Changes In SOIL Quality Due To Various SOIL Remediation Methods.

Physicochemical, biological, and thermal remediation treatments have been applied to clean soils contaminated with various pollutants. However, processes also have an effect on the soil quality by changing physical, chemical, biological soil properties. In this study, changes of soil properties after treatment with three frequently used remediation processes, soil washing, land farming, and thermal desorption, were investigated. The soil texture for a sandy clay loam changed to a sandy loam due to a decrease in the clay content after soil washing. The water-holding capacity, organic matter content, and total nitrogen concentration of the sandy clay loam soil also decreased after soil washing. A change in soil color and an increase in the available phosphate concentration were observed after thermal desorption. Germination rates and above-ground growth increased in both land farming and thermal desorption treated soils. The germination rate of the Brassica juncea increased but the above-ground growth decreased. The total microbial population also decreased due to changes in soil physicochemical properties after soil washing. Although the growth of Eisenia andrei was higher than other treatments in a thermal desorption-treated soil, it was still lower than that in non-contaminated control soil. These results show that the remediation processes used to clean contaminated soil also affects soil quality by changing physicochemical properties. To recycle the cleaned soil for healthy and more value-added purposes, soil improvement and reclamation are needed.