Change in engineering properties due to change in electrical attractive forces among clay particles and pharmaceuticals, plastics, automobile,
s, automobile, nuclear
environment
Ground pollution arises from the impact of past and
current industrial activity and due to improper
disposal of waste generated by society. Soil
response to environments depends on Soil structure,
Geochemical parameters, Soil-water interaction.
The sensitivity of soil to environment depends not
only on the local environment but also influenced by
mineral structure, such as particle size, bonding
characteristics between particles, ion exchange
capacity, etc. Soil-waste interaction can affect
almost all the properties of soils. Though the effects
of pollutants on soils are complex, they may be
better understood if the various factors are isolated
and considered independently. These factors are
primarily due to ion exchange or mature of pore
fluid. The effects may different for different types of
soils.
Atterberg limit
Atterberg limits are considered as index properties of
soil and are used to predict their nature,
as well as mechanical behavior. Many important
characteristics of cohesive soils including shear
Strength, permeability, consolidation and
deformation behavior, etc. are a function of
Atterberg limits. A variation in Atterberg limits upon
effluent contamination can be used as a precursor to
predict change in other soil characteristics. The
increase in Atterberg limits of soil is mainly because
of the chemical action between soil particles and
effluent. The increase in liquid limit indicates an
increase in consolidation potential of contaminated
soils. High plasticity of contaminated soils also
causes problems related to increased swell potential
and high collapsibility. These observations are in-line
with the Contamination by industrial effluents would
therefore deteriorate the quality of soil as an
engineering material The change in sensitivity by
increasing or decreasing the salt content of clay The
addition of sodium chloride had a significant
influence upon the liquid limit and the plastic limit.
Generally the liquid limit increases steadily until salt
content is about 15 g/l whereupon there is a slight
drop in the values of the liquid limit. This is due to
variations in electrostatic charge of the clay particle.
The effect of the added electrolyte upon the zeta
potential or the electric charge of the clay minerals is
important feature in the case of the liquid limit of
clays Liquid limits of two clays have been determined
after addition of low concentrations of sodium
Pyrophosphate and sodium carbonate. At low
concentrations of sodium carbonate, some sodium
ions are adsorbed upon the clay minerals. This way
the net -ve charge of the clay mineral decreases. At
higher concentrations some of the
carbonate/phosphate ions combine with the clay
mineral by chemical binds. This leads to an increase
in the net -ve charge. Such a chemical binding can
continue only until all possible bonds between anion
and the clay minerals are established. Further
addition of sodium carbonate will lead to an
adsorption of the positively charged sodium ions
and, hence, to a decrease in the net -ve charge of the
clay particle. These effects have influence on the
liquid limit and hence the observed behaviour.
Volume Change/Swelling
Volume changes in soils are important because of
their consequences in terms of settlement due to
compression. In addition, changes in volume lead to
changes in strength and deformation properties,
which in turn influence stability Compressibility of
pure clays can be accounted for quantitatively by the
consideration of double-layer repulsive forces. These
forces between particles are due to the presence of
exchangeable ions (Bolt 1965). It has been
established that electrical double layer theory of
Guoy-Chapman can be effectively used to describe
the compressibility behaviour. The consolidation
characteristics of montmorillonite depend upon
the size of the cation present in the clay-water
system. Variations in pore water electrolyte
concentration have little effect on the void ratio-
effective stress relationships for the
Camontmorillonite in water, apparently because
double-layer effects are smaller than predicted by
classical theory and because of the formation of
permanent domains. Even in the case of
Namontmorillonite there is evidence of domain
formation during swelling at low values of effective
stress though their consolidation curves are in
qualitative confirmation of double-layer theory.
Shear Strength
The phenomenal increase in strength, in the case of
kaolinite in spite of reduction in dry density at
failure, has been attributed to phosphate adsorption.
In case of montmorillonite, the differences in dry
densitites at failure between treated and untreated
soils is small and the increase in strength is due only
to phosphate adsorption. Along with other factors,
strength behaviour is also significantly influenced by
the nature of pore fluid. The shear strength of soil
which is controlled by modified effective stress is
affected by changes in electrical attractive and
repulsive pressures. Many factors are responsible for
the net attractive and repulsive forces between clay
particles. From several investigations it has been
concluded that the primary forces responsible for
repulsion between two clay particles are due to the
interaction of diffuse double layers, which is directly
proportional to the dielectric constant. A number of
phenomena are responsible for the existence of
these forces are inversely proportional to the industries, biomedical wastes, mining industries,
dielectric constant of the pore fluid. Sridharan and municipal solid waste. At times it becomes essential
Rao (1979), using different organic fluids, to decontaminate soil. Broadly the soil
demonstrate that the shear strength increases with decontamination is done in two ways: (a) pump and
decrease in dielectric constant for both kaolinite and treat in which the pollutant is pumped out using
montmorillonite clays and is in accordance with the external energy source, treated using methods such
modified effective stress concept. The effect of ion as incineration, radiation, oxidation etc (b) removal
concentration is not significant on the shear strength of contaminated soil, treat it and then returning back
of saturated sodium and calcium montmorillonite. to its original place.
However, this aspect needs further investigation Importance of site characterization or
with other clays and clayey soils. contaminated site assessment
Permeability  Determining concentration and spatial distribution
Permeability, k of clay liner is one of the most of harmful pollutants under consideration.
important parameter required for calculating the Determining the extent of site remediation
thickness of the liner to attain a particular quantity (zonation) based on which the suitable remediation
of seepage. Complex changes in the permeability of technique is selected.  For assessing environmental
clay liners occur with exchangeable cation type, and human health risk due to contamination.
adsorbed anions and the nature of pore fluid. More specifically, CSA is required to answer the
Increase in the electrolyte concentration of pore following questions:  What is the source of
fluid increases the permeability of liners. At low and contaminants?  What is the type and physical form
relatively low electrolyte concentrations, the of contaminants?  Spatial and depth wise extent of
permeability increases with increase in the contamination  Whether the contaminants are
concentration. But there is a saturation limit beyond stationery or movable?  If they are movable, then
which the changes become negligible. At high identify the significant pathways.  Identify the
electrolyte concentrations, the type of cation or potential receptors of contaminants.
anion of the electrolyte plays less important role. Data required Planning of Remediation Method
Acidic solutions generally decrease the permeability 1) Site history and land use pattern 2) Geologic
of clays initially due to plugging of pores by And hydrologic 3) Geotechnical 4) Waste
precipitates formed by reactions between clays and
acids. But the long-term effects increase the
permeability. The clay becomes saturated with
aluminium ion and/or degradation of clay by
reactions with acids takes place. The effect of acids is
particularly effective when the liner contains
relatively small amounts of clay and more of sand.
The permeability of clay liners increases with
decrease in the dielectric constant of the pore
Medium. In the presence of organic fluids of low
dielectric constant or electrolyte solutions of high
concentration (like brine solution), the clay may
shrink and crack causing hydraulic fracturing. But if
the confining stress is high this phenomenon may
not occur. The changes in the permeability of clays
can be explained based on the changes in the
thickness of diffuse double layer and micro/macro
structure of clay.
CONSEQUENCES OF SOIL-WASTE INTERACTION
All types of waste have direct or indirect effects on
soil properties. Soil-waste interaction changes soils
behaviour and also can lead to partial or total
immobilization of contaminants. Soil-waste
interactions can effect effective grain size of soil
particles, liquid limit, plastic limit, shrinkage limit,
specific gravity, hydraulic conductivity, compaction
characteristics, consolidation and strength properties
of soil. The modification of soil properties can lead to
various geotechnical problems.
1. Landslides
2. Ground subsidence, settlement
3. Erosion, progressive failure
4. Underground structural stability
5. Foundation durability, corrosion
The polluted water attacks foundation structures. It
effects the workability and durability of concrete
when used for mixing concrete.
Soil Remediation
Soil contamination by organic or inorganic pollutants
is caused by a number of industries such as chemical,