NEW ITEMS IN THE NBMA RESOURCE LIBRARY
BP- Bioremediate Petroleum
July 2010
TITLE: Bioremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-contaminated waste using
composting approaches
Author: Antizar-Ladislao, B, J.M. Lopez-Real, and A.J. Beck
Source: Critical Reviews in Environ. Sci. Tech. 2004 34:3
Abstract: Environmental pollution and in particular contaminated waste due to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are of
current environmental concern. In an effort to find solutions, bioremediation techniques have shown promising results in the treatment
of contaminated wastes. Composting approaches as a bioremediation technology to treat contaminated waste were first reported in the
1980s. This article provides a comprehensive review of research to date on the use of composting approaches for bioremediation of
PAH- contaminated waste. It critically evaluates the existing research in an effort to assess the relative effectiveness of different
composting approaches, determine optimal composting operation conditions, and identify the limitations and advantages of using
composting approaches relative to other solutions, and recommends areas of further research effort.
Document#: BIC.RC.HC. 5.1
TITLE: Carbon and nitrogen mineralization in soil amended with phenanthrene, anthracene and
irradiated sewage sludge
Author: Barajas-Aceves, M., E. Vera-Aguilar, and M.P. Bernal
Source: Bioresource Tech. 2002 85:217-223
Abstract: Irradiation of sewage sludge reduces pathogens and can hydrolyze or destroy organic molecules. The eff ect of irradiation of
sewage sludge on C and N dynamics in arable soil and possible interference with toxic organic compounds was investigated in soil
microcosms using a clay soil. The soil was treated with phenanthrene and anthracene, with and without irradiated and non-irradiated sewage sludge amendment. All the treated soils were incubated for 182 days at 25 °C. The CO 2 production and dynamics of
inorganic N (NH4+ , NO2- and NO3- ) were monitored. Addition of sewage sludge (0.023 g g -1 soil), anthracene or phenanthrene (10.0 µg
g-1 soil dissolved in methanol), and methanol (10 mg g-1 soil) to soil had a significant eff ect on CO2 production compared to the control.
However, there were no significant diff erences between soil treated with irradiated and non-irradiated sewage sludge. Irradiated sewage
sludge increased the C and N mineralization of anthracene amended soils to a greater extend than in phenanthrene amended soils.
Nitrification was inhibited for 28 days in soil treated with either methanol, anthracene and phenanthrene. Appli- cation of sewage sludge
reduced such toxicity eff ects after 28 days incubation.
Document#: BIN.OR.DG. 5.11
TITLE: Bioavailability and degradation of phenanthrene in compost amended soils
Author: Puglisi, E. F. Cappa, G. Fragoulis, M. Trevisan, and A. Del Re
Source: Chemosphere 2007 67: 548-556
Abstract: Bioavailability in soil of organic xenobiotics such as phenanthrene is limited by mechanisms of diff usion of the xenobiotics
within soil micropores and organic matter. The agricultural utilization of compost may reduce the risk connected to organic xenobiotic
contami- nation by means of: (i) a reduction of the bioavailable fraction through an increased adsorption and (ii) an enhanced
degradation of the remaining bioavailable fraction through an inoculum of degrading microorganisms. Aim of this work is to test this
hypothesis by assessing the eff ects of compost amendment on the bioavailability and degradation of phenanthrene in soil. Experiments
were carried out in both sterilized and non-sterilized conditions, and chemical and microbiological analyses were carried out in order to
determine the extent of degradation and bioavailability and to monitor the evolution of the soil micro flora in time. Bioavailability was
assessed in sterilized microcosms, in order to assess the physical eff ects of compost on aging processes without the influence of
microbial degradation. Results showed that bioavailability is significantly reduced in soils amended with compost, although no
diff erences were found at the 2 doses of compost studied.
In non-sterilized soils the amount of phenanthrene degraded was always higher in the amended soils than in the non-amended one.
Microbiological analyses confirmed the presence of a higher number of phenanthrene degraders in the amended soils and in samples of
compost alone. These results suggest that compost induces the degradation in soils of easily degradable compounds such as phenanthrene, when the proper bacteria are in the compost; more resistant xenobiotics may instead be trapped by the compost organic matter,
thus becoming less available.Interrill erodibility factors were calculated for all treatments and fell within the range of experimental
rangeland values (10,000 to 2,000,000 kg sec/m4) that are used in the Water Erosion Prediction Project.
Document#: BIC.RC.HC. 5.2
To request information or documents, please contact Sally Brown via e-mail: slb@u.washington.edu or
phone: (206) 616-1299.
TITLE: Utilization of Biosolids during the Phytoremediation of Hydrocarbon-Contaminated Soil
Author: Dickinson, S.J. and P.M. Rutherford
Source: J. Environ. Qual. 2006 35:982-991
Abstract: Addition of anaerobically digested sewage sludge (biosolids) to soil may improve conditions for phytoremediation of
petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs) through improved soil chemical, biological, and physical properties. A 32-wk greenhouse study
investigated three rates of biosolids addition (0, 13.34, and 26.68 g oven-dry biosolids kg–1 oven-dry soil) and the presence or absence
of smooth brome (Bromus inermis Leyss. cv. Carlton) plants on the removal of diesel (3.5 g kg–1 oven-dry soil) in an industrial, sandy
loam soil. Diesel PHCs were divided into two fractions based on equivalent normal straight-chain boiling point ranges (F2: nC10–nC16;
F3: nC16–nC34). The addition of biosolids did not increase the extent of PHC degradation but did result in significantly greater firstorder decay constants compared to unamended controls. Overall, the presence of plants did not increase the rate or extent of PHC
degradation, relative to that observed in unamended, non-vegetated soils. Vegetation was, however, an important factor within the
biosolids-amended soils as was observed by a greater extent of PHC degradation. Some of this decrease was attributed to plant-induced
removal of biosolids components that were contributing to the F3 fraction. Overall, the low-amendment rate (13.34 g oven-dry biosolids
kg–1 oven-dry soil) was considered to be the most effective treatment because it produced the greatest overall PHC degradation rate
(0.226 wk–1 for total PHCs) and resulted in the greatest recovery of biosolids-derived N by smooth brome (26.6%).
Document#: BIN.OR.DG. 5.12
TITLE: Bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons in contaminated soils: Comparison of
biosolids addition, carbon supplementation, and monitored natural attenuation
Author: Sarkar, D., M. Ferguson, R. Datta, S. Birnbaum
Source: Environ. Pollut. 2005 136:187-195
Abstract: Two methods of biostimulation were compared in a laboratory incubation study with monitored natural attenuation (MNA)
for total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) degradation in diesel-contaminated Tarpley clay soil with low carbon content. One method
utilized rapid-release inorganic fertilizers rich in N and P, and the other used sterilized, slow-release biosolids, which added C in
addition to N and P. After 8 weeks of incubation, both biostimulation methods degraded approximately 96% of TPH compared to
MNA, which degraded 93.8%. However, in the first week of incubation, biosolids-amended soils showed a linear two orders of
magnitude increase in microbial population compared to MNA, whereas, in the fertilizer-amended soils, only a one order of
magnitude increase was noted. In the following weeks, microbial population in the fertilizer-amended soils dropped appreciably,
suggesting a toxic eff ect owing to fertilizer-induced acidity and/or NH3 overdosing. Results suggest that biosolids addition is a more
eff ective soil amendment method for biostimulation than the commonly practiced inorganic fertilizer application, because of the
abilities of biosolids to supplement carbon. No statistically significant diff erence was observed between the biostimulation methods
and MNA, suggesting that MNA can be a viable remediation strategy in certain soils with high native microbial population.
Document#: BIN.OR.DG. 5.13