Comparison of the effectiveness of different binders in solidification/stabilization of a contaminated soil

In the current research, solidification/stabilization (S/S) treatment of the contaminated soil using hydraulic binders and additives was used to (1) reduce the mobility of organic and inorganic contaminants and (2) compare the ability of various binders in fixing contaminants. The samples were collected from Franco-Tunisian Petroleum Company, located in Sidi Litayem, Sfax (Southern Tunisia). Leaching tests were performed on contaminated soil, containing metallic elements, and hydrocarbons. Calcium aluminate cement (CAC), ordinary Portland cement (OPC), and ground-granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBFS), additives especially the bentonite and water, were used for S/S treatment. The obtained standard specimens were subjected for treating after treatment the leachability of pollutants, compressive strength (CS), and XRD analysis. The results of analysis conducted on contaminated soils showed that concentrations of metallic elements were in the range of 9.08–427 mg/kg and 15,520 mg/kg of organic compound. Next, 10% of the used binder improved the immobilization of pollutants and gave a satisfactory CS exceeding 1 MPa. Thus, the CAC is more effective in reducing the leachability of metal contaminants than OPC + GGBFS and produces much higher strength, which was of the order of 2.41 MPa. The mechanical characterization was confirmed by XRD analysis. The lowest values of organic compounds are presented in mixtures treated by 10% of used binder, indicating the effectiveness of those with the presence of 10% of bentonite. This work shows that 10% (OPC + GGBFS) + 10% bentonite improved the immobilization of metallic elements and hydrocarbons, thus proving its efficiency due to its low cost.