoretical foundation for assessing the impact of MICP technology in the field.

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The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

The authors express gratitude to the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant numbers: 42107162, 42030710), the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China (grant numbers: 2022CSJGG1203) and the Key R&D Plan of Anhui Province (No. 202104g01020010). Hefei University of Technology staff for providing assistance in microscopic experiments.

Funding

This work was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant numbers: 42107162, 42030710), the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China (grant numbers: 2022CSJGG1203) and the Key R&D Plan of Anhui Province (No. 202104g01020010).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Resource and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, No.193, Tunxi Road, Hefei, 230009, People’s Republic of China

    Fusheng Zha, Zhilong Yang, Bo Kang & Chengfu Chu

  2. China Jikan Research Institute of Engineering Investigations and Design, Co., Ltd, Xi’an, 710043, China

    Yinbin Shen

  3. Anhui Urban Construction Engineering Co., Ltd, Hefei, 230002, China

    Guiqiang Liu

  4. Anhui Transport Consulting & Design Institute Co., Ltd, Hefei, 230088, China

    Wenbin Tao

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  1. Fusheng Zha
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  2. Zhilong Yang
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  3. Bo Kang
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  4. Yinbin Shen
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  5. Guiqiang Liu
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  6. Wenbin Tao
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  7. Chengfu Chu
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Contributions

Z.L. Yang: design experiment, data curation, methodology, software analysis, first to final draft writing. F.S. Zha and B. Kang: funding support, administration, and review and editing. Y.B. Shen and G.Q. Liu: data validation; review and editing. W.B. Tao and C.F. Chu: data analysis and interpretation. All authors contributed to the manuscript revision and read and approved the submitted version.

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Correspondence to Bo Kang.

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Zha, F., Yang, Z., Kang, B. et al. Electrical resistivity evaluation of MICP solidified lead contaminated soil. Environ Earth Sci 83, 261 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-024-11568-4

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