On site bioremediation of hydrocarbon-contaminated Arctic tundra soils in inoculated biopiles (original) (raw)
Related papers
In situ biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in frozen arctic soils
Cold Regions Science and Technology, 2003
In this in situ study performed at a hydrocarbon contaminated site at Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen, temperatures down to 6.6 m and soil gas composition of O 2 , CO 2 and VOC at depths of 0.7, 2.0 and 3.5 m at the plume site (B) and the less contaminated site (R) were followed from the beginning of October to the middle of February. Soil samples from the actual depths at B and R were characterised by soil chemical parameters, nutrients, hydrocarbon concentration and enumeration of relevant microbial populations. The objective of the study was to assess whether in situ biodegradation of hydrocarbons was taking place in the contaminated frozen soil and to follow a possible reduction in the degradation activity in the following winter months. From the results we concluded that zero degrees are not an ultimate limit for in situ biodegradation of hydrocarbons by coldadapted microorganisms and that biodegradation may proceed with the same activity at subzero temperatures. From the comparison between calculated and measured reaeration of the hydrocarbon contaminated soil profile it appeared that biodegradation of hydrocarbons may also proceed at subzero temperatures during the winter at this arctic site. The observations in this study increase the possible scenarios concerning temperature design and effects in future in situ bioremediation strategies in arctic soil.
Bioremediation treatment of hydrocarbon-contaminated Arctic soils: influencing parameters
Environmental science and pollution research international, 2014
The Arctic environment is very vulnerable and sensitive to hydrocarbon pollutants. Soil bioremediation is attracting interest as a promising and cost-effective clean-up and soil decontamination technology in the Arctic regions. However, remoteness, lack of appropriate infrastructure, the harsh climatic conditions in the Arctic and some physical and chemical properties of Arctic soils may reduce the performance and limit the application of this technology. Therefore, understanding the weaknesses and bottlenecks in the treatment plans, identifying their associated hazards, and providing precautionary measures are essential to improve the overall efficiency and performance of a bioremediation strategy. The aim of this paper is to review the bioremediation techniques and strategies using microorganisms for treatment of hydrocarbon-contaminated Arctic soils. It takes account of Arctic operational conditions and discusses the factors influencing the performance of a bioremediation treatme...
Bioremediation of hydrocarbon-contaminated polar soils
Extremophiles, 2006
Bioremediation is increasingly viewed as an appropriate remediation technology for hydrocarboncontaminated polar soils. As for all soils, the successful application of bioremediation depends on appropriate biodegradative microbes and environmental conditions in situ. Laboratory studies have confirmed that hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria typically assigned to the genera Rhodococcus, Sphingomonas or Pseudomonas are present in contaminated polar soils. However, as indicated by the persistence of spilled hydrocarbons, environmental conditions in situ are suboptimal for biodegradation in polar soils. Therefore, it is likely that ex situ bioremediation will be the method of choice for ameliorating and controlling the factors limiting microbial activity, i.e. low and fluctuating soil temperatures, low levels of nutrients, and possible alkalinity and low moisture. Care must be taken when adding nutrients to the coarse-textured, low-moisture soils prevalent in continental Antarctica and the high Arctic because excess levels can inhibit hydrocarbon biodegradation by decreasing soil water potentials. Bioremediation experiments conducted on site in the Arctic indicate that land farming and biopiles may be useful approaches for bioremediation of polar soils.
Remediation of hydrocarbon contaminated soils in the Canadian Arctic by landfarming
Cold Regions Science and Technology, 2008
One of the preferred methods for the remediation of fuel contaminated soil today is landfarming. This is particularly true for remote sites because the method requires minimal equipment and is therefore by far the lowest cost option. The term landfarming generally refers to the process whereby hydrocarbon contaminated soils are spread out in a layer about half a meter thick, nutrients are added, and periodically the soils may be mixed. During landfarming, hydrocarbons can be lost through volatilization or bioremediation and thus landfarming refers to the combination of the two processes.
Biology, 2021
The increased usage of petroleum oils in cold regions has led to widespread oil pollutants in soils. The harsh environmental conditions in cold environments allow the persistence of these oil pollutants in soils for more than 20 years, raising adverse threats to the ecosystem. Microbial bioremediation was proposed and employed as a cost-effective tool to remediate petroleum hydrocarbons present in soils without significantly posing harmful side effects. However, the conventional hydrocarbon bioremediation requires a longer time to achieve the clean-up standard due to various environmental factors in cold regions. Recent biotechnological improvements using biostimulation and/or bioaugmentation strategies are reported and implemented to enhance the hydrocarbon removal efficiency under cold conditions. Thus, this review focuses on the enhanced bioremediation for hydrocarbon-polluted soils in cold regions, highlighting in situ and ex situ approaches and few potential enhancements via th...
Cold Regions Science and Technology, 2005
The objective of the study has been to investigate whether cold-adapted microorganisms (CAMs) are metabolising hydrocarbons in situ at sub-zero temperatures. Since the summer 2001, soil temperatures and soil gas concentrations of oxygen (O 2 ) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) at various depths at a petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated permafrost site at Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen, have continuously been measured and compared to data from a nearby non-contaminated site. We have previously reported on unchanged microbial O 2 consumption in the active layer for about 12 days after the soil temperatures decreased below 0 8C in late October 2001 and we are now reporting on the microbial activity in the soil profile from January to September 2002. The empirical data have been compared to theoretical simulations of O 2 concentration as a function of soil depth and time from when the CAMs became active in spring until steady-state conditions were achieved in the summer. At the 0.7 m depth in the oil-plume site, microbial O 2 consumption started in the middle of April, about 45 days before the soil thawed. There was no coincidence between the microbial activation time and the thawing time of the soil. The CAMs became active at temperatures of about À6 8C, but the main degradation activity occurred at temperatures between À1 and À3 8C. When the soil thawed, the hydrocarbon degradation was probably limited by the O 2 supply. In the summer months where we expected the greatest degradation activity to occur because of positive temperatures and access to water, the degradation was limited by O 2 depletion. The overall data from this arctic permafrost site indicate that without other limiting conditions such as O 2 and 0165-232X/$ -see front matter D substrate availability, the active biodegradation period can be extended to about 6 months despite periods with sub-zero soil temperatures. D
Cold Regions Science and Technology, 2013
A laboratory feasibility study on the bioremediation of hydrocarbon-contaminated soil from an Alpine former military site was conducted over a period of 30 weeks. We determined the effects of temperature (10°C and 20°C) and of various biostimulation treatments (inorganic nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilization and the two commercial products Inipol EAP22 and Terramend) versus natural attenuation on the loss of total petroleum hydrocarbons, microbial activity (soil respiration) and community composition (phospholipid fatty acids). The hydrocarbon contamination was removed almost completely (up to 92.7%) at 20°C, at 10°C losses up to 69% were obtained. Biostimulation by the addition of nutrients had a significantly stimulating effect on the biodegradation activity of the indigenous soil microorganisms, however, a considerable amount of hydrocarbon loss could be attributed to natural attenuation. Shifts in microbial community composition during bioremediation
It has been studied restoration processes in oil products-polluted soils at high northern latitudes (the Murmansk region, Russia). Mineral and organic fertilizers and a bacterial preparation (based on the local strains of hydrocarbon-oxidizing bacteria) were applied for restore polluted soils. Periods of removing OP (oil products) from soil were determined by the reduction of the pollutant concentration and by soil biological activities-the dynamics of bacteria number and CO 2 emission from soil. The soil OP even at such a high concentration (as 10 L/m 2 ) had stimulated bacterial reproduction. In three summer month levels in the control variant without ameliorators of OP content decreased by 59% from the initial level, in the variant with mineral and organic fertilizers by 86%, in the variant with the bacterial preparation by 84%. Stimulating of indigenous microorganisms activity with additional nutrients was no less effective technique of OP-polluted soil bioremediation, than applying the bacterial preparation, which requires considerable financial investment. Moderately contaminated of OP soil is a source of additional carbon dioxide emission in the atmosphere. Pollution soil with OP caused for increasing of share of potentially pathogenic fungi in the fungal community.
Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 2021
The results of field, analytical, and experimental research at a number of production facilities reflect the properties of oil-contaminated soils in 3 landscapes: the permafrost treeless Arctic ecosystem, boreal forest, and temperate-climate grassland-woodland ecotone. Laboratory studies have revealed the concentrations of petroleum hydrocarbons in soils, ranging from medium levels of 2000-3000 mg/kg to critical figures over 5000 mg/kg, being 2–25 times higher than the permissible content of oil products in soils. The experimentally applied thermal effects for the oil products desorption from the soil allowed finding an optimal regime: the treatment temperature from 25 to 250 °C reduces the concentrations to an acceptable value. The conditions are environmentally sound, given that the complete combustion point of humates is ca. 450 °C. The outcomes suggest the eco-friendly solution for soil remediation, preserving the soil fertility in fragile cold environments and in more resilient temperate climates, where revitalized brownfields are essential for food production.