Impacts of petroleum spills on geotechnical properties of soils: A review

Abstract

Environmental pollution caused by crude oil spills had increased recently in Nigeria, due to increase in crude oil production and the activities of crude oil thieves. This review work was embarked upon to evaluate the impacts of crude oil petroleum products spills on the geotechnical properties of different soils found in Nigeria. The review tried to provide a summary on the influence of crude oil on the Atterberg limits, compaction, permeability, angle of internal friction, cohesion, and consolidation properties of soil samples. Findings from this review revealed that the geotechnical characteristics of soils can be remarkably altered by crude oil and petroleum products impaction. Most of the literatures reviewed indicated a reduction in the Atterberg limits, the compression index (Cc) and the permeability of the soils, as the volume of crude oil in the soils increased. The literature review depicted that the rate, at which the soils’ geotechnical properties were altered, was a factor of the oil volume contained inside the soils and the impacted soil biochemical properties.