The introduction of lux genes, able to express bioluminescence, into terrestrial bacteria enabled the optimisation of a bioluminescence-based bioassay that was environmentally relevant. Individual assay parameters such as growth phase, cell washing, lyophilisation, pH tolerance and temporal response to a range of metal and xenobiotic pollutants were evaluated. The effects of a range of pollutants upon the metabolic response of the lux-marked organisms were assessed using declines in bioluminescence. The lux -based bioassay proved more sensitive to the sub-lethal effects of metal pollutants than tests relying on culturability. Uncontaminated soils were spiked with metal and xenobiotic solutions both as single pollutants and in combination with other contaminants. Relative toxicity of metal and xenobiotic pollutants in soil systems were investigated using ecotoxicity assays based upon lux-marked constructs of Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar trifolii (an important associative nitrogen fixer) and the respiration of the microbial community. The lux-marked bioassay proved to be more sensitive than the community microbial assay to the presence of multiple contaminants at sub-lethal concentrations. The relative toxicities of metal and organic xenobiotic compounds were shown to be time dependent and better represented using chronic assaying of lux-marked microorganisms. Following a field trial involving the application of paper mill sludge to land and subsequent crop failure a rapid diagnosis of soil pollutants was required. A suite of ecotoxicity assays including lux-based bioassays, respirometry and enzyme activity were used to assess the toxicity of paper mill sludge to the soil microbial biomass. The selected lux-marked soil bacteria showed potential for use as rapid, field-based screening techniques to provide early warning of the potential hazards of waste application.

Thesis (M.App.Sc.) - Carleton University, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 218-225). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Soil Washing is a promising alternative treatment method for contaminated site remediation. An industry contaminated site - the OMEX site was selected for the study, and several extraction additives (chelating agent and surfactant) were used to investigate the application of soil washing for the removal of heavy metals and hydrocarbons. The interactions and transport of the contaminants were studied by bench-scale experiments for both heavy metals and hydrocarbons. Soil characterization was performed before the experiments.The soil characterization indicated that the OMEX soil contained large amounts of Pb, Zn (heavy metal) and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH). The contaminant concentrations were 986 mg/kg of Pb, 284 mg/kg of Zn, and 29000 mg/kg of TPH. The contaminated soil was also high in moisture content, organic content and total organic carbon (TOC). From soil analyses on different particle size fractions, most contaminants were concentrated in the fine soil fraction, below 150gm, which constituted about 35% by weight of the contaminated soil.Heavy metal removal by chelating agents was conducted first. The results showed that 3% EDTA solution offered the highest removal efficiency for both Pb and Zn. About 90% of Pb and 65% of Zn were removed by using 3% EDTA solution for 29 hours. The extraction kinetics proved to be slow, reaching equilibrium in a relatively long time (more than 10 hours). In soil washing the solution pH had some effect on the removal of both Pb and Zn with marginally better removals observed at a lower pH. The experimental study indicated that the ratio of washing solution volume to soil weight (LIS) had little effect on the percentage removal of both Pb and Zn.In hydrocarbons removal tests, experiments verified that surfactant solutions can be effective in removing organics from coarse soil fraction, while some amount of surfactants were ++ / adsorbed by fine soil particles. Anionic surfactants such as SIDS exhibited less sorption capacity than nonionic surfactants due to the electrostatic repulsion of the former. 4% SDS solution had the highest TPH removal efficiency for OMEX soil, but the 2% SIDS solution was used as it produced only marginally lower results than the 4%. The percentage removal of TPH was about 78% by using 2% SIDS solution. The TPH removal by SDS solution was observed to be a slow and non-equilibrium process. Higher solution temperature can improve removal efficiency of TPH from OMEX soil. Combined washing with a chelating agent and a surfactant was effective in removing both heavy metals and hydrocarbons. Removals of 78% Pb, 82% Zn and 81% TPH were obtained from OMEX soil in the combination test. However, the TPH concentration in fine soil was still very high after washing and would need further treatment.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-31T13:15:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 JorgeLOPF_DISSERT.pdf: 426632 bytes, checksum: 25fc911968ba803bfadd0f3c395126d8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-08-27 / Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária / The use of mining waste as an alternative source of nutrients assumes significant importance today, due to their potential to reduce production costs and minimize environmental impacts. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the accumulation and availability of Cd, Pb, Cr and Ni in an Ultisol under the addition of mining waste as an alternative fertilizer for crops. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse, in desing was the causalized blocks with four replications, in a factorial outline (4 x 3), with four sources (0, 60, 120 and 240 mg kg-1 of K2O) and three sources (RM without application of additional fertilizer, RM with application of additional fertilizers and KCl as reference). The results showed that application from the mine did not promote accumulation of the available concentration of Cd and Pb in soil along the cycles of soybeans, millet and watermelon, however caused increased levels of available Cr and Ni in soil during the three crops succession. For that, The use of mine tailing associated with additional fertilization is recommended as an alternative source of K for annual crops and reducing costs with commercial fertilizers / A utilização do rejeito de mineração como fonte alternativa de nutrientes assume relevante importância nos dias atuais, devido a sua potencialidade de reduzir custos de produção e minimizar impactos ambientais. Sendo assim, objetivou-se neste trabalho avaliar o acúmulo e a disponibilidade de Cd, Pb, Cr e Ni em um Argissolo Acinzentado decorrentes da adição de rejeito de mineração como fertilizante alternativo para culturas anuais. O experimento foi conduzido em casa de vegetação em delineamento inteiramente casualizado com quatro repetições, arranjo fatorial 4 x 3, representando quatro doses (0, 60, 120 e 240 mg kg-1 de K2O) e três fontes (RM sem aplicação de adubação complementar, RM com aplicação de adubação complementar e o KCl, como tratamento referência). Os resultados indicaram que a aplicação do rejeito de mineração não promoveu aumento dos teores disponíveis de Cd e Pb no solo ao longo dos ciclos da soja, milheto e melão; entretanto provocou incremento dos teores disponíveis de Cr e Ni no solo no decorrer dos três cultivos sucessivos. É possível, o uso do rejeito de mineração associado à adubação complementar, como fonte alternativa de K para culturas anuais e reduzir custos com fertilizantes comerciais

A contaminação dos solos por elementos potencialmente tóxicos provoca alterações na estrutura e no funcionamento dos ecossistemas, além de oferecer riscos à saúde pública. Embora os metais pesados ocorram naturalmente, fontes antropogênicas contribuem para o aumento das taxas de redistribuição desses elementos entre os compartimentos do ambiente. O coeficiente de distribuição ou partição sólido-solução (Kd) permite observar a afinidade entre os metais e os colóides do solo. O Kd é peça-chave em muitos modelos para definição de valores orientadores e para previsão de riscos ambientais, e seu valor é dependente das condições edafoclimáticas das regiões onde se assentam os solos. Os valores de Kd de metais pesados ainda não foram determinados para solos da região Amazônica. Nesse estudo objetivou-se determinar os valores de Kd de metais pesados em solos do Estado do Pará. Para tanto foram conduzidos experimentos de adsorção, tipo batch, nos quais foram adicionados 0,5; 1,0; 2,5; 5,0 mg L-1 de Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, e Zn em amostras de 21 solos paraenses. As menores variações nos valores absolutos de Kd foram registradas para o Pb (uma ordem de magnitude - 196,4 a 5.572,5 L kg-1) e para o Cu, Hg e Ni (duas ordens de magnitude 50,5 a 7.368,7; 24,9 a 4.191,6; 4,7 a 524,2 L kg- 1, respectivamente). Variações de três ordens de magnitude foram observadas para: Cd (6,0 a 2.471,9 L kg-1), Co (2,7 a 4.604,1 L kg-1), Cr (2,5 a 1.811,6 L kg-1) e Zn (1,4 a 7.933,0 L kg-1). Obteve-se a seguinte ordem de afinidade: Pb > Cu > Hg > Cr > Cd Co > Ni > Zn. O pH, os teores dos óxidos de Fe e de Mn e a CTC foram os atributos dos solos que mais se correlacionaram com os valores de Kd, que foram inferiores aos estabelecidos por Agências Internacionais e para o Estado de São Paulo. / Soil contamination by potentially toxic elements affects the structure and the functioning of the ecosystems and pose risks to public health. Although heavy metals occur naturally, anthropogenic sources contribute to increased rates of redistribution of these elements between the compartments of the environment. The solid-solution coefficient of distribution or partition (Kd) shows the affinity between metals and soil colloids. Kd is a key componentt in many models for defining and guiding values for prediction of environmental hazards, and its value is dependent on environmental conditions in the regions where they settle the soil. Kd values for heavy metals have not been determined for soils in the Amazon region. In this study, these values were obtained for 21 soils of the State of Pará, Brazil. Adsorption experiments were conducted, type \"batch \", by means of the adition of 0.5, 1.0, 2.5, 5.0 mg L-1 of Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn to the soils. The small variations in the absolute values of Kd were recorded for Pb (an order of magnitude 196.4 to 5,572.5 L kg-1) and for Cu, Hg and Ni (two orders of magnitude 50.5 to 7,368.7; 24.9 to 4,191.6; 4.7 to 524.2 L kg-1, respectively). Variations of three orders of magnitude were observed for: Cd (6.0 to 2,471.9 L kg-1), Co (2.7 to 4,604.1 L kg-1), Cr (2.5 to 1,811.6 L kg-1), and Zn (1.4 to 7,933.0 L kg-1). We obtained the following order of affinity: Pb > Cu > Hg > Cr > Cd Co > Ni > Zn. The pH, the contents of Fe and Mn oxides, and CEC were the soil attributes that correlated significantly with the values of Kd, which were lower than those set by international and the State of São Paulo, Brazil, agencies.

A contaminação ambiental por metais pesados, entre os quais o cádmio (Cd), níquel (Ni) e zinco (Zn), tanto nos solos cultivados quanto nos produtos agrícolas, demanda constante monitoramento do solo, bem como a quantificação desses elementos nos diferentes órgãos dos vegetais. No manejo da adubação e outras práticas culturais, há contaminação indesejável de metais pesados que se acumulam nos solos ao longo dos anos, podendo causar danos ao crescimento vegetal, produção e/ou qualidade do produto agrícola. Considerando a relevância da problemática dos metais pesados nos sistemas agrícolas, é essencial o conhecimento da ação do Cd, Ni e Zn nos processos metabólicos no cafeeiro. A proposta desta pesquisa foi verificar a influência das aplicações de doses crescentes de Cd, Ni e Zn sobre as características nutricionais, fisiológicas e bioquímicas em plantas de cafeeiro em produção e na qualidade da bebida. Por meio dos parâmetros analisados até 128 dias, a ordem crescente de toxidez é de Ni, Zn e Cd. A distribuição de Cd é maior nos ramos, grãos e folha; Ni nas folhas, ramos e grãos e Zn nos ramos, folhas e grãos. O estado nutricional do cafeeiro não é afetado pela aplicação dos metais, com exceção do nitrogênio e do fósforo, que reduz nas maiores doses de Cd e Zn. A produtividade e qualidade da bebida são reduzidas em razão da aplicação dos metais. / Environmental contamination by heavy metals, including Cd, Ni and Zn, in both cultivated soils and agricultural products, takes constant monitoring of soils and the quantification of these elements in different plant parts. The management of fertilizer and other cultural practices, there are undesirable contamination of heavy metals that accumulate in soils over the years, causing damage to plant growth, production and/or quality of products. Considering the growing concern with heavy metals in agricultural systems is essential research focused on the physiological mechanism of Cd, Ni and Zn in coffee plants. Therefore, to evaluate the translocation of metals to coffee beans, the monitoring and the quantification of these elements in soils and different organs of coffee plants are required. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of applications times and rates of Cd, Ni and Zn on the nutritional, physiological and biochemical changes in coffee plants as well as cup quality drink under field condition. According to the results evaluated up to 128 days exposure to metals, the order of increasing toxicity was Ni>Zn>Cd. The distribution of Cd was higher in the plagiotropic branches>grain>leaf; Ni in leaves>stems>grains, and Zn in stems>leaves>grains, respectively. The nutritional status of coffee plants was not affected by the application of metals, except nitrogen and phosphorus, which reduced the highest levels of Cd and Zn. The coffee yield and cup quality drink decreased due to metals exposition.

A contaminação ambiental por metais pesados, entre os quais o cádmio (Cd), níquel (Ni) e zinco (Zn), tanto nos solos cultivados quanto nos produtos agrícolas, demanda constante monitoramento do solo, bem como a quantificação desses elementos nos diferentes órgãos dos vegetais. No manejo da adubação e outras práticas culturais, há contaminação indesejável de metais pesados que se acumulam nos solos ao longo dos anos, podendo causar danos ao crescimento vegetal, produção e/ou qualidade do produto agrícola. Considerando a relevância da problemática dos metais pesados nos sistemas agrícolas, é essencial o conhecimento da ação do Cd, Ni e Zn nos processos metabólicos no cafeeiro. A proposta desta pesquisa foi verificar a influência das aplicações de doses crescentes de Cd, Ni e Zn sobre as características nutricionais, fisiológicas e bioquímicas em plantas de cafeeiro em produção e na qualidade da bebida. Por meio dos parâmetros analisados até 128 dias, a ordem crescente de toxidez é de Ni, Zn e Cd. A distribuição de Cd é maior nos ramos, grãos e folha; Ni nas folhas, ramos e grãos e Zn nos ramos, folhas e grãos. O estado nutricional do cafeeiro não é afetado pela aplicação dos metais, com exceção do nitrogênio e do fósforo, que reduz nas maiores doses de Cd e Zn. A produtividade e qualidade da bebida são reduzidas em razão da aplicação dos metais. / Environmental contamination by heavy metals, including Cd, Ni and Zn, in both cultivated soils and agricultural products, takes constant monitoring of soils and the quantification of these elements in different plant parts. The management of fertilizer and other cultural practices, there are undesirable contamination of heavy metals that accumulate in soils over the years, causing damage to plant growth, production and/or quality of products. Considering the growing concern with heavy metals in agricultural systems is essential research focused on the physiological mechanism of Cd, Ni and Zn in coffee plants. Therefore, to evaluate the translocation of metals to coffee beans, the monitoring and the quantification of these elements in soils and different organs of coffee plants are required. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of applications times and rates of Cd, Ni and Zn on the nutritional, physiological and biochemical changes in coffee plants as well as cup quality drink under field condition. According to the results evaluated up to 128 days exposure to metals, the order of increasing toxicity was Ni>Zn>Cd. The distribution of Cd was higher in the plagiotropic branches>grain>leaf; Ni in leaves>stems>grains, and Zn in stems>leaves>grains, respectively. The nutritional status of coffee plants was not affected by the application of metals, except nitrogen and phosphorus, which reduced the highest levels of Cd and Zn. The coffee yield and cup quality drink decreased due to metals exposition.

A contaminação dos solos por elementos potencialmente tóxicos provoca alterações na estrutura e no funcionamento dos ecossistemas, além de oferecer riscos à saúde pública. Embora os metais pesados ocorram naturalmente, fontes antropogênicas contribuem para o aumento das taxas de redistribuição desses elementos entre os compartimentos do ambiente. O coeficiente de distribuição ou partição sólido-solução (Kd) permite observar a afinidade entre os metais e os colóides do solo. O Kd é peça-chave em muitos modelos para definição de valores orientadores e para previsão de riscos ambientais, e seu valor é dependente das condições edafoclimáticas das regiões onde se assentam os solos. Os valores de Kd de metais pesados ainda não foram determinados para solos da região Amazônica. Nesse estudo objetivou-se determinar os valores de Kd de metais pesados em solos do Estado do Pará. Para tanto foram conduzidos experimentos de adsorção, tipo batch, nos quais foram adicionados 0,5; 1,0; 2,5; 5,0 mg L-1 de Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, e Zn em amostras de 21 solos paraenses. As menores variações nos valores absolutos de Kd foram registradas para o Pb (uma ordem de magnitude - 196,4 a 5.572,5 L kg-1) e para o Cu, Hg e Ni (duas ordens de magnitude 50,5 a 7.368,7; 24,9 a 4.191,6; 4,7 a 524,2 L kg- 1, respectivamente). Variações de três ordens de magnitude foram observadas para: Cd (6,0 a 2.471,9 L kg-1), Co (2,7 a 4.604,1 L kg-1), Cr (2,5 a 1.811,6 L kg-1) e Zn (1,4 a 7.933,0 L kg-1). Obteve-se a seguinte ordem de afinidade: Pb > Cu > Hg > Cr > Cd Co > Ni > Zn. O pH, os teores dos óxidos de Fe e de Mn e a CTC foram os atributos dos solos que mais se correlacionaram com os valores de Kd, que foram inferiores aos estabelecidos por Agências Internacionais e para o Estado de São Paulo. / Soil contamination by potentially toxic elements affects the structure and the functioning of the ecosystems and pose risks to public health. Although heavy metals occur naturally, anthropogenic sources contribute to increased rates of redistribution of these elements between the compartments of the environment. The solid-solution coefficient of distribution or partition (Kd) shows the affinity between metals and soil colloids. Kd is a key componentt in many models for defining and guiding values for prediction of environmental hazards, and its value is dependent on environmental conditions in the regions where they settle the soil. Kd values for heavy metals have not been determined for soils in the Amazon region. In this study, these values were obtained for 21 soils of the State of Pará, Brazil. Adsorption experiments were conducted, type \"batch \", by means of the adition of 0.5, 1.0, 2.5, 5.0 mg L-1 of Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn to the soils. The small variations in the absolute values of Kd were recorded for Pb (an order of magnitude 196.4 to 5,572.5 L kg-1) and for Cu, Hg and Ni (two orders of magnitude 50.5 to 7,368.7; 24.9 to 4,191.6; 4.7 to 524.2 L kg-1, respectively). Variations of three orders of magnitude were observed for: Cd (6.0 to 2,471.9 L kg-1), Co (2.7 to 4,604.1 L kg-1), Cr (2.5 to 1,811.6 L kg-1), and Zn (1.4 to 7,933.0 L kg-1). We obtained the following order of affinity: Pb > Cu > Hg > Cr > Cd Co > Ni > Zn. The pH, the contents of Fe and Mn oxides, and CEC were the soil attributes that correlated significantly with the values of Kd, which were lower than those set by international and the State of São Paulo, Brazil, agencies.

The enormous rate of increase in waste generation across the world is a serious threat to the future generation, if not handled properly, due to the creation of health hazards and global warming. This was awakened many engineers and researchers to find an appropriate solution for efficient management of waste. The land filling of the waste is the most widely adopted method for its disposal, whose efficiency mainly depends on the engineered barrier system in place. Though possessing many limitations, clay liner solely or along with Geo-membrane is often used to avoid ground and surface water contamination. The thickness of the liner of a given breakthrough time depends on the transport rates of the selected contaminants. To estimate the transport rate of any given contaminant, it is necessary to understand the different migration processes of contaminants through the liner material. It was observed from the literature that, the transport rate of contaminants mainly depends on Dispersion coefficient (D) and Distribution coefficient (K) which are the main contaminant transport parameters. The amount of contaminant transport through the liner system for a desired time period is thus estimated from these contaminant transport parameters using the Advection-Dispersion Equation (ADE). The unregulated open dumps are another cause of serious environmental problem, where the contaminants are free to migrate in any direction through the underground soil. The percolation rate and the accumulation of leachate increase during the rainy season, which picks up more contaminants from the waste and thus the threat of the leachate increases. The leachate normally migrates in vertical and lateral directions, causing contamination of ground and surface water resources, and hence, there is a need to estimate the transport rates of contaminants in the porous media. These transport rates are not only useful for designing barrier systems, but also useful to find a suitable remediation technique for the removal of contaminants from a contaminated site. Thus, determination of transport rate is very important in effective waste management systems. Most of the researchers have obtained the contaminant transport parameters through the column tests to simulate one dimensional flow. Often, it is a lengthy process and there is a need to find an easy and effective method of determining these parameters which can reduce the time and effort. Generally, the metallic contaminants such as Cadmium (Cd), Copper (Cu), Lead (Pb), Mercury (Hg), Nickel (Ni) and Zinc (Zn) which are most hazardous are considered for the contaminant migration studies. In the present study, the transport rates of two heavy metals Copper and Zinc through locally available Black Cotton soil and Red soil were studied. Column experiments were conducted to simulate the field conditions under two types of test conditions i.e., Constant and Decreasing source concentrations. For Black Cotton soil as the hydraulic conductivity was very less and was taking a long time for achieving complete breakthrough, the soil sectioning method was used to get the depth versus concentration. The soil sectioning method involves the determination of pore water concentration of any given contaminant in different sections of the soil column. The depth versus concentration profile can serve as the same purpose as that of complete column test after breakthrough. The column experiments can be done only up to a relative concentration (C/C0) of about 0.2 instead of 0.8 or more. The soil samples were compacted to different densities to know the effect of density on transport parameters. The Black Cotton Soil samples were compacted to 0.76-0.97 times of maximum dry density and Red Soil samples were compacted to 0.81-0.98 times of maximum dry density. The samples were compacted to lesser densities to reduce the experimentation time. The transport parameters for field densities can be determined by setting „Forecast Trend Lines‟ to the density versus dispersion coefficient and density versus distribution coefficient plots. The contaminant transport was modeled by various methods i.e., Analytical, Semi-analytical, Explicit Finite Difference and Implicit Finite Difference methods. These models can be extended to predict the contaminant migration through soil liners constructed with similar soils. During the lifetime of a landfill, it may be subjected to both constant and decreasing source concentration conditions and thus the contaminant transport parameters determined by both constant and decreasing tests will be useful to estimate the optimum thickness of soil liner. The disposal of waste solutions and sludges by industries has led to problems with the contamination of both soil and groundwater. Much research work has not been carried out in the past for the remediation of contaminated soils in India. Thus an attempt has been made to study in detail the different remediation techniques on various contaminated soils. Three heavy metal contaminated soils were studied with two remediation techniques i.e., Soil washing and immobilization. As a case study, Zinc contaminated soil was collected from Hindustan Zinc Limited located near Udaipur in Rajasthan State, India and column leach tests were conducted on this soil with different leaching solutions to study the efficiency of the soil washing technique. The leaching solutions used for removing zinc from this soil were 0.1N HCl, 0.1N EDTA, 0.1N HCl+0.1N EDTA and 0.1N FeCl3. It was found that 0.1N FeCl3 was more efficient to remove zinc from this soil. The removal efficiency was also high with 0.1N HCl+0.1N EDTA solution. The transport rates were determined by matching the theoretical elution curves with experimental elution curves. The contaminant transport for column leach tests was modeled using analytical solution based on the Leaching Mass Ratio approach. These transport rates are useful to estimate the rate of treatment as well as the amount of flushing solution required to remove Zinc knowing the area of contamination and in-situ soil conditions. One of the potential sources of soil and ground water contamination with toxic metal ions is Effluent Treatment Plant sludge (ETP Sludge). The efficiency of soil washing technique was also studied on ETP Sludge using five leaching solutions i.e., distilled water, 0.1N HCl, 0.1N EDTA, 0.1N HCl+0.1N EDTA and 0.1N FeCl3. ETP sludge was collected at a filter press, KIADB industrial area, Doddaballapur, Bangalore. The removal efficiencies of these leaching solutions for removal of different metal ions (Copper, Zinc, Iron, Nickel, Cadmium, Lead and Chromium) were studied. The highest removal efficiencies were observed with 0.1N FeCl3 and 0.1N HCl+0.1N EDTA. The transport rates of different metals were determined which will be useful to estimate the quantity of leaching solution required in the field to remediate this sludge using soil washing technique. Even though soil washing technique is more effective than immobilization, for less permeable soil with more clay content, it is not a cost effective method. In such cases immobilization technique can be used to remediate the contaminated soil. The immobilized metals will not migrate through soil to groundwater and will not give adverse environmental hazards in their treated state. In the present study, immobilization technique was studied on two materials, (i) contaminated soil from open dump and (ii) ETP Sludge. The contaminated soil was collected from an open dump located at the Bingipura dumping yard, Bangalore and was tested for the presence of heavy metal ions. The efficiency of treatment to immobilize the metals was studied with different additives. The chemical agents with which can decrease the solubility product will be effective to immobilize the metal ions. The stabilizing agents used for treating these materials were lime water, NaOH and cement. These stabilizing agents were selected after preliminary batch tests. Since most of the heavy metals in soils become less mobile with increase in pH, the lime water / NaOH was added to the soil/sludge to adjust the pH of the mixture to 7.0, 8.5 and 10.0. The cement: soil ratios used were, 1:100 (pH=6. 8), 1:50 (pH=8. 1) and 1:25 (pH=9. 8) by weight. Leaching tests were conducted on the amended soils to know the long term efficiencies of the chemical agents for immobilizing the metal ions. The work carried out in this thesis is presented in different chapters as given below: For the design of the liner system, it is necessary to know the different contaminant transport processes, the determination of their rates and modeling. For remediation of contaminated soil, it is required to find the suitable remediation technique based on the amount and type of pollutants, the type of soil and other geological conditions. The detailed information about sources of heavy metals, effects of heavy metal contamination on health and the environment, contaminant transport processes, methods of determining transport rates, and different modeling techniques for contaminant transport are explained in Chapter 1. The Background information along with the scope and objectives of this study are presented in this chapter. The extensive review of literature related to column experiments, various solutions to Advection-Dispersion Equation, and different remediation techniques to treat the contaminated soil, is also presented in this chapter. Chapter 2 gives detailed information about various materials and methods used in this study. The characteristics of soils used in the present study and preparation of different chemical solutions were explained. The experimental procedures of batch tests, column tests and soil sectioning to determine the contaminant transport parameters were given in detail. The experimental procedures that are required for assessing the efficiency of soil washing technique i.e., Batch leach tests and column leach tests were also explained. The laboratory assessment of immobilization efficiency through leaching test was explained briefly. The analytical and numerical solutions used for this study were discussed in detail. This chapter also includes a method of prediction of breakthrough curves from the incomplete column test data. The contaminant transport parameters of metal ion Copper in two locally available soils i.e., Black cotton soil and Red soil were determined by various techniques i.e., Analytical (using MATLAB v7 software), semi-analytical (using POLLUTE v7 software), Explicit Finite Difference Method with two software tools (MATLAB v7 and M.S.EXCEL 2010), Implicit Finite Difference method with three schemes (BTCS, UPWIND & CRANK NICOLSON) using two software tools (MATLAB v7 and M.S.EXCEL 2010). Modifications were done in the spreadsheet solution of non-reactive solute available from the literature to incorporate the retardation factor as the solutes used in this study are reactive in nature. These results are presented in Chapter 3. The contaminant transport parameters determined for different test conditions (constant and variable source concentrations) and for different densities of soil are reported in this chapter. Determination of transport rates corresponding to maximum dry density using trend lines and preparation of design charts to estimate the thickness of the liner are also discussed in this chapter. The contaminant transport parameters were also determined for metal ion Zinc in the same soils with the same techniques as that of Copper and the migration rates were compared for both the ions. These models and comparative results are presented Chapter 4. It was observed that with increase in density, the dispersion coefficient decreases and Distribution coefficient increases. It was also found that the dispersion coefficient of Black Cotton Soil was lower than that of Red Soil whereas the distribution coefficient of Black Cotton soil is much higher than that of Red Soil. Further, it was observed that the dispersion coefficient of Copper was less than that of Zinc whereas the distribution coefficient of Copper was higher than Zinc. The design of liner thickness, based on transport rates of Zinc is briefly discussed in this chapter. A case study has been explained for the remediation of Zinc contaminated sandy soil using soil washing technique. The undisturbed soil samples collected from four locations of waste disposal site of Hindustan Zinc Limited located near Udaipur in Rajasthan State of Western India were assessed to find the suitable leaching solution and number of pore volumes for the effective removal of Zinc from this soil. The chelates/ solvents used for this soil were 0.1N HCl, 0.1N EDTA, 0.1N HCl+0.1N EDTA and 0.1N FeCl3. The contaminant transport parameters were also determined from the column leach tests based on the Leaching Mass Ratio approach and the results are presented in Chapter 5. From the experimental study it was observed that 0.1N FeCl3 and 0.1N HCl+0.1N EDTA are the most suitable leaching solutions to treat this soil. The Chapter 6 contains the sludge analysis of an industrial ETP sludge, column leach test results of this sludge with different leaching solutions, removal efficiencies of different solutions used and the transport rates of different contaminants. The leaching solutions used for this sludge were distilled water, 0.1N HCl, 0.1N EDTA, 0.1N HCl+0.1N EDTA and 0.1N FeCl3. It was observed that 0.1N FeCl3 and 0.1N HCl+0.1N EDTA are the most suitable leaching solutions to treat this sludge. Other solutions have also removed the contaminants by more than 50%, but the number of pore volumes required to leach out the contaminants was high. The order of removal efficiencies of different solutions is presented below: 0.1N FeCl3 > 0.1N HCl + 0.1N EDTA > 0.1N EDTA > 0.1N HCl > distilled water. The transport rates of different contaminants (Cu, Zn, Cd, Fe, Ni, Pb and Cr) were determined using analytical solution and are presented in this chapter. These transport rates are useful to estimate the quantity of leaching solution required in the field to remediate the sludge using soil washing technique. A contaminated soil collected from an open dump site within Bangalore city and ETP Sludge were analyzed to know the efficiency of immobilization/ solidification technique of remediation using three chemical agents lime, NaOH and cement. The soil samples were mixed with different proportions of these chemicals to adjust the pH of the mixtures to 7.0, 8.5 and 10.0. Leaching tests were conducted on the modified soils to know the long term efficiency of these chemical agents to immobilize the contaminants and these results are discussed in Chapter7. The results showed that highest immobilization efficiencies can be achieved with lime for this contaminated soil and cement is the most suitable chemical agent to treat this sludge. The immobilization efficiencies of different stabilizing agents for various metals were studied and the results analyzed. The Chapter 8 includes the major observations and conclusions of the present research work which will be useful for Geotechnical and Geo-environmental engineers to estimate the transport rates of contaminants, to design the soil liners, to assess the efficiency of soil washing technique to remediate the contaminated soil, to estimate the quantity of leaching solution required in the field for soil washing and to find the suitable chemical agent for remediating the contaminated soil by immobilization technique.