Aged refinery hydrocarbon biodegradation in soil

Conference · Sun Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:210515

Drake, E N; Stokley, K E; Calcavecchio, P ^[1]

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1. Exxon Research and Engineering Company, Annandale, NJ (United States); and others

Aged hydrocarbon biodegradation was investigated as a potential cleanup technology for refinery soil. Well-mixed field soil was amended with water and nutrients and tilled weekly for one year in laboratory mesocosms to stimulate biodegradation. Freon infrared analysis of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and triterpane biomarkers were used to determine the extent of biodegradation. Significant reductions in TPH (up to 68%) and methylene chloride extractable material (up to 55%) were observed. The combined trimethylated phenanthrene/anthracenes (C3P/A) were even more highly depleted than TPH. Nutrient amendment increased TPH, methylene chloride, and C3P/A removal, but not biomarker concentrations. Significant reduction of two to five ring PAHs occurred. Expected depletion patterns for PAHs were observed except in the case of naphthalene and derivatives, phenanthrene/anthracene and derivatives, and chrysene. A possible explanation is that the more readily degradable PAHs were already highly biodegraded before the study and the remaining portions were less available for biodegradation. These results are consistent with reports on the effects of aging on PAH biodegradation in soil. Biodegradation was influenced by PAH structure and molecular weight.

• OSTI ID: 210515
• Report Number(s): CONF-9509139--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AGING
BACTERIA
BIOCHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
BIODEGRADATION
DECONTAMINATION
HYDROCARBONS
MOLECULAR STRUCTURE
MOLECULAR WEIGHT
PETROLEUM REFINERIES
SOILS