A review on remediation of spilled oil-contaminated soil from a pore-scale perspective
Abstract view|30|times PDF download|9|times
Abstract
Many innovative decontamination techniques, such as pulsed pumping and surfactant flushing, have been proposed to enhance the remediation performance of oil-contaminated soils. Their practical application is dependent on injection and extraction well. Therefore, these techniques can be viewed as an enhanced version of pump-and-treat technology. Since macroscopic flow phenomena are determined by microscopic fluid flow behaviors, conducting pore-scale studies on soil remediation will contribute to a deeper understanding of the remediation mechanisms associated with different pumping methods. This study examines the application of microfluidic experiments and pore-scale numerical simulations to the fluid dynamics of immiscible fluid displacement processes. The main application scenarios are reservoir development and CO₂ geological sequestration. Additionally, the primary distinction between soil remediation studies and the aforementioned scenarios is pointed out, i.e., the unsaturated initial fluid distribution. Finally, future research directions in soil remediation are discussed, emphasizing the fluid dynamic effects of initial contaminant distribution.
Document Type: Invited review
Cited as: He, Z., Meng, J., Zhang, S., Zhou, Y., Zhao, Z. A review on remediation of spilled oil-contaminated soil from a pore-scale perspective. Capillarity, 2025, 16(1): 18-26. https://doi.org/10.46690/capi.2025.07.03
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
AlOmier, A., Cha, D., Ayirala, S., et al. Novel fabrication of mixed wettability micromodels for pore-scale studies of fluid-rock interactions. Lab on a Chip, 2024, 24(4): 882-895.
Anbari, A., Chien, H. T., Datta, S. S., et al. Microfluidic model porous media: Fabrication and applications. Small, 2018, 14(18): 1703575.
An, S., Erfani, H., Hellevang, H., et al. Lattice-Boltzmann simulation of dissolution of carbonate rock during CO2-saturated brine injection. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2021, 408: 127235.
Aitkhozha, Z., de Castro, A. R., Abdelwahed, A. B., et al. Investigation of yield stress fluids for enhancing organic pollutant removal from contaminated soils through microfluidics. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 2025, 690: 137259.
Basirat, F., Yang, Z., Niemi, A. Pore-scale modeling of wettability effects on CO2-brine displacement during geological storage. Advances in Water Resources, 2017, 109: 181-195.
Berg, S., Rücker, M., Ott, H., et al. Connected pathway relative permeability from pore-scale imaging of imbibition. Advances in Water Resources, 2016, 90: 24-35.
Browne, C. A., Shih, A., Datta, S. S. Pore-scale flow characterization of polymer solutions in microfluidic porous media. Small, 2020, 16: 1903944.
Buchgraber, M., Clemens, T., Castanier, L. M., et al. A microvisual study of the displacement of viscous oil by polymer solutions. SPE Reservoir Evaluation & Engineering, 2011, 14(3): 269-280.
Cai, J., Qin, X., Wang, H., et al. Pore-scale investigation of forced imbibition in porous rocks through interface curvature and pore topology analysis. Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, 2025, 17(1): 245-257.
Cai, J., Qin, X., Xia, X., et al. Numerical modeling of multiphase flow in porous media considering micro- and nanoscale effects: A comprehensive review. Gas Science and Engineering. 2024, 131: 205441.
Chang, C., Kneafsey, T. J., Wan, J., et al. Impacts of mixed wettability on brine drainage and supercritical CO2 storage efficiency in a 2.5-D heterogeneous micromodel. Water Resources Research, 2020, 56(7): e2019WR026789.
Chaturvedi, K. R., Ravilla, D., Kaleem, W., et al. Impact of low salinity water injection on CO2 storage and oil recovery for improved CO2 utilization. Chemical Engineering Science, 2021, 229: 116127.
Cho, M. S., Solano, F., Thomson, N. R., et al. Field trials of chaotic advection to enhance reagent delivery. Ground-water Monitoring and Remediation, 2019, 39(3): 23-39.
Dastjerdi, S. V., Karadimitriou, N., Hassanizadeh, S. M., et al. Experimental evaluation of fluid connectivity in two-phase flow in porous media. Advances in Water Resources, 2023, 172: 104378.
Fetter, C. W., Boving, T., Kreamer, D. Contaminant Hydrogeology. Long Grove, Illinois, Waveland Press, 2017.
Guo, Y., Liu, F., Qiu, J., et al. Microscopic transport and phase behaviors of CO2 injection in heterogeneous formations using microfluidics. Energy, 2022, 256: 124524.
Gu, Q., Zhu, L., Zhang, Y., et al. Pore-scale study of counter-current imbibition in strongly water-wet fractured porous media using lattice Boltzmann method. Physics of Fluids, 2019, 31(8): 86602.
He, Z., Liang, F., Meng, J. Effects of injection directions and boundary exchange times on adaptive pumping in heterogeneous porous media: Pore-scale simulation. Science of The Total Environment, 2023, 867: 161427.
He, Z., Liang, F., Meng, J., et al. Pore-scale simulation of adaptive pumping remediation in heterogeneous porous media. Physics of Fluids, 2022, 34(2): 022005.
He, Z., Zhang, Y., Zhao, P., et al. Strong effect of often overlooked initial spilled oil distribution on subsequent soil remediation: A pore-scale perspective. Journal of Cleaner Production, 2024, 478: 144000.
Hu, R., Wan, J., Kim, Y., et al. Wettability impact on supercritical CO2 capillary trapping: Pore-scale visualization and quantification. Water Resources Research, 2017, 53(8): 6377-6394.
Hu, Y., Zhang, C., Patmonoaji, A., et al. Pore-scale investigation of wettability impact on residual nonaqueous phase liquid dissolution in natural porous media. Science of The Total Environment, 2021, 787: 147406.
Jafari, I., Masihi, M., Nasiri Zarandi, M. Experimental study on imbibition displacement mechanisms of two-phase f luid using micromodel: Fracture network, distribution of pore size, and matrix construction. Physics of Fluids, 2017a, 29(12): 122004.
Jafari, I., Masihi, M., Zarandi, M. N. Numerical simulation of counter-current spontaneous imbibition in water-wet fractured porous media: Influences of water injection velocity, fracture aperture, and grains geometry. Physics of Fluids, 2017b, 29(11): 113305.
Jung, J., Jang, J., Ahn, J. Characterization of a polyacrylamide solution used for remediation of petroleum contaminated soils. Materials, 2016, 9(1): 16.
Ju, Y., Gong, W., Zheng, J. Characterization of immiscible phase displacement in heterogeneous pore structures: Parallel multicomponent lattice Boltzmann simulation and experimental validation using three-dimensional printing technology. International Journal of Multiphase Flow, 2019, 114: 50-65.
Ju, Y., Gong, W., Zheng, J. Effects of pore topology on immiscible fluid displacement: Pore-scale lattice Boltzmann modelling and experiments using transparent 3D printed models. International Journal of Multiphase Flow, 2022, 152: 104085.
Kahler, D. M., Kabala, Z. J. Acceleration of groundwater remediation by rapidly pulsed pumping: laboratory column tests. Journal of Environmental Engineering, 2019, 145(1): 6018009.
Kahler, D. M., Kabala, Z. J. Acceleration of groundwater remediation by deep sweeps and vortex ejections induced by rapidly pulsed pumping. Water Resources Research, 2016, 52(5): 3930-3940.
Kao, C. M., Liao, H. Y., Chien, C. C., et al. The change of microbial community from chlorinated solvent-contaminated groundwater after biostimulation using the metagenome analysis. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2016, 302: 144-150.
Kim, S., Zhang, J., Ryu, S. Experimental study: The effect of pore shape, geometrical heterogeneity, and flow rate on the repetitive two-phase fluid transport in microfluidic porous media. Micromachines, 2023, 14(7): 1441.
Kong, D., Lian, P., Zhu, W., et al. Pore-scale investigation of immiscible gas-assisted gravity drainage. Physics of Fluids, 2020, 32(12): 122004.
Lei, W., Lu, X., Gong, W., et al. Triggering interfacial instabilities during forced imbibition by adjusting the aspect ratio in depth-variable microfluidic porous media. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2023, 120(50): e2310584120.
Liang, F., He, Z., Meng, J., et al. Effects of microfracture parameters on adaptive pumping in fractured porous media: Pore-scale simulation. Energy, 2023, 263: 125950.
Li, S., Liang, Y., Jiang, F., et al. Multiscale simulation of water/oil displacement with dissolved CO2: Implications for geological carbon storage and CO2-enhanced oil recovery. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2024, 499: 155936.
Lin, L., Pu, Y., Wang, D., et al. Migration characteristics of oil pollutants into soil pores influenced by surface wettability. Environmental Pollutants and Bioavailability, 2022, 34(1): 446-455.
Liu, H., Sun, S., Wu, R., et al. Pore-scale modeling of spontaneous imbibition in porous media using the lattice boltzmann method. Water Resources Research, 2021, 57(6): e2020WR029219.
Liu, H., Zhu, Z., Patrick, W., et al. Pore-scale numerical simulation of supercritical CO2 migration in porous and fractured media saturated with water. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2020, 4(4): 419-434.
Liu, Y., Berg, S., Ju, Y., et al. Systematic investigation of corner flow impact in forced imbibition. Water Resources Research, 2022a, 58(10): e2022WR032402.
Liu, Y., Chen, M., Sun, S., et al. Effects of grain shape and packing pattern on spontaneous imbibition under different boundary conditions: Pore-scale simulation. Journal of Hydrology, 2022b, 607: 127484.
Liu, Y., He, F., Hu, Z., et al. Microfluidic Study on the effect of single pore-throat geometry on spontaneous imbibition. Langmuir, 2024a, 40(36): 19209-19219.
Liu, Y., Wagener, T., Hartmann, A. Assessing streamflow sensitivity to precipitation variability in Karst-Influenced catchments with unclosed water balances. Water Resources Research, 2021, 57(1): e2020WR028598.
Liu, Y., Zhu, R., Qin, X., et al. Numerical study of capillary dominated drainage dynamics: Influence of fluid properties and wettability. Chemical Engineering Science, 2024b, 291: 119948.
Lv, M., Liu, Z., Jia, L. et al. Visualizing pore-scale foam f low in micromodels with different permeabilities. Col loids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 2020, 600(9): 124923.
Musabbir Rahman, R., Niemur, E., Blois, G., et al. A novel microfluidic approach to quantify pore-scale mineral dis solution in porous media. Scientific Reports, 2025, 15(1): 6342.
Obiri-Nyarko, F., Grajales-Mesa, S. J., Malina, G. An overview of permeable reactive barriers for in situ sustainable groundwater remediation. Chemosphere, 2014, 111: 243-259.
Pu, Y., Yang, E., Wang, D., et al. A pore-scale investigation of oil contaminant remediation in soil: A comparative study of surfactant- and polymer-enhanced flushing agents. Clean Technologies, 2025, 7(1): 8.
Qin, X., Wang, H., Xia, Y., et al. Micro-and nanoscale f low mechanisms in porous rocks based on pore-scale modeling. Capillarity, 2024, 13(1): 24-28.
Rokhforouz, M. R., Akhlaghi Amiri, A. Phase-field simulation of counter-current spontaneous imbibition in a fractured heterogeneous porous medium. Physics of Fluids, 2017, 29(6): 62104.
Roman, S., Soulaine, C., Kovscek, A. R. Pore-scale visualization and characterization of viscous dissipation in porous media. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 2019, 558: 269-279.
Song, Y., Zhao, C., Chen, M., et al. Pore-scale visualization study on CO2 displacement of brine in micromodels with circular and square cross sections. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 2020, 95(6): 102958.
Suk, H., Chen, J., Park, E., et al. Numerical evaluation of the performance of injection/extraction well pair operation strategies with temporally variable injection/pumping rates. Journal of Hydrology, 2021, 598: 126494.
Su, Y., Zhang, X., Li, L., et al. Experimental study on microscopic mechanisms and displacement efficiency of N2 flooding in deep-buried clastic reservoirs. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2022, 208: 109789.
Tariq, Z., Estrada, J. K. P., Yan, B., et al. Numerical investigation of CO2 solubility trapping mechanisms for enhanced storage in saline aquifers. Computational Energy Science, 2024, 1(4): 175-187.
Tsitonaki, A., Petri, B., Crimi, M., et al. In situ chemical oxidation of contaminated soil and groundwater using persulfate: A review. Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology, 2010, 40(1): 55-91.
Wang, H., Cai, J., Su, Y., et al. Pore-scale study on shale oil CO2-water miscibility, competitive adsorption, and multiphase flow behaviors. Langmuir, 2023, 39(34): 12226-12234.
Wang, Z., Yang, Z., Chen, Y. Pore-scale investigation of surfactant-enhanced DNAPL mobilization and solubilization. Chemosphere, 2023, 341: 140071.
Wang, Z., Yang, Z., Fagerlund, F., et al. Pore-scale mechanisms of solid phase emergence during DNAPL remediation by chemical oxidation. Environmental Science & Technology, 2022, 56(16): 11343-11353.
Wu, T., Yang, Z., Hu, R., et al. Film entrainment and microplastic particles retention during gas invasion in suspension-filled microchannels. Water Research, 2021, 194: 116919.
Wu, T., Yang, Z., Lehoux, A., et al. Liquid fragmentation induced by particle aggregation during two-phase flow in 3D porous media. Geophysical Research Letters, 2025, 52(3): e2024GL113063.
Yang, C., Zhang, C., Liu, F., et al. Remediation of DNAPL-contaminated heterogeneous aquifers using colloidal biliquid aphron: Multiscale experiments and pore-scale simulations. Journal of Hydrology, 2024, 628: 130532.
Yang, Y., Cai, S., Yao, J., et al. Pore-scale simulation of remaining oil distribution in 3D porous media affected by wettability and capillarity based on volume of fluid method. International Journal of Multiphase Flow, 2021, 143: 103746.
Yang, Y., Wang, J., Wang, J., et al. Pore-scale modeling of coupled CO2 flow and dissolution in 3D porous media for geological carbon storage. Water Resources Research, 2023, 59(10): e2023WR035402.
Zhang, L., Imani, G., Sun, H., et al. Energy-minimized mobilization of trapped non-aqueous phase liquids ganglia in three-dimensional biconical pores: Insights from surface evolver simulations. Physics of Fluids, 2024, 36(12): 122121.
Zhang, X., Su, Y., Li, L., et al. Microscopic remaining oil initiation mechanism and formation damage of CO2 injection after waterflooding in deep reservoirs. Energy, 2022, 248: 123649.
Zhou, Y., Guan, W., Zhao, C., et al. Numerical methods to simulate spontaneous imbibition in microscopic pore structures: A review. Capillarity, 2024, 11: 1-21.
Zhou, Y., Guan, W., Zhao, C., et al. A computational workflow to study CO2 transport in porous media with irregular grains: Coupling a Fourier series-based approach and CFD. Journal of Cleaner Production, 2023, 418: 138037.
Zhu, Q., Wu, K., Guo, S., et al. Pore-scale investigation of CO2-oil miscible flooding in tight reservoir. Applied Energy, 2024, 368: 123439.
Zhu, Z., Song, Z., Shao, Z., et al. Simulation of imbibition in porous media with a tree-shaped fracture following the level-set method. Physics of Fluids, 2021, 33(8): 082109.
Zou, S., Chen, D., Kang, N., et al. An experimental investigation on the energy signature associated with multiphase f low in porous media displacement regimes. Water Resources Research, 2024, 60(3): e2023WR036241.
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2025 The Author(s)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.