Removal of PAHs with surfactant-enhanced soil washing: Influencing factors and removal effectiveness

PAH removal with surfactant enhanced washing was investigated through a series of laboratory tests to examine the effect of stirring speed, washing time, surfactant concentration, liquid/solid ratio, temperature, and on-and-off mode. The first four factors show significant influence on the PAH removal while the latter two do not. Total removal ratio and a new proposed parameter, solubilization percentage, are used to evaluate the effectiveness quantitatively.

Research highlights
► Six operative parameters are tested for their effects on PAH removal effectiveness in surfactant-enhanced soil washing.
► Stirring speed, washing time, surfactant concentration, and liquid/solid ratio show significant effect on removal, while temperature and on-and-off mode do not.
► A new parameter (solubilization percentage) is defined to evaluate the effectiveness of solubilization.