Remediation of Hydrocarbon Contaminated Soils by Microwave Continuous Irradiation

Abstract

Hydrocarbon contaminated soil sample was subjected to a continuous microwave irradiation using a 30 kW microwave system. The sample was subjected to treatment using difference flow rate conditions, and the residual organics in the treated samples were extracted using Accelerated Solvent Extractor (ASE 200). By fractionation, the aromatics and aliphatic in the extracted organics were separated. A Varian CP-3800 gas chromatograph coupled to a Varian 1200 Quadrupole mass spectrometer was used to analyse the aromatic fraction to ascertain the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) level in the treated samples. A thermogravimetric analyser (TGA) was also used to analyse the samples to ascertain the relationship between sample weight losses with increasing temperature. A maximum of 48% organic removal was recorded for the system. An extrapolation of results from the continuous irradiation microwave system with reference to results from batch treatment of the same soil shows the continuous irradiation system to be a more efficient treatment system