Treatment of Acidic Soil Contributed By Carbonaceous Shale

This report basically discusses the research done and basic understanding of the chosen topic, which is Treatment of Acidic Soil Contributed by Carbonaceous Shale. The objective of the project is to find the optimum treatment which will be able to treat the acidic soil contributed by carbonaceous shale. The main reason to conduct the study on the shale is due to the soil erosion and landslides that occurs. Leaching process and gas evaporation technique is used to treat the soil. The acidic soil should be treated because it gives a serious impact to the environment and it can also pose a big threat and endanger peoples live. Sulphuric acid due to the oxidation contaminates the underground water. Underground water is the main source of drinking water. Besides that, due to the acidic soil, plants are unable to grow which lead to slope failure. The acidic soil is contributed by the oxidation of pyrite (FeS2). The challenge in this project is to find the most appropriate method that will be able to suppress the pyrite oxidation which later influences the pH of the soil. Treatment methods using chemicals such as 8-hyroxyquinoline, ammonium gas evaporation, and calcium carbonate will be applied in order to treat the shale. Lab testing will be done by using the carbonaceous shale in order to reduce the acidity by suppressing the oxidation of pyrite. Once the treatment is completed, chemical treatment would be conducted in order to bring down the pH level of the soil. Finally, plants or vegetation will be grown in order to prove that the treatment has worked and the pH of the soil has reduced.