An experimental investigation of the influence of salinity and cryogenic structure on the dispersion of oil and oil products in frozen soils

The migration of oil into disturbed soils from several regions of Russia, differing in dispersity, salinity, and cryogenic structure, was investigated. The soils were exposed to oil at negative temperature (−1.5, −7 and −20 °C) and the oil penetration was measured over at least 7 days and up to 180 days. The resulting oil complexes that penetrated into the ice-filled pores (G=0.85–0.95) was highly influenced by dispersity, salinity, cryogenic structure, and the nature of ice spreading in the frozen soil. Based on these results, the main determinant oil pollution migration in frozen soils is pore channels and microsplits that are partly filled with water and ice. Oil pore saturation takes place at the expense of capillary transfer and surface diffusion.