Accumulation of Oil and Grease in Soils Irrigated With Greywater and Their Potential Role in Soil Water Repellency

Micheal J Travis, Noam Weisbrod, Amit Gross

Sci Total Environ. 2008 May 1;394(1):68-74.

PMID: 18280539

Abstract:

The potential impact of oil and grease (O and G) to soils irrigated with greywater (GW) was investigated. Greywater streams were sampled and analyzed for O and G content, along with corresponding GW-irrigated soils. Untreated kitchen GW averaged 200 mg L(-1) O and G, over an order of magnitude more than other GW streams. GW-irrigated soils showed O and G accumulation of up to 200 mg kg(-l) within the first 20-cm of depth. To determine the potential effects of such O and G accumulation on water movement in soil, capillary rise and water drop penetration time (WDPT) experiments were conducted. The results showed up to 60% decrease in capillary rise when sand containing 250 mg kg(-1) O and G was used. Interestingly, no additional reduction in capillary rise was observed at concentrations above 250 mg kg(-1). WDPT was observed to increase linearly with increased O and G content, up to 1000 mg kg(-1). This work demonstrated that O and G in GW used for irrigation can accumulate in soil and may lead to a significant reduction in the soils ability to transmit water.

Chemicals Related in the Paper:

Catalog Number	Product Name	Structure	CAS Number	Price
AS2121250	Oil and Grease in Soil			Price