RECENT BIOREMEDIATION RESULTS ON OIL SPILLED DURING THE 1991 GULF WAR1

2005 ◽  
Vol 2005 (1) ◽  
pp. 793-796
Author(s):  
Bart Baca ◽  
Mohammad Al-Sarawi ◽  
Timothy W. Kana

ABSTRACT Over thirteen years ago, Iraqi soldiers caused the release of over 10 million barrels of oil into Arabian Gulf waters from various sources. The oil impacted the majority of the western Gulf shoreline, estimated at over four hundred miles. Coastal development is having to deal with oil which was buried, stock-piled, or otherwise left in place. One such development is underway at Al Khiran (southern Kuwait) where oil is within planned construction areas for public beaches, housing lots, a marina, and channels. Although the oil is weathered and generally considered non-toxic (based on chemical analyses below), expanses of it pose physical and esthetic problems for construction and human use of the areas. Tests were performed using various means of treating this oil, and the results are given herein. A variety of bioremediation methods was tested, including the use of products from four companies, selected at random from the oil spill chemical industry (U.S. and abroad). All four were bacterial powders, with nutrients included or added separately, applied according to manufacturers' specifications. Test plots were on mildly contaminated soil (33 mg/kg total hydrocarbons) which had oil mixed throughout. Plots were located in the upper intertidal zone, where they were exposed to minimal (<30 cm), diurnal, high tide flooding, and the research site was protected from wave and wind action by a levee. Extreme conditions at the sites included high temperatures, lack of rainfall, and flushing by high salinity seawater (40 parts per thousand salt). Sites were sampled before treatment, and at various times beginning 44 days after treatment. Composite samples were collected from each test plot and analyzed for total petroleum hydrocarbons (TRPH), and for three hydrocarbon ranges: C8–C10, C10–C28, and C28–C40. Results showed no significant reduction in total hydrocarbons by any product, compared to pre-treatment levels. Aggressive physical tilling of contaminated soils at a second site provided some reduction in total hydrocarbons during this period. Various methods were tried in the next phase of testing, including additional product exposure time, increased tilling, and screening. The results provide guidelines for the use of chemical products and physical treatments, in extreme coastal conditions, for the treatment of weathered hydrocarbons.

2001 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 291-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Vouillamoz ◽  
M. W. Milke

The effect of compost on phytoremediation of diesel-contaminated soils was investigated using 130 small (200 g) containers in two screening tests. The experiments were conducted in a controlled environment using ryegrass from seed. Containers were destructively sampled at various times and analyzed for plant mass and total petroleum hydrocarbons. The results indicate that the presence of diesel reduces grass growth, and that compost helps reduced the impact of diesel on grass growth. The addition of compost helps increase diesel loss from the soils both with and without grass, though the addition of grass leads to lower diesel levels compared with controls. A second set of experiments indicates that the compost helps in phytoremediation of diesel-contaminated soil independent of the dilution effect that compost addition has. The results indicate that the compost addition allowed diesel loss down to 200 mg TPH/kg even though the compost would be expected to hold the diesel more tightly in the soil/compost mixture. The simplicity of the screening tests led to difficulties in controlling moisture content and germination rates. The conclusion of the research is that the tilling of compost into soils combined with grass seeding appears to be a valuable option for treating petroleum-contaminated soils.


Author(s):  
Williams, Janet Olufunmilayo ◽  
Aleruchi Owhonka

This study investigated the potential of Aspergillus sydowii and Fusarium lichenicola as mixed cultures in the biodegradation of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons TPHs in oilfield wastewater. Oilfield wastewater was collected from an onshore oil producing platform and biodegradation of total petroleum hydrocarbons was investigated using standard methods. Fungi were isolated from oilfield wastewater contaminated soils obtained from the vicinity of the oil producing platform. Experimental control set-up and treatment with mixed culture of fungal isolates were periodically analyzed on days 7 and 21 intervals for total petroleum hydrocarbon degradation using Gas Chromatography (GC). The total amount of TPHs on day 1 recorded 381. 871 mg/l.  The amount of TPHs on days 7 and 21 in the mixed culture of fungi was 108.975 mg/l and 21.105 mg/l respectively while TPHs in control was 342.891 mg/l and 240.749 mg/l respectively. There was a significant difference between the mixed culture and the control on days 7 and 21 at p≤0.05. The results therefore revealed actual and significant reduction of TPHs in the mixed culture. In addition, there was clearance of n-alkanes by the mixed culture. This suggests that fungi have great potentials in biodegradation of TPHs and in remediation of TPH contaminated environments.


Author(s):  
Maryam Abdulali Abdulla

Total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) and Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are priority pollutants which are known to be associated with petroleum products. They are released into the marine environment via accidental spillage, exploration and transportation. The present study aims to assess the impact of petroleum and gas extraction activities on the pollution of coastal marine sediment of the western coastline of Qatar. Sixty-six surface sediment samples were collected along the western coastal area. The concentration of organic hydrocarbons (TPHs and PAHs) were determined using GC-FID and GC-MS, respectively. Sediment characteristics including pH, temperature, TOC and particle size were also measured. The results indicated low concentrations of TPH (<0.001-0.246 μg/g dry weight sediment) and PAHs (<0.001-0.044 μg/g dry weight sediment). The concentrations for both organic pollutants were lower compared to the previous studies done within Qatar and in the Arabian Gulf and also indicated below the available permissible limit set by the Ministry of Municipality and Environment of Qatar and other sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) used worldwide (NOAA).


Chemosphere ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 234 ◽  
pp. 864-874 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Thérèse Bidja Abena ◽  
Tongtong Li ◽  
Muhammad Naeem Shah ◽  
Weihong Zhong

2009 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 1043-1055 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriano Pinto Mariano ◽  
Sérgio Henrique Rezende Crivelaro ◽  
Dejanira de Franceschi de Angelis ◽  
Daniel Marcos Bonotto

This work investigated the possibility of using vinasse as an amendment in ex-situ bioremediation processes. Groundwater and soil samples were collected at petrol stations. The soil bioremediation was simulated in Bartha biometer flasks, used to measure the microbial CO2 production, during 48 days, where vinasse was added at a concentration of 33 mL.Kg-1of soil. Biodegradation efficiency was also measured by quantifying the total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) by gas chromatography. The groundwater bioremediation was carried out in laboratory experiments simulating aerated (bioreactors) and not aerated (BOD flasks) conditions. In both the cases, the concentration of vinasse was 5 % (v/v) and different physicochemical parameters were evaluated during 20 days. Although an increase in the soil fertility and microbial population were obtained with the vinasse, it demonstrated not to be adequate to enhance the bioremediation efficiency of diesel oil contaminated soils. The addition of the vinasse in the contaminated groundwaters had negative effects on the biodegradation of the hydrocarbons, since vinasse, as a labile carbon source, was preferentially consumed.


2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (8) ◽  
pp. e2826 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alena Guryanova ◽  
Vasiliy Ermakov ◽  
Vladislav Galyanin ◽  
Viacheslav Artyushenko ◽  
Tatiana Sakharova ◽  
...  

2012 ◽  
Vol 66 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula Paíga ◽  
Lurdes Mendes ◽  
José Albergaria ◽  
Cristina Delerue-Matos

AbstractTotal petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) are important environmental contaminants which are toxic to human and environmental receptors. Several analytical methods have been used to quantify TPH levels in contaminated soils, specifically through infrared spectrometry (IR) and gas chromatography (GC). Despite being two of the most used techniques, some issues remain that have been inadequately studied: a) applicability of both techniques to soils contaminated with two distinct types of fuel (petrol and diesel), b) influence of the soil natural organic matter content on the results achieved by various analytical methods, and c) evaluation of the performance of both techniques in analyses of soils with different levels of contamination (presumably non-contaminated and potentially contaminated). The main objectives of this work were to answer these questions and to provide more complete information about the potentials and limitations of GC and IR techniques. The results led us to the following conclusions: a) IR analysis of soils contaminated with petrol is not suitable due to volatilisation losses, b) there is a significant influence of organic matter in IR analysis, and c) both techniques demonstrated the capacity to accurately quantify TPH in soils, irrespective of their contamination levels.


2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eganoosi Esme Atojunere

Bitumen was discovered in some communities: Agbabu, Ilubinrin, Lodasa and Boridele in Ondo State, Nigeria around 1900 but was found inadequate for commercial exploitation. This report is on the levels of presence of bitumen in the areas and its effects on the available water sources and to make recommendations. Samples of water taken from 3 selected streams and 2 wells per location were subjected to physico-chemical analyses in line with America Public Health Association (APHA). Questionnaire were administered to sixty (60) people from bitumen-affected areas which covered sources of water, water pre-treatment measures, availability of water treatment facilities and effects of bitumen deposits on water bodies. Results obtained shown that most water users sourced water from groundwater recorded 73.33% followed by 16.67% for surface water and 9% for rain water harvesting. There might be population using a combination of the two or more sources of water. About 90% of the respondents knew that direct use of such water was harmful for drinking, washing, bathing and cooking. Water quality impairment such as colour and high level of salt are common in the water. This practice could have health implication on them if continued unabated. Pollution index for toxic metals (Pb,As and Hg ) and Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons(TPH) values determined were relatively high suggesting pollutant are related to  the bitumen deposits in the region. For example Ilubinrin well (0.5 mg/L), and Lodasa well (0.3 mg/L) while others were at non detection level. For TPH, there were variations in the tested water samples, Lodasa well recorded the highest value of 1480 mg/L, Agbabu stream 900, Ilubinrin stream and well 240 mg/L and 120 mg/L, respectively, Agbabu well 110 mg/L, and the least at Lodasa stream 80 mg/L. This could be attributed to seasonal rain that control streamflow of water bodies in the bitumen-rich area. The study indicated that bitumen, being a complex mixture of hydrocarbons and associated metals was responsible to the pollution level in the water bodies reported


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