Biodegradation of Weathered Petroleum Hydrocarbons Using Organic Waste Amendments

Extraction, transport, and processing of petroleum products have resulted in inadvertent contamination of soil. Various technologies have been proposed for removal of petroleum hydrocarbon contaminants, including biological techniques. Treatment of aged (weathered) petroleum compounds is challenging...

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Main Authors: Kimiya Yousefi, Ali Mohebbi, John Pichtel
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2021-01-01
Series:Applied and Environmental Soil Science
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/6620294
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author Kimiya Yousefi
Ali Mohebbi
John Pichtel
author_facet Kimiya Yousefi
Ali Mohebbi
John Pichtel
author_sort Kimiya Yousefi
collection DOAJ
description Extraction, transport, and processing of petroleum products have resulted in inadvertent contamination of soil. Various technologies have been proposed for removal of petroleum hydrocarbon contaminants, including biological techniques. Treatment of aged (weathered) petroleum compounds is challenging, as these wastes tend to be enriched with recalcitrant hydrocarbons. The purpose of the reported study was to investigate remediation of weathered petroleum via simulated landfarming using selected soil amendments. Soil contaminated by aged crude petroleum from well fields in the southern Zagros region in Iran was treated in combination with plant compost, papermill sludge, activated carbon, and molasses. Over 15 weeks, the greatest percentage removal (40%) of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) occurred in the molasses treatment, followed by a 29% reduction in the plant compost treatment. The degradation constant (k), produced by a kinetic model, demonstrated the performance of the molasses over the other treatments applied; experimental data adequately fitted into first-order kinetics (k = 0.005 d−1, t½ = 71 d). Benzene decomposition was greatest (77 and 74%) in the molasses and activated carbon treatments, respectively, and was lowest in the papermill sludge treatment (41%). FTIR analysis revealed loss of benzene in all treatments. Bacterial counts were highest (4.9 × 106 CFU/g) in the plant compost treatment and lowest (1 × 105 CFU/g) in the untreated oil-contaminated soil. Based on the findings of the current study, it is possible to successfully conduct landfarming of aged petroleum deposits; however, it is recommended that common and inexpensive amendments such as molasses and plant compost be used when feasible.
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spelling doaj-art-101948b1ecb141eab8eea4d82a8d09d62025-02-03T05:58:22ZengWileyApplied and Environmental Soil Science1687-76671687-76752021-01-01202110.1155/2021/66202946620294Biodegradation of Weathered Petroleum Hydrocarbons Using Organic Waste AmendmentsKimiya Yousefi0Ali Mohebbi1John Pichtel2Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Enginnering, Shahid Bahonar University, Kerman, IranDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Enginnering, Shahid Bahonar University, Kerman, IranEnvironment, Geology and Natural Resources, Ball State University, Muncie, IN 47306, USAExtraction, transport, and processing of petroleum products have resulted in inadvertent contamination of soil. Various technologies have been proposed for removal of petroleum hydrocarbon contaminants, including biological techniques. Treatment of aged (weathered) petroleum compounds is challenging, as these wastes tend to be enriched with recalcitrant hydrocarbons. The purpose of the reported study was to investigate remediation of weathered petroleum via simulated landfarming using selected soil amendments. Soil contaminated by aged crude petroleum from well fields in the southern Zagros region in Iran was treated in combination with plant compost, papermill sludge, activated carbon, and molasses. Over 15 weeks, the greatest percentage removal (40%) of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) occurred in the molasses treatment, followed by a 29% reduction in the plant compost treatment. The degradation constant (k), produced by a kinetic model, demonstrated the performance of the molasses over the other treatments applied; experimental data adequately fitted into first-order kinetics (k = 0.005 d−1, t½ = 71 d). Benzene decomposition was greatest (77 and 74%) in the molasses and activated carbon treatments, respectively, and was lowest in the papermill sludge treatment (41%). FTIR analysis revealed loss of benzene in all treatments. Bacterial counts were highest (4.9 × 106 CFU/g) in the plant compost treatment and lowest (1 × 105 CFU/g) in the untreated oil-contaminated soil. Based on the findings of the current study, it is possible to successfully conduct landfarming of aged petroleum deposits; however, it is recommended that common and inexpensive amendments such as molasses and plant compost be used when feasible.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/6620294
spellingShingle Kimiya Yousefi
Ali Mohebbi
John Pichtel
Biodegradation of Weathered Petroleum Hydrocarbons Using Organic Waste Amendments
Applied and Environmental Soil Science
title Biodegradation of Weathered Petroleum Hydrocarbons Using Organic Waste Amendments
title_full Biodegradation of Weathered Petroleum Hydrocarbons Using Organic Waste Amendments
title_fullStr Biodegradation of Weathered Petroleum Hydrocarbons Using Organic Waste Amendments
title_full_unstemmed Biodegradation of Weathered Petroleum Hydrocarbons Using Organic Waste Amendments
title_short Biodegradation of Weathered Petroleum Hydrocarbons Using Organic Waste Amendments
title_sort biodegradation of weathered petroleum hydrocarbons using organic waste amendments
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/6620294
work_keys_str_mv AT kimiyayousefi biodegradationofweatheredpetroleumhydrocarbonsusingorganicwasteamendments
AT alimohebbi biodegradationofweatheredpetroleumhydrocarbonsusingorganicwasteamendments
AT johnpichtel biodegradationofweatheredpetroleumhydrocarbonsusingorganicwasteamendments