Enhanced Bioremediation of Fuel-Oil Contaminated Soils: Laboratory Feasibility Study

Abstract

In this study, microcosm experiments were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of (1) nutrients, hydrogen peroxide ( H2 O2 ) , and cane molasses addition; (2) soil washing by biodegradable surfactant [Simple Green (SG)]; and (3) soil pretreatment by Fenton-like oxidation on the bioremediation of fuel-oil contaminated soils. The dominant native microorganisms in the fuel-oil contaminated soils after each treatment process were determined via polymerase chain reaction, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, and nucleotide sequence analysis. Results show that approximately 32 and 56% of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) removal (initial concentration of 5,000 mg kg−1 ) were observed in microcosms with the addition of nutrient and cane molasses ( 1,000 mg L−1 ) , respectively, compared to only 9% of TPH removal in live control microcosms under intrinsic conditions (without amendment) after 120 days of incubation. Addition of cane molasses would cause the increase in microbial population and thus enhanc...