Remediation of Contaminated Soil by Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Using Composting

Abstract

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were one of the most concerning organic and toxic pollutants in the world. Since the 20th century, there had been no improvement in resolving or reducing the discharged or released amount of PAHs into the soil or environment. Detecting PAHs (PAHs) involved collecting environmental or biological samples, extracting PAHs using specialized techniques, and analyzing them with advanced methods like gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS) or high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). This process was crucial for assessing contamination levels, understanding health risks, and guiding environmental safety measures. There was no full replacement with existing technology and materials that would not release the PAHs. Now, the PAHs pollutant has caused many cases related to the impact of PAHs on the environment and human health, prompting immediate action for resolution. The remediation to remove the PAHs from the contaminated soil was conducted using the composting method. The few kinds of composting methods were vermicomposting, which used earthworms to decompose PAHs in the contaminated soil, in-vessel composting that ran the aerobic process under a close air space tank, and aerated pile that implemented the aerobic process in an open air space. The bulking agent of in-vessel composting and aerated composting was the same. Actually, these three composting methods were under bioremediation to remove PAHs from contaminated soil. There were a few challenges that would be faced by the government, the people, and the research in the future. Some recommendations have been provided to face these future challenges.