Electroosmotic flow behaviour of metal contaminated expansive soil

It is important to study the flow behaviour through soil during electrokinetic extraction of contaminants to understand their removal mechanism. The flow through the expansive soil containing montmorillonite is monitored during laboratory electrokinetic extraction of heavy metal contaminants. The permeability of soil, which increases due to the presence of contaminants, is further enhanced during electrokinetic extraction of contaminants due to osmotic permeability. The variations in flow rates through the soil while the extracting fluid is changed to dilute acetic acid (used to control the increase of pH) and EDTA solution (used to desorb the metal ions from soil) are studied. The trends of removal of contaminants vis-a-vis the changes in the flow through the soil during different phases of electrokinetic extraction are established. Chromium ions are removed by flushing of water through the soil and increased osmotic flow is beneficial. Removal of iron ions is enhanced by induced osmotic flow and desorption of ions by electrokinetic processes. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved