Fate of hydrocarbons during oily sludge disposal in soil

Journal Article · Sun Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1984 · Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6414930

Bossert, I; Kachel, W M; Bartha, R

A 1280-day laboratory simulation of the landfarming process explored the fate in soil of polynuclear aromatics (PNAs) and total extractable hydrocarbon residues originating from the disposal of an oily sludge. In addition to the measurement of CO/sub 2/ evolution: periodic analyses of PNAs and hydrocarbons monitored biodegradation activity. The estimation of carbon balance and of soil organic matter assessed the fate of residual hydrocarbons. Seven sludge applications during a 920-day active disposal period were followed by a 360-day inactive closure period with no further sludge applications. A burst of CO/sub 2/ evolution followed each sludge addition, but substantial amounts of undegraded hydrocarbons remained at the end of the study. Hydrocarbon accumulation did not inhibit biodegradation performance. Conversion of hydrocarbons to CO/sub 2/ predominated during active disposal; incorporation into soil organic matter predominated during the closure period. In this sludge, the predominant PNAs were degraded more completely (85%) than total hydrocarbons. Both biodegradation and abiotic losses of three- and four-ring PNAs contributed to this result. Some PNAs with five andsix rings were more persistent, but these constituted only a small portion of the PNAs in the sludge. The study confirmed that the microbially mediated processes of mineralization and humification remove sludge hydrocarbons from soils of landfarms with reasonable efficiency. 16 references.

• Research Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, NJ
• OSTI ID: 6414930
• Journal Information: Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States), Journal Name: Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States) Vol. 47:4; ISSN AEMID
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

510200* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AROMATICS
BENCH-SCALE EXPERIMENTS
BIODEGRADATION
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL PLANTS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DECOMPOSITION
HYDROCARBONS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
MANAGEMENT
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PETROCHEMICAL PLANTS
POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
REMOVAL
SLUDGES
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT