Nutrient-stimulated biodegradation of aged refinery hydrocarbons in soil
- Exxon Research and Engineering, Annandale, NJ (United States)
- Arthur D. Little, Inc., Cambridge, MA (United States)
Aged hydrocarbon-contaminated refinery soil was amended with water and nutrients and tilled weekly for 1 year to stimulate biodegradation. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAHs) and triterpane biomarkers, and Freon IR analysis of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), were used to determine the extent of biodegradation. There was significant degradation of extractable hydrocarbon (up to 60%), but neither hopane, oleanane, nor the amount of polars decreased during this period of bioremediation, allowing them to be used as conserved internal markers for estimating biodegradation. Significant degradation of the more alkylated two- and three-ring compounds, and of the four-ring species pyrene and chrysene and their alkylated congeners, was seen. Substantial degradation (> 40%) of benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, and benzo(a)pyrene also was seen. The results show that bioremediation can be a useful treatment in the cleanup of contaminated refinery sites.
- OSTI ID:
- 492229
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-950483--; ISBN 1-57477-006-3
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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