Physical remediation of ballast gravels contaminated by oil pollutants

도상자갈 표면 유류 오염물질의 물리적 제거방안 연구

The ballast gravels are often contaminated by various pollutants, like diesel fuel, lubricants, and heavy metals. Especially, the gravels near the switching are apt to be polluted by the lubricant. Because this lubricant can pollute the soil of track, the contaminated ballast gravels should be cleaned immediately. In this study, a physical desorption method was used to remove the oil contaminants from the surface of the ballast gravels. Thermosetting resin was used as a media for physical remediation of ballast gravels. The total petroleum hydrocarbon of the gravels was monitored over time. In addition, scanning electron microscopic images were obtained to observe the removal of the oily pollutants from the surface of the gravels.