GEOTECHNICAL OBSERVATION OF CONTAMINATED SOIL
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Abstract
The report of a major arsenical disaster in Madhya Pradesh state (Now Chhattisgarh) was first discovered by our Geo-environmental lab of ” Bhilai Institute of Technology” (Deshbandhu February 1998,Navbharat Fe.1998, Current Science3). Arsenic is omnipresent inside the earth, which comes to the surface through exploitation of nature, such as agricultural irrigation withdrawing underground water, geothermal power plants and by mining etc, has seriously contaminated the environment in Asia. Groundwater is the main source of drinking water in India.
High arsenic concentrations have been observed at numerous sites around the Chhattisgarh region. Arsenic , generally found in the reduced form of arsenite (As-III), which is extremely toxic (teratogenic) and may cause neurological damage at aqueous concentrations as low as 0.1mg/l. Many chemical changes affect or reflect changes in mineral solubility, Characterisation of soil, adsorption-desorption, and metal speciation.
The New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has reported widespread arsenic contamination in the groundwater in the heavily populated northern and eastern states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
The quantities of wastes both in the form of solid and liquid have increased especially in Bhilai township (Bhilai Steel Plant) and nearby areas of various districts of newly formed Chhattisgarh state namely Durg, Rajnandgaon, and Jagdalpur etc. due to industrial growth.
A comparative computation of bearing capacity considering the value of internal friction and all other facts, for uncontaminated and contaminated soil and keeping all other parameters in account, it shows 2 to 3 times reduction in bearing capacity after contamination
References
R.N.Khare, et.al, Arsenicsis and deteriorating ground water quality: Unfolding crisis in central –east India region, Current Science, Vol.77, No.5, 1999, p686-693
R.N.Khare, A.K.Jain, R.G.Gupta and R.P.Khare, Prevention of slope failure due to arsenic Pentafluoride contaminated soil in Chhattisgarh state, India, proceedings of International symposium, at Kathmandu (Nepal), 2005,p275-279.
R.N.Khare, R.G.Gupta and A.K.Jain, Influence of fly ash sand on engineering characteristics of arsenic –bearing soil, International Journal of Nepal Geological Society, Vol.32/Special issue-September ‘2005,p56
A. Srirama Rao and B.K.Phanikumar (1998), Engineering properties of black cotton soin, proceedings of Indian Geotechnical conference, 1998,volume-2 p25-30. A., Environ. Geol., 2000, 39, 1127-1137.
Anon, Main Report, Govt. of Bangladesh, British Geological Survey and Mott Macdonald, UK, 1999.,p23
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