Impact of ultrasonic power density on elution of super heavy oil and its biomarkers from aging soils using Triton X-100 micellar solution

An ultrasound-enhanced elution system employing Triton X-100 solutions was used for remedying aging soils contaminated with super heavy oil. The effect of varying the ultrasonic power density on the elution of the oil and three characteristic biomarkers was analyzed using GC/MS and FTRS. The oil and biomarkers remaining in treated soils decreased as a similar first-order function of increasing ultrasonic power density. Elution of the three biomarkers in the absence of ultrasound was closely related to carbon numbers in the marker: smaller molecules were more readily eluted. This trend was reversed upon application of ultrasound at higher power densities, with improved elution of molecules containing a greater carbon numbers. The two ratios, both 22S/(22S + 22R) of C26-34 17α 25-norhopanes and 20S/(20S + 20R) of C26-28 triaromatic steroids, in treated soils decreased with increasing power density from 20 to 100 W L−1. The results of SEM, FTRS, XRD, and energy spectroscopy experiments indicated that the mineral and chemical compositions of soils eluted at power densities greater than 60 W L−1 closely resembled clean soils.