Land Farming Techniques Research Articles

REVITALIZING GROUNDWATER AND HYDROCARBON IMPACTED SOIL USING INSITU/EXSITU REMEDIATION TECHNIQUES IN OMKPOBU, RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA

With all the numerous spills all across Niger Delta ranging from various sources it become imperative for the remediation of the impacted areas. Remediation is means or a process by which an impacted area contaminated by crude oil is restored. Bioremediation could be view from two perspectives which includes Insitu and Exsitu strategies. Both strategies are primarily aimed at removing the contaminants from soil and ground water. While the Insitu strategy address contamination issues in the subsurface the Exsitu strategy address contamination at the surface. Typical examples of the insitu strategies includes Biosparging, Bioventing while that exsitu includes the deployment of landfarming strategies and Biopiling. This research deployed both insitu and exsitu remediation strategy. Specifically, Landfarming as an exsitu remediation techniques was used to address the soil component of the research work. While biosparging remediation strategy was deployed to address contamination within the groundwater. Biosparging and land farming techniques have shown that remediation, especially in terms of groundwater, can be done faster when there are used together. The Exhumed impacted soil was made to undergo steps associated with landfarming techniques. Contaminated soil were exhumed and spread over a prepared bed area for aeration or oxygenation. The spread soil was frequently tilled before there were used to construct windrows to aid the aeration process. The total petroleum hydrocarbons of land farmed soil were drastically reduced before they were returned. These is in line with the view of International Centre for Soil and Contaminated Sites (2006) that ‘’Effective remediation through landfarming will increase microbial activities that will eventually address contamination on soil. Similarly, the impacted ground water also felt the impact of this action and with addition of the sparging operations there were also reduction in the Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon level in the groundwater over the period of the project. The operations of biosparging do not only influence the reduction of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) in the groundwater but also other contaminants of concerns such as benzene.

PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF SOIL SAMPLES IMPACTED BY HYDROCARBONS FROM SELECTED SITES IN THE NIGER DELTA REGION OF NIGERIA

This study determined the physio-chemical properties of the soil samples from selected hydrocarbon impacted sites in the Niger Delta region. Standard sampling and analytical methods were employed. The following physio-chemical parameters were analyzed; Sand, Silt, Clay, TOC (%), pH, EC (µs/cm), Av.P (mg/kg), Magnesium (mg/kg), Potassium (mg/kg), Sodium (mg/kg) and Calcium (mg/kg). Findings revealed that the physio-chemical properties of soil in the hydrocarbon impacted sites measured after the biostimulation remediation technique used in Oguta community, the enhanced land farming technique used in Omuwei community and the enhanced natural attenuation technique used in Oporoma community were within the permissible limit of WHO except conductivity (98.62-125.71) which require to be looked into. It further revealed that the physical and chemical properties of soil in selected impacted sites varied across the different sample stations. Based on these findings, it was concluded concluded that these variations observed in this study was due to the inherent environmental condition as at the time of sample collection. It is therefore recommended that relevant agencies should constantly check on the levels of these parameters using the WHO guidelines.

Plant growth, soil properties, and microbial community four years after thermal desorption

AbstractThe effects of thermal desorption (TD) on soil physical and chemical properties after crude oil contamination are recently well studied. However, there are limited field‐scale studies on long‐term soil biological property recovery such as microbial communities and plant growth, which are vital for meeting global agrosystem demands and restoring ecosystem health. This study describes the status of soil biological properties after 4 yr of crop production on oil‐contaminated cropland remediated via TD and a modified land farming technique. Plots were constructed in 2015 with native, uncontaminated topsoil (A); TD‐treated subsoil (TDU); untreated land‐farmed subsoil (SP); TDU + A (TDA), and SP + A (SPA) where soil ratios were 1:1 by volume, and composted manure (CM) was applied at 40 Mg ha‐1. After 3 yr of crop production (2019) grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] was planted. Soil microbial community characteristics were assessed through phospholipid fatty acid analysis and by estimating mycorrhizal root colonization. Notably, inherent soil chemical and physical properties influenced the recovery of microbial communities in remediated soils. However, sorghum biomass production in TDU was 50 ± 9% greater than SP while the microbial abundance in these treatments remained similar. Mycorrhizal colonization variation likely reflected rhizosphere nutrient scarcity and not the interactions of either remediation strategy. Based on these results after 4 yr of cropping, TDU does not diminish soil microbial recovery, and when possible, blending TDU materials with topsoil provides the greatest level of recovery relative to topsoil only.

Removal of crude oil by Thiobacillus sp. and Clostridium sp. at various temperatures and concentration of pollutant in liquid media

The activities of the petroleum mining industry in Indonesia have caused many problems by producing hazardous waste pollution that would produce dangers for plants, animals or human lives. One technique to recover environmental situation is through land farming technique. The purpose of this study is to overcome crude oil pollution in the environment by using biotechnology method through the process of enzymatic bioremediation. The parameters discussed to determine the optimal environmental conditions that provide the highest efficiency for Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) degradation processes such as temperature with a variation of 25 – 45°C then the concentration of pollutants with a variation of 5% – 20%, and the contact time carried out in solid media with variations amounting to 3 – 21 days. After conducting research, research that produces the bacterium Thiobacillus sp. and Clostridium sp. under optimal conditions at 35°C with a pollutant concentration of 10% and a contact time of 14 days. Thus, it can be concluded that the bacterium Thiobacillus sp. and Clostridium sp. can set aside hydrocarbon compounds with a removal efficiency of 65%. So, this research needs to be done to study other physical parameters.

Factorial design study of total petroleum contaminated soil treatment using land farming technique

Land farming technique was used to treat hydrocarbon contaminated soil collected from a crude oil spill sites in Edo State, Nigeria. Calibrated standard auger was used to collect soil samples from the site at depth below 30 cm. The samples were characterized and classified. Cow dung and NPK fertilizer were added as additives to complement the nutriments of the soil samples before total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) quantification and remediation procedures. Factorial design was applied to vary the input parameters such as pH, mass of substrate, moisture content and turning times of land farming so to ascertain the optimal conditions for the procedure. The result revealed that the in-situ TPH value was 5000 mg kg− 1 on the average and after 90 d of treatment, TPH reduced to 646 mg kg− 1. The turning rate, pH, moisture content and mass of substrate hade 83, 4.36, 0.48 and 0.046% contribution, respectively, for the degradation process using land farming treatment. Numerical optimization techniques applied in the optimum point for land farming input parameters to achieve predicted maximum removal of 99% were evaluated as pH, mass of substrate, moisture content and turning rate to be 6.01, 1 kg, 10% and 5 times in a week, respectively. TPH removed at this optimum point was 98% reducing from 5000 to 636 mg kg− 1. The high coefficient of determination (r2 = 0.9865) as observed in the closeness of predicted and experimental values reflects the reliability of the model and hence, land farming practice with close attention on turning rate as revealed by this study, is recommended for TPH contaminated soil remediation.

Evaluación in vitro de la capacidad biorremediadora de hongos filamentosos sobre petróleo crudo

Objetivo. Evaluar la capacidad biorremediadora de algunas especies de hongos filamentosos en suelos contaminados con petróleo crudo. Métodos. Se aislaron 138 cepas a partir de 90 cultivos primarios en muestras de suelos obtenidas en los municipios de Yondó (Antioquia), Acacías (Meta) y Tumaco (Nariño), se identificaron las especies por medio de claves taxonómicas y la amplificación por PCR de la región ITS ubicándose en siete géneros de hongos filamentosos. Del total de las especies se escogieron tres para el experimento que fueron: Neosartorya sp. Cepa A/N-1, Aspergillus sp. Cepa Y/As-3 y Rhizomucor sp. Cepa 1A/R-1; se realizó la micorremediación con la técnica de Landfarming modificado al diseñarse un microcosmos con 50g de suelo contaminado con petróleo crudo °API de 21.6 a concentraciones de 20.000 ppm y 30.000ppm para cada una de las especies en un inóculo de 300 conidios/ml en agua destilada, ajustado en cámara de Neubauer y las tres especies en consorcio en suelo contaminado con petróleo crudo°API de 21.6 a concentraciones de 40.000ppm, 60.000ppm, 80.000ppm y 100.000ppm con un inóculo de 300 conidios/ml. Se valoró el proceso por espectofotometría. Además se estableció las enzimas empleadas en la micorremediación y la citotoxicidad de las cepas empleadas. Resultado. La micorremediación realizada por las especies individuales fue en promedio entre 2 y 6 días y cuando se aplicaron las tres especies en consorcio se realizó en un promedio entre 6 y 10 días, la enzima empleada es peroxidasa y la citotoxicidad es negativa.

Effect of Antibiotics on the Germination and Root Elongation of Argentine Intensive Crops

For small cheese-making factories, with no effluent treatment plants, whey can be a serious problem and the landfarming technique represents an alternative for its disposal. However, whey may contain antibiotic residues at the Maximum Residue Limits. Therefore, in this work, we evaluated the phytotoxic effect of different concentrations of five antibiotics (enrofloxacin, kanamycin, oxytetracycline, penicillin and tylosin) on the germination frequency and root elongation of five Argentine crops: sunflower (Helianthus annuus), corn (Zea mays), soybean (Glycine max), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), and wheat (Triticum aestivum). We concluded that the antibiotic concentrations currently allowable for the dairy industry (Maximum Residue Limits) are a potential risk for S. bicolor, corn and G. max crops. Results showed that 0.10 mg/l of enrofloxacin affected sorghum, 0.15 mg/l of kanamycin affected corn and G. max, 0.004 mg/l of penicillin affected corn, G. max and S. bicolor, and that 0.05 mg/l of tylosin affected G. max. Therefore, dumping whey contaminated with antibiotic residues on the soil is not recommended.

Dry land techniques for vegetable production in India-A review

Dry farming is cultivation of crops in regions with annual rainfall less than 750 mm. Dry land farming techniques includes Water conservation, increase Water absorption, reducing the loss of soil moisture, bunding and terracing, contour bunding, mulching, intercropping, precision agriculture, use of drip irrigation facilities and use of growth regulators and chemicals. Choice of varieties is important. Varieties which have proven excellent in irrigated areas are generally unsuited for dry land conditions. Many attempts at dry land farming have failed, largely due to lack of recognition of the requirements for the variety selection.Variety requirements for dry farming are short-stemmed varieties with limited leaf surface minimize transpiration, deep, prolific root systems enhance moisture utilization and quick-maturing varieties are important in order that the crop may develop prior to the hottest and driest part of the year and mature before moisture supplies are completely exhausted. Even after utilizing all the available water resources, about 50% of the cultivable area will still depends on rains. Therefore, the agricultural scientists, policy makers and farmers should appropriately realize the magnitude of role that rainfed agriculture or dryland farming can play. Vegetable cultivation under rainfed condition is not much popular while comparing to other systems of cultivation. However, it solves the problem of rural poverty and malnutrition. Therefore, much concentration should be given for dry land rainfed vegetable farming by efficient adoption of techniques.

Evaluation of the optimal strategy for ex situ bioremediation of diesel oil-contaminated soil

Bioaugmentation and biostimulation have been widely applied in the remediation of oil contamination. However, ambiguous results have been reported. It is important to reveal the controlling factors on the field for optimal selection of remediation strategy. In this study, an integrated field landfarming technique was carried out to assess the relative effectiveness of five biological approaches on diesel degradation. The limiting factors during the degradation process were discussed. A total of five treatments were tested, including conventional landfarming, nutrient enhancement (NE), biosurfactant addition (BS), bioaugmentation (BA), and combination of bioaugmentation and biosurfactant addition (BAS). The consortium consisted of four diesel-degrading bacteria strains. Rhamnolipid was used as the biosurfactant. The diesel concentration, bacterial population, evolution of CO(2), and bacterial community in the soil were periodically measured. The best overall degradation efficiency was achieved by BAS treatment (90 ± 2%), followed by BA (86 ± 2%), NE (84 ± 3%), BS (78 ± 3%), and conventional landfarming (68 ± 3%). In the early stage, the total petroleum hydrocarbon was degraded 10 times faster than the degradation rates measured during the period from day 30 to 100. At the later stage, the degradation rates were similar among treatments. In the conventional landfarming, contaminated soil contained bacteria ready for diesel degradation. The availability of hydrocarbon was likely the limiting factor in the beginning of the degradation process. At the later stage, the degradation was likely limited by desorption and mass transfer of hydrocarbon in the soil matrix.

Landfarming Process Effects on Biochemical Properties of Petroleum-Contaminated Soils

The presence of petroleum contaminants in soil may be toxic to humans, plants, and soil microorganisms. Therefore, remediation of these compounds from the environment is vital. In this study, bioremediation of two petroleum-contaminated soils (S1 and S2) using a landfarming technique was evaluated. Investigation of the effect of this technique on biological and chemical properties of contaminated soil was also part of the goal. The results showed that about 50 and 57% of hydrocarbon contents were eliminated from soils S1 and S2 at the end of the experiment, respectively. Landfarming processes enhanced microbial respiration rate in both soils S1 and S2. Microbial biomass-nitrogen values in the landfarming plots were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than in the control plots (without landfarming operations). Urease activity increased by 21, 45, 26, and 23% in the landfarming plots as compared to the control plots for soil S2 at the end of first to the 4th month of the experiment, respectively. There was also significant difference (P < 0.05) in soil pH values between the landfarming treatment and control. Soil electrical conductivity in the landfarming plots was lower than in the controls. Total organic matter and total nitrogen contents in the landfarming plots were significantly lower in comparison to the control plots. It appears that improving soil aeration and exposing new layers of soil to sunlight and air as a result of landfarming operations facilitated the degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons.

Evaluation of bioremediation methods for the treatment of soil contaminated with explosives in Louisiana Army Ammunition Plant, Minden, Louisiana

Two bioremediation methods, namely, soil slurry reactor and land farming technique were evaluated for the treatment of soil contaminated with explosives in Louisiana Army Ammunition Plant, Minden, Louisiana. The soil had a high concentration of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) of 10,000 mg/kg of soil and medium level contamination of RDX 1900 mg/kg and HMX 900 mg/kg of soil. The results indicated that soil slurry reactor under co-metabolic condition with molasses as co-substrate removed TNT more efficiently than land farming method. TNT removal efficiency was 99% in soil slurry reactor compared to 82% in land farming after 182 days. HMX and RDX were also removed from the soil in both methods, but the removal efficiency was low. The radiolabeled study showed that soil microbes mineralize TNT. The mass-balance of TNT indicated 23.5% of TNT was mineralized to CO 2, 22.6% was converted to biomass, and 52.3% was converted to various TNT intermediates in the soil slurry reactor. Both methods maintained high bacterial population fairly well. The results of this bench-scale study are promising with regard to transferring the technology to full-scale application at this site.

Using the Landfarming Technique to Remediate Soils Contaminated with Hexachlorocyclohexane Isomers

Landfarming is a bioremediation technology in which contaminated soil is mixed with nutrients and amendments, and the material is periodically tilled for aeration. Contaminants are degraded, transformed and immobilised by means of biotic and abiotic reactions. In this study, a soil heavily contaminated (>5000 mg kg−1) with hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) isomers derived from lindane production was treated using this technique. The combination of the physical disruption of HCH aggregates together with the biological degradation which is favoured by the improvement in the soil’s physical and chemical conditions, both contributed to a significant decrease of the α- and γ-HCH isomers (up to 89 and 82% of the initial concentration, respectively) at the end of the 11 month long experiment. In contrast, the most persistent β-isomer remained essentially unaffected. Flooded conditions did not improve HCH degradation. Degradation of α- and γ-HCH was quite rapid initially. Pentachlorocyclohexene (PCCH) and tetrachlorocyclohexene (TCCH) were identified as the main metabolites during the treatment period. The main variables that affected the process were: moisture content, temperature and especially the distribution and size of HCH aggregates, which limits HCH bioavailability. Aerobic landfarming appears to be an interesting and cost effective bioremediation treatment for soils contaminated with α- and γ-HCH isomers. However, complete sanitation of soil (total HCH < 2 mg kg−1), especially in the case of β-HCH, would require the application of other techniques, for example slurry system under anaerobic conditions.

Efecto de la adición de fertilizantes inorgánicos compuestos en la degradación de hidrocarburos en suelos contaminados con petróleo

Actualmente, uno de los problemas ambientales importantes es la contaminación de ecosistemas terrestres por derrames de hidrocarburos principalmente del petróleo y sus derivados, que ocurren en actividades de explotación y transporte de los mismos. En Colombia, además de lo mencionado se dan por incursiones violentas contra la infraestructura petrolera por parte de grupos al margen de la ley. Para dar solución a esta problemática, existen métodos de tratamiento para recuperar suelos contaminados, como es la técnica de biolabranza (landfarming) adicionando nutrientes inorgánicos.En esta investigación se evaluó dicha técnica, in vitro, a través de un diseño de 6 unidades experimentales (UE) que contenían suelo contaminado con petróleo crudo; tres UE fueron tratadas con fertilizante inorgánico Triple 15, y las otras tres fueron tomadas como control biótico. La efectividad de la biolabranza se determinó por medio de análisis del pH, porcentaje de humedad, temperatura, conteos de microorganismos heterótrofos totales y número más probable de microorganismos degradadores de petróleo, nutrientes e hidrocarburos totales, durante un período de experimentación de cuatro meses.Al final del tiempo de experimentación, para el tratamiento de biolabranza con adición de nutrientes, se lograron porcentajes de remoción altos de TPH’s, hasta de un 91%, alcanzando concentraciones finales de TPH’s de 2028 ppm, en comparación con el control biótico en el cual se obtuvieron porcentajes de remoción hasta del 65% y concentraciones finales de 8049 ppm de TPH’s; de manera que se logró demostrar que la adición de nutrientes optimiza el proceso de degradación de hidrocarburos en suelos.

Bioremediation of oil refinery sludge by landfarming in semiarid conditions: Influence on soil microbial activity

Bioremediation of a refinery sludge containing hydrocarbons in a semi-arid climate using landfarming techniques is described. The objective of this study was to assess the ability of this technique to reduce the total hydrocarbon content added to the soil with the refinery sludge in semiarid climate (low rain and high temperature). In addition, we have evaluted the effect of this techique on the microbial activity of the soil involved. For this, biological parameters (carbon fractions, microbial bilmass carbon, basal respiration and ATP) and biochemical parameters(different enzymatic activities) were determined. The results showed that 80 % of the hydrocarbons were eiminated in eleven months, half of this reduction taking place during the first three months. The labile carbon fractions, MBC, basal respiration and ATP of the soils submitted to landfarming showed higher values than the control soil during the first months of the process, although these values fell down by the end of the experimental period as the hydrocarbons were degraded by mineralisation. All the enzymatic activities studied: oxydoreductases such as dehydrogenase activity, and hydrolases of C( β -glucosidase activity) and N Cycle (urease and protease) showed higher values in the soils amended with the refinery sludge than in the control. As in the case of the previous parameters, these value fell down as the bioremediation of the hydrocarbons progressed, many of them reaching levels similar to those of the control soil after eleven months.

Oil Spill in the Iguassu River – Araucaria, Parana, Brazil Cleaning and Restoration of Rivers and Inundation Areas

ABSTRACT On July 16, 2000 a major oil spill occurred at the side of the Araucaria refinery of Petrobras. A total of 4,000 m3 of a light crude oil (41° API) ran down along a small two kilometers creek referred to as Arroio Saldanha, crossing and contaminating a series of four wetlands. The oil discharged into the Barigüi River, a tributary of the Iguassu River. It's estimated that twenty per cent of all the oil spilled volatilized. After running along the creek and its wetlands, the oil contaminated 6 kilometers of the Barigüi River and 60 kilometers of the Iguassu River. A comprehensive oil recovery emergency response operation was immediately engaged to clean the impacted area and the rivers. Some 3000 persons worked around the clock during the peak of the operations. Helicopters, trucks, oil recovering boats, light boats, mechanical excavators, dredgers and 3,200 meters of retention booms were used. Roads and accesses were reformed or built. The overall emergency response effort proved to be successful; in nine days, all of the free oil was removed from the rivers. The cleaning of the riverbanks and inundation areas was completed in three months. The Saldanha Creek and the four wetlands areas upgradient of the Barigüi River retained approximately 70 per cent of all of the oil spilled, all superficial oil was removed until it could not move superficially, the remaining oil impregnated in the upper soil profiles. Since then, various remediation techniques were implemented to remediate both, soil surface water and groundwater. The upper portion of the soil profile is remediated with bioremediation, using natural indigenous microorganism. This technique consists in cultivating the soil with mechanical agricultural equipment or manually where accessibility does not allow the use of mechanical equipment. Nutrients and other amendments can be added when required. In some cases soil are bioaugmented with microorganisms of the “landfarming” cells of the refinery. This technique is a variant of the landfarming technique that has been studied at the Repar (Refinaria Presidente Getúlio Vargas) refinery for more than ten years. Such technique has proven to be more efficient than traditional landfarming. The soil below 40 centimeters cannot be remediated with this technique. Soils at such depth are being recovered through a series of drainage and injection trenches. Water injected in the injection trench forces the free and trapped oil to move laterally to the recovery trenches. The largest contaminated swamp was transformed in a treatment wetland and its recovery is being monitored and adjusted to quicken the recovering, thus minimizing interference with the natural ecosystem.

Nitrogen Cycling and Nitric Oxide Emissions in Oil-Impacted Prairie Soils

A remote site in the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve of Oklahoma (The Nature Conservancy) was contaminated with crude oil from a pipeline break and is being bioremediated using landfarming techniques. Landfarming is designed to stimulate microbial-based catabolism of petroleum through combined dilution/mixing and fertilization-based effects. To evaluate nitrogen-based effects during remediation, the site was sectioned and treated with urea, ammonium sulfate, or ammonium nitrate. Samples were obtained from prairie soil without chemical nitrogen addition and with or without hydrocarbon contamination. Nitrogen cycling dynamics were followed by measuring ammonium, nitrite, nitrate, and volatile nitric oxide (NOx) levels. Nitrifying and denitrifying bacterial numbers were estimated and compared to soil oxygen, carbon dioxide, and methane levels as well as to overall total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) reduction. For a prairie ecosystem of this type, a high level of fertilization, particularly with nitrogen, can have ecological effects almost as profound as the petroleum contamination itself. Fertilization of the oil-contaminated soil with the reduced and/or oxidized forms of nitrogen quickly resulted in elevated steady-state levels of both ammonium and nitrate, and exceptionally high levels of NOx released from soil. Although nitrogen fertilization increased microbial nitrogen metabolism and nitrogen cycling, it had minimal effects on the overall remediation efficiency.

On Beyond Reason: Homesteading in the California Desert, 1885-1940

Research Article| December 01 1982 On Beyond Reason: Homesteading in the California Desert, 1885-1940 FRANK NORRIS FRANK NORRIS Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Southern California Quarterly (1982) 64 (4): 297–312. https://doi.org/10.2307/41171010 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation FRANK NORRIS; On Beyond Reason: Homesteading in the California Desert, 1885-1940. Southern California Quarterly 1 December 1982; 64 (4): 297–312. doi: https://doi.org/10.2307/41171010 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentSouthern California Quarterly Search This content is only available via PDF. © Copyright 1982 The Historical Society of Southern California Article PDF first page preview Close Modal You do not currently have access to this content.