Adsorption and microbial degradation of organic compounds in oil shale retort water

Abstract

Studies were conducted to investigate the mechanisms of removal (adsorption and biodegradation) of organic compounds of environmental concern in a continuous retort water treatment cell (RWTC), in which a bed of solid wastes was irrigated with the retort water. The adsorption mechanisms were investigated in batch experiments. The results show that initial adsorption (40–90%) occurs very rapidly and is followed by slower adsorption (10–60%) until equilibrium is achieved after 200–300 h, the actual period depending on the initial concentration of total organic carbon (TOC) and the solid:solution ratio. The microbial species responsible for aerobic biodegradation within the treatment cell were identified. Fungi were dominant in the upper part of the cell. Bacteria of the genera Pseudomonas, Agrobacterium and Bacillus were dominant in the lower parts.