Enhanced biotreatability of petroleum hydrocarbon–contaminated mining waste coupled with the attenuation of acid drainage production

AbstractMaintaining and supporting complete biodegradation during remediation of petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated groundwater in constructed wetlands is vital for the final destruction and removal of contaminants. We aimed to compare and gain insight into biodegradation and explore possible limitations in different filter materials (sand, sand amended with biochar, expanded clay). These filters were collected from constructed wetlands after two years of operation and batch experiments were conducted using two stable isotope techniques; (i) carbon isotope labelling of hexadecane and (ii) hydrogen isotope fractionation of decane. Both hydrocarbon compounds hexadecane and decane were biodegraded. The mineralization rate of hexadecane was higher in the sandy filter material (3.6 µg CO2 g−1 day−1) than in the expanded clay (1.0 µg CO2 g−1 day−1). The microbial community of the constructed wetland microcosms was dominated by Gram negative bacteria and fungi and was specific for the different filter materials while hexadecane was primarily anabolized by bacteria. Adsorption / desorption of petroleum hydrocarbons in expanded clay was observed, which might not hinder but delay biodegradation. Very few cases of hydrogen isotope fractionation were recorded in expanded clay and sand & biochar filters during decane biodegradation. In sand filters, decane was biodegraded more slowly and hydrogen isotope fractionation was visible. Still, the range of observed apparent kinetic hydrogen isotope effects (AKIEH = 1.072–1.500) and apparent decane biodegradation rates (k = − 0.017 to − 0.067 day−1) of the sand filter were low. To conclude, low biodegradation rates, small hydrogen isotope fractionation, zero order mineralization kinetics and lack of microbial biomass growth indicated that mass transfer controlled biodegradation.

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Influencing Factors of the Mineral Carbonation Process of Iron Ore Mining Waste in Sequestering Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13041866 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 1866

Author(s):

Noor Allesya Alis Ramli ◽

Faradiella Mohd Kusin ◽

Verma Loretta M. Molahid

Keyword(s):

Carbon Dioxide ◽

Particle Size ◽

Chemical Composition ◽

Iron Ore ◽

Divalent Cations ◽

Mining Industry ◽

Mining Waste ◽

Aluminum Silicate ◽

Mineral Carbonation ◽

Carbonation Process

Mining waste may contain potential minerals that can act as essential feedstock for long-term carbon sequestration through a mineral carbonation process. This study attempts to identify the mineralogical and chemical composition of iron ore mining waste alongside the effects of particle size, temperature, and pH on carbonation efficiency. The samples were found to be alkaline in nature (pH of 6.9–7.5) and contained small-sized particles of clay and silt, thus indicating their suitability for mineral carbonation reactions. Samples were composed of important silicate minerals needed for the formation of carbonates such as wollastonite, anorthite, diopside, perovskite, johannsenite, and magnesium aluminum silicate, and the Fe-bearing mineral magnetite. The presence of Fe2O3 (39.6–62.9%) and CaO (7.2–15.2%) indicated the potential of the waste to sequester carbon dioxide because these oxides are important divalent cations for mineral carbonation. The use of small-sized mine-waste particles enables the enhancement of carbonation efficiency, i.e., particles of <38 µm showed a greater extent of Fe and Ca carbonation efficiency (between 1.6–6.7%) compared to particles of <63 µm (0.9–5.7%) and 75 µm (0.7–6.0%). Increasing the reaction temperature from 80 °C to 150–200 °C resulted in a higher Fe and Ca carbonation efficiency of some samples between 0.9–5.8% and 0.8–4.0%, respectively. The effect of increasing the pH from 8–12 was notably observed in Fe carbonation efficiency of between 0.7–5.9% (pH 12) compared to 0.6–3.3% (pH 8). Ca carbonation efficiency was moderately observed (0.7–5.5%) as with the increasing pH between 8–10. Therefore, it has been evidenced that mineralogical and chemical composition were of great importance for the mineral carbonation process, and that the effects of particle size, pH, and temperature of iron mining waste were influential in determining carbonation efficiency. Findings would be beneficial for sustaining the mining industry while taking into account the issue of waste production in tackling the global carbon emission concerns.

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Phytoremediation of heavy metals and total petroleum hydrocarbon and nutrients enhancement of Typha latifolia in petroleum secondary effluent for biomass growth

Environmental Science and Pollution Research ◽

10.1007/s11356-021-16016-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Anwar Ahmad

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metals ◽

Petroleum Hydrocarbon ◽

Typha Latifolia ◽

Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon ◽

Secondary Effluent ◽

Biomass Growth

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Characterization of microbial response to petroleum hydrocarbon contamination in a lacustrine ecosystem

Environmental Science and Pollution Research ◽

10.1007/s11356-021-13885-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Emilio D’Ugo ◽

Milena Bruno ◽

Arghya Mukherjee ◽

Dhrubajyoti Chattopadhyay ◽

Roberto Giuseppetti ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oil Spill ◽

Petroleum Hydrocarbon ◽

Oil Spills ◽

Oil Pollution ◽

Primary Source ◽

Hydrocarbon Contamination ◽

Petroleum Hydrocarbon Contamination ◽

Microbial Response ◽

Pollution Event ◽

Hydrocarbonoclastic Potential

AbstractMicrobiomes of freshwater basins intended for human use remain poorly studied, with very little known about the microbial response to in situ oil spills. Lake Pertusillo is an artificial freshwater reservoir in Basilicata, Italy, and serves as the primary source of drinking water for more than one and a half million people in the region. Notably, it is located in close proximity to one of the largest oil extraction plants in Europe. The lake suffered a major oil spill in 2017, where approximately 400 tons of crude oil spilled into the lake; importantly, the pollution event provided a rare opportunity to study how the lacustrine microbiome responds to petroleum hydrocarbon contamination. Water samples were collected from Lake Pertusillo 10 months prior to and 3 months after the accident. The presence of hydrocarbons was verified and the taxonomic and functional aspects of the lake microbiome were assessed. The analysis revealed specialized successional patterns of lake microbial communities that were potentially capable of degrading complex, recalcitrant hydrocarbons, including aromatic, chloroaromatic, nitroaromatic, and sulfur containing aromatic hydrocarbons. Our findings indicated that changes in the freshwater microbial community were associated with the oil pollution event, where microbial patterns identified in the lacustrine microbiome 3 months after the oil spill were representative of its hydrocarbonoclastic potential and may serve as effective proxies for lacustrine oil pollution.

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