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Sample records for contaminated soils evaluacion

  1. Cleaning of contaminated soils with hydrocarbons by biocell; Saneamiento de suelos contaminados con hidrocarburos mediante biopilas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Iturbe-Arguelles, R.; Flores-Torres, C; Chavez-Lopez, C.; Roldan-Martin, A [Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico, D.F. (Mexico)

    2002-03-01

    In 1990 the Instituto de Ingenieria de la UNAM, initiated an evaluation through the soil and groundwater sampling and a risk health assessment in a Mexican refinery. An extended area was found contaminated with hydrocarbons. This area requires a soil remediation, taking into account that some zones present more than 30 000 mg/kg of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH). Biopile system was recommended as the best remediation method to diminish TPG and some poliaromathic hydrocarbons (PAH). Therefore an experimental biopile of 30 m3 was constructed with contaminated soil. After 22 weeks, results show more than 80 % of TPH and PAH remotion. [Spanish] El grupo de saneamiento de suelos y acuiferos del Instituto de Ingenieria de la UNAM, inicio en 1999 la evaluacion de la contaminacion del subsuelo de una refineria en una zona costera del pais, mediante el muestreo de 425 puntos a 1.5 m de profundidad y con el analisis de los siguientes parametros: hidrocarburos totales del petroleo (HTP), hidrocarburo poliaromaticos (HAP), diesel, gasolina, metilterbutileter (MTBE) y los metales hierro, vanadio, zinc, cadmio, cromo y plomo. Asimismo, se lleva a cabo una evaluacion de riesgo a la salud a fin de determinar los niveles de limpieza de las areas contaminadas. Una vez realizado el estudio se propuso probar a nivel piloto dos tecnicas de saneamiento para las areas contaminadas con valores superiores a 30 000 mg/Kg de http, o bien, para las zonas en donde la evaluacion de riesgo a la salud indica la existencia de riesgo para uno o mas compuestos. Las tecnicas propuesta son biopilas y lavado de suelos con surfactantes. En este trabajo se presenta la prueba piloto con biopilas, de la cual se obtuvo una eficiencia de remocion de http del 80 porciento con cinco meses de operacion. Se muestra las partes de una biopila y se dan los resultados de la biopila experimental en la refineria Francisco I. Madero.

  2. NCRP soil contamination task group

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jacobs, D.G.

    1987-01-01

    The National Council of Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) has recently established a Task Group on Soil Contamination to describe and evaluate the migration pathways and modes of radiation exposure that can potentially arise due to radioactive contamination of soil. The purpose of this paper is to describe the scientific principles for evaluation of soil contamination which can be used as a basis for derivation of soil contamination limits for specific situations. This paper describes scenarios that can lead to soil contamination, important characteristics of soil contamination, the subsequent migration pathways and exposure modes, and the application of principles in the report in deriving soil contamination limits. The migration pathways and exposure modes discussed in this paper include: direct radiation exposure; and exhalation of gases

  3. Restoration of contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miranda J, Jose Eduardo

    2009-01-01

    A great variety of techniques are used for the restoration of contaminated soils. The contamination is present by both organic and inorganic pollutants. Environmental conditions and soil characteristics should take into account in order to implement a remedial technique. The bioremediation technologies are showed as help to remove a variety of soil contaminants. (author) [es

  4. Bioremediation of contaminated soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Balba, M.T.; Ying, A.C.; McNeice, T.G.

    1992-01-01

    Microorganisms, especially bacteria, yeast and fungi are capable of degrading many kinds of xenobiotic compounds and toxic chemicals such as petroleum hydrocarbon compounds. These microorganisms are ubiquitous in nature and, despite their enormous versatility, there are numerous cases in which long-term contamination of soil and groundwater has been observed. The persistence of the contamination is usually caused by the inability of microorganisms to metabolize these compounds under the prevailing environmental condition. This paper reports on biological remediation of contaminated sites which can be accomplished by using naturally-occurring microorganisms to treat the contaminants. The development of a bioremediation program for a specific contaminated soil system usually includes: A thorough site/soil/waste characterization; Treatability studies

  5. Bench Scale Treatability Studies of Contaminated Soil Using Soil Washing Technique

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. K. Gupta

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Soil contamination is one of the most widespread and serious environmental problems confronting both the industrialized as well as developing nations like India. Different contaminants have different physicochemical properties, which influence the geochemical reactions induced in the soils and may bring about changes in their engineering and environmental behaviour. Several technologies exist for the remediation of contaminated soil and water. In the present study soil washing technique using plain water with surfactants as an enhancer was used to study the remediation of soil contaminated with (i an organic contaminant (engine lubricant oil and (ii an inorganic contaminant (heavy metal. The lubricant engine oil was used at different percentages (by dry weight of the soil to artificially contaminate the soil. It was found that geotechnical properties of the soil underwent large modifications on account of mixing with the lubricant oil. The sorption experiments were conducted with cadmium metal in aqueous medium at different initial concentration of the metal and at varying pH values of the sorbing medium. For the remediation of contaminated soil matrices, a nonionic surfactant was used for the restoration of geotechnical properties of lubricant oil contaminated soil samples, whereas an anionic surfactant was employed to desorb cadmium from the contaminated soil matrix. The surfactant in case of soil contaminated with the lubricant oil was able to restore properties to an extent of 98% vis-à-vis the virgin soil, while up to 54% cadmium was desorbed from the contaminated soil matrix in surfactant aided desorption experiments.

  6. A petroleum contaminated soil bioremediation facility

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lombard, K.; Hazen, T.

    1994-06-01

    The amount of petroleum contaminated soil (PCS) at the Savannah River site (SRS) that has been identified, excavated and is currently in storage has increased several fold during the last few years. Several factors have contributed to this problem: (1) South Carolina Department of Health ad Environmental control (SCDHEC) lowered the sanitary landfill maximum concentration for total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in the soil from 500 to 100 parts per million (ppm), (2) removal and replacement of underground storage tanks at several sites, (3) most recently SCDHEC disallowed aeration for treatment of contaminated soil, and (4) discovery of several very large contaminated areas of soil associated with leaking underground storage tanks (LUST), leaking pipes, disposal areas, and spills. Thus, SRS has an urgent need to remediate large quantities of contaminated soil that are currently stockpiled and the anticipated contaminated soils to be generated from accidental spills. As long as we utilize petroleum based compounds at the site, we will continue to generate contaminated soil that will require remediation.

  7. A petroleum contaminated soil bioremediation facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lombard, K.; Hazen, T.

    1994-01-01

    The amount of petroleum contaminated soil (PCS) at the Savannah River site (SRS) that has been identified, excavated and is currently in storage has increased several fold during the last few years. Several factors have contributed to this problem: (1) South Carolina Department of Health ad Environmental control (SCDHEC) lowered the sanitary landfill maximum concentration for total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in the soil from 500 to 100 parts per million (ppm), (2) removal and replacement of underground storage tanks at several sites, (3) most recently SCDHEC disallowed aeration for treatment of contaminated soil, and (4) discovery of several very large contaminated areas of soil associated with leaking underground storage tanks (LUST), leaking pipes, disposal areas, and spills. Thus, SRS has an urgent need to remediate large quantities of contaminated soil that are currently stockpiled and the anticipated contaminated soils to be generated from accidental spills. As long as we utilize petroleum based compounds at the site, we will continue to generate contaminated soil that will require remediation

  8. Contaminated soil concrete blocks

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Korte, A.C.J.; Brouwers, Jos; Limbachiya, Mukesh C.; Kew, Hsein Y.

    2009-01-01

    According to Dutch law the contaminated soil needs to be remediated or immobilised. The main focus in this article is the design of concrete blocks, containing contaminated soil, that are suitable for large production, financial feasible and meets all technical and environmental requirements. In

  9. Soil management planning for military installations: Strategy for identifying contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Makdisi, R.S.; Baskin, D.A.; Downey, D.; Taffinder, S.A.

    1992-01-01

    Numerous federal and state regulations mandate the proper handling and disposal and/or treatment of contaminated soils. The Land Disposal Ban and the increasing lack of new or proximal land disposal facilities, coupled with the increasing liability of off-site disposal, have created a need for altering the traditional methods of managing contaminated sods. To delineate soil management decisions, a Soil Management Plan (SMP) was developed which incorporates the substantive requirements of CERCLA/SARA and RCRA into the ongoing base activities (i.e., construction projects, utility repairs and maintenance) and other environmental projects (i.e., underground storage tank removals) that may involve contaminated soils. The decision-making process is developed to guide base personnel in recognizing contamination, following proper sampling and temporary storage procedures, preventing unnecessary human exposure and isolating soils for removal off-site or treatment on-site. The SMP also contains a comprehensive review of soil remediation technologies, such as biological treatment, soil vapor extraction, soil washing, biofiltering, thermal desorption, soil stabilization/solidification, chemical/physical treatment and incineration. Contaminant types expected at the federal military facility are cross-referenced to the appropriate remediation technologies to determine the specific base needs for a soil treatment unit. An example of a conceptual design for a hydrocarbon-contaminated soil treatment unit is presented for a base where underground fuel tanks are the principal source of soil contamination

  10. Phytoremediation of Soils Contaminated by Chlorinnated Hydrocarbons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, C.; Sung, K.; Corapcioglu, M.

    2001-12-01

    In recent years, the possible use of deep rooted plants for phytoremediation of soil contaminants has been offered as a potential alternative for waste management, particularly for in situ remediation of large volumes of contaminated soils. Major objectives of this study are to evaluate the effectiveness of a warm season grass (Eastern Gamagrass) and a cool season prairie grass (Annual Ryegrass) in the phytoremediation of the soil contaminated with volatile organic compounds e.g., trichloroethylene (TCE), tetrachloroethylene (PCE), and 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCA) and to determine the main mechanisms of target contaminant dissipation. The preliminary tests and laboratory scale tests were conducted to identify the main mechanisms for phytoremediation of the target contaminants, and to apply the technique in green house application under field conditions. The results of microcosm and bioreactor experiments showed that volatilization can be the dominant pathway of the target contaminant mass losses in soils. Toxicity tests, conducted in nutrient solution in the growth room, and in the greenhouse, showed that both Eastern gamagrass and Annual ryegrass could grow without harmful effects at up to 400 ppm each of all three contaminants together. Preliminary greenhouse experimentw were conducted with the 1.5 m long and 0.3 m diameter PVC columns. Soil gas concentrations monitored and microbial biomass in bulk and rhizosphere soil, root properties, and contaminant concentration in soil after 100 days were analyzed. The results showed that the soil gas concentration of contaminants has rapidly decreased especially in the upper soil and the contaminant concentraitons in soil were also significantly decreased to 0.024, 0.228, and 0.002 of C/Co for TCE, PCE and TCA, respectively. Significant plant effects were not found however showed contaminant loss through volatilization and plant contamination by air.

  11. Remediation of lead-contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peters, R.W.; Shem, L.

    1992-01-01

    Excavation and transport of soil contaminated with heavy metals has generally been the standard remediation technique for treatment of heavy-metal-contaminated soils. This approach is not a permanent solution; moreover, off-site shipment and disposal of contaminated soil involves high expense, liability, and appropriate regulatory approval. Recently, a number of other techniques have been investigated for treating such contaminated sites, including flotation, solidification/stabilization, vitrification, and chemical extraction. This paper reports the results of a laboratory investigation determining the efficiency of using chelating agents to extract lead from contaminated soils. Lead concentrations in the soils ranged from 500 to 10,000 mg/kg. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) were examined for their potential extractive capabilities. Concentrations of the chelating agents ranged from 0.01 to 0.10 M. The pH of the suspensions in which the extractions were performed ranged from 4 to 12. Results showed that the removal of lead using NTA and water was ph-dependent, whereas the removal of lead using EDTA was ph-insensitive. Maximum removals of lead were 68.7%,19.1%, and 7.3% using EDTA, NTA, and water, respectively (as compared with initial lead concentrations)

  12. Bioremediation of PAH contaminated soil samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Joshi, M.M.; Lee, S.

    1994-01-01

    Soils contaminated with polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) pose a hazard to life. The remediation of such sites can be done using physical, chemical, and biological treatment methods or a combination of them. It is of interest to study the decontamination of soil using bioremediation. The experiments were conducted using Acinetobacter (ATCC 31012) at room temperature without pH or temperature control. In the first series of experiments, contaminated soil samples obtained from Alberta Research Council were analyzed to determine the toxic contaminant and their composition in the soil. These samples were then treated using aerobic fermentation and removal efficiency for each contaminant was determined. In the second series of experiments, a single contaminant was used to prepare a synthetic soil sample. This sample of known composition was then treated using aerobic fermentation in continuously stirred flasks. In one set of flasks, contaminant was the only carbon source and in the other set, starch was an additional carbon source. In the third series of experiments, the synthetic contaminated soil sample was treated in continuously stirred flasks in the first set and in fixed bed in the second set and the removal efficiencies were compared. The removal efficiencies obtained indicated the extent of biodegradation for various contaminants, the effect of additional carbon source, and performance in fixed bed without external aeration

  13. Uranium-contaminated soil pilot treatment study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Turney, W.R.J.R.; Mason, C.F.V.; Michelotti, R.A.

    1996-01-01

    A pilot treatment study is proving to be effective for the remediation of uranium-contaminated soil from a site at the Los Alamos National Laboratory by use of a two-step, zero-discharge, 100% recycle system. Candidate uranium-contaminated soils were characterized for uranium content, uranium speciation, organic content, size fractionization, and pH. Geochemical computer codes were used to forecast possible uranium leach scenarios. Uranium contamination was not homogenous throughout the soil. In the first step, following excavation, the soil was sorted by use of the ThemoNuclean Services segmented gate system. Following the sorting, uranium-contaminated soil was remediated in a containerized vat leach process by use of sodium-bicarbonate leach solution. Leach solution containing uranium-carbonate complexes is to be treated by use of ion-exchange media and then recycled. Following the treatment process the ion exchange media will be disposed of in an approved low-level radioactive landfill. It is anticipated that treated soils will meet Department of Energy site closure guidelines, and will be given open-quotes no further actionclose quotes status. Treated soils are to be returned to the excavation site. A volume reduction of contaminated soils will successfully be achieved by the treatment process. Cost of the treatment (per cubic meter) is comparable or less than other current popular methods of uranium-contamination remediation

  14. Phytoextraction of low level U-contaminated soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vandenhove, H.A.; Hees, M. van

    2002-01-01

    The nuclear fuel cycle may be a source of environmental contamination. Uranium exploitation produces large quantities of wastes but also accidental spills at nuclear fuel production, reprocessing or waste treatment plants have led to soil contamination with uranium. U-contaminated soil is generally excavated, packaged and removed which is a costly enterprise. Soil washing has also shown promising in removing U from contaminated soil, but results in the generation of liquid wastes and the deterioration of soil properties. In contrast, phytoextraction, the use of plants to remove contaminants from polluted soil, allows for in situ treatment and does not generate liquid wastes. Furthermore, the contaminated site is covered by plants during phytoextraction and wind and water erosion will be reduced. The phytoextraction potential depends on the amount of radionuclides extracted and the biomass produced. Hyper-accumulating plants often have a low biomass production. Moreover, uranium soil-to-plant transfer factors (TF: ratio of U concentration in dry plant tissue to concentration in soil) rarely exceed a value of 0.1 gg -1 . With a TF of 0.1 gg -1 and a biomass yield of 15t dry weigh ha -1 only 0.1% of the soil uranium will be annually immobilised in the plant biomass. These figures clearly show that the phytoextraction option is not a feasible remediation option, unless the uranium bioavailability could be drastically increased. It was shown that citric acid addition to highly contaminated U contaminated soil increased the U-accumulation of Brassica juncea 1000-fold. The objective of the present paper is to find out if low level U contaminated soil can be phytoextracted in order to achieve proposed release limits

  15. Desorption and bioremediation of hydrocarbon contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gray, M.R.

    1998-01-01

    A study was conducted in which the extent and pattern of contaminant biodegradation during bioremediation of four industrially-contaminated soils were examined to determine which factors control the ultimate extent of biodegradation and which limit the success of biological treatment. It was noted that although bioremediation is inexpensive and has low environmental impact, it often fails to completely remove the hydrocarbons in soils because of the complex interactions between contaminants, the soil environment, and the active microorganisms. In this study, the competency of the microorganisms in the soil to degrade the contaminants was examined. The equilibrium partitioning of the contaminants between the soil and the aqueous phase was also examined along with the transport of contaminants out of soil particles. The role of diffusion of compounds in the soil and the importance of direct contact between microorganisms and the hydrocarbons was determined. Methods for selecting suitable sites for biological treatment were also described

  16. Soil washing and post-wash biological treatment of petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated soils

    OpenAIRE

    Bhandari, Alok

    1992-01-01

    A laboratory scale study was conducted to investigate the treatability of petroleum contaminated soils by soil washing and subsequent biological treatment of the different soil fractions. In addition to soils obtained from contaminated sites, studies were also performed on soils contaminated in the laboratory. Soil washing was performed using a bench-scale soil washing system. Washing was carried out with simultaneous fractionation of the bulk soil into sand, silt and clay fractions. Cl...

  17. Chemical fingerprinting of hydrocarbon-contamination in soil

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Boll, Esther Sørensen; Nejrup, Jens; Jensen, Julie K.

    2015-01-01

    Chemical fingerprinting analyses of 29 hydrocarbon-contaminated soils were performed to assess the soil quality and determine the main contaminant sources. The results were compared to an assessment based on concentrations of the 16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons pointed out by the U...... and in assessing weathering trends of hydrocarbon contamination in the soils. Multivariate data analysis of sum-normalized concentrations could as a stand-alone tool distinguish between hydrocarbon sources of petrogenic and pyrogenic origin, differentiate within petrogenic sources, and detect weathering trends....... Diagnostic ratios of PACs were not successful for source identification of the heavily weathered hydrocarbon sources in the soils. The fingerprinting of contaminated soils revealed an underestimation of PACs in petrogenic contaminated soils when the assessment was based solely on EPAPAH16. As alkyl...

  18. Bioremediation of petroleum contaminated soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Autry, A.R.; Ellis, G.M.

    1992-01-01

    This paper reports on bioremediation, which offers a cost-competitive, effective remediation alternative for soil contaminated with petroleum products. These technologies involve using microorganisms to biologically degrade organic constituents in contaminated soil. All bioremediation applications must mitigate various environmental rate limiting factors so that the biodegradation rates for petroleum hydrocarbons are optimized in field-relevant situations. Traditional bioremediation applications include landfarming, bioreactors, and composting. A more recent bioremediation application that has proven successful involves excavation of contaminated soil. The process involves the placement of the soils into a powerscreen, where it is screened to remove rocks and larger debris. The screened soil is then conveyed to a ribbon blender, where it is mixed in batch with nutrient solution containing nitrogen, phosphorus, water, and surfactants. Each mixed soil batch is then placed in a curing pile, where it remains undisturbed for the remainder of the treatment process, during which time biodegradation by naturally occurring microorganisms, utilizing biochemical pathways mediated by enzymes, will occur

  19. CONTAMINATED SOIL VOLUME ESTIMATE TRACKING METHODOLOGY

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Durham, L.A.; Johnson, R.L.; Rieman, C.; Kenna, T.; Pilon, R.

    2003-01-01

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is conducting a cleanup of radiologically contaminated properties under the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP). The largest cost element for most of the FUSRAP sites is the transportation and disposal of contaminated soil. Project managers and engineers need an estimate of the volume of contaminated soil to determine project costs and schedule. Once excavation activities begin and additional remedial action data are collected, the actual quantity of contaminated soil often deviates from the original estimate, resulting in cost and schedule impacts to the project. The project costs and schedule need to be frequently updated by tracking the actual quantities of excavated soil and contaminated soil remaining during the life of a remedial action project. A soil volume estimate tracking methodology was developed to provide a mechanism for project managers and engineers to create better project controls of costs and schedule. For the FUSRAP Linde site, an estimate of the initial volume of in situ soil above the specified cleanup guidelines was calculated on the basis of discrete soil sample data and other relevant data using indicator geostatistical techniques combined with Bayesian analysis. During the remedial action, updated volume estimates of remaining in situ soils requiring excavation were calculated on a periodic basis. In addition to taking into account the volume of soil that had been excavated, the updated volume estimates incorporated both new gamma walkover surveys and discrete sample data collected as part of the remedial action. A civil survey company provided periodic estimates of actual in situ excavated soil volumes. By using the results from the civil survey of actual in situ volumes excavated and the updated estimate of the remaining volume of contaminated soil requiring excavation, the USACE Buffalo District was able to forecast and update project costs and schedule. The soil volume

  20. Bench Scale Treatability Studies of Contaminated Soil Using Soil Washing Technique

    OpenAIRE

    Gupta, M. K.; Srivastava, R. K.; Singh, A. K.

    2010-01-01

    Soil contamination is one of the most widespread and serious environmental problems confronting both the industrialized as well as developing nations like India. Different contaminants have different physicochemical properties, which influence the geochemical reactions induced in the soils and may bring about changes in their engineering and environmental behaviour. Several technologies exist for the remediation of contaminated soil and water. In the present study soil washing technique using...

  1. The organic contamination level based on the total soil mass is not a proper index of the soil contamination intensity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hung, H.-W.; Daniel, Sheng G.; Lin, T.-F.; Su, Y.; Chiou, C.T.

    2009-01-01

    Concentrations of organic contaminants in common productive soils based on the total soil mass give a misleading account of actual contamination effects. This is attributed to the fact that productive soils are essentially water-saturated, with the result that the soil uptake of organic compounds occurs principally by partition into the soil organic matter (SOM). This report illustrates that the soil contamination intensity of a compound is governed by the concentration in the SOM (Com) rather than by the concentration in whole soil (Cs). Supporting data consist of the measured levels and toxicities of many pesticides in soils of widely differing SOM contents and the related levels in in-situ crops that defy explanation by the Cs values. This SOM-based index is timely needed for evaluating the contamination effects of food crops grown in different soils and for establishing a dependable priority ranking for intended remediation of numerous contamination sites.

  2. Treatment of chromium contaminated soil using bioremediation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Purwanti, Ipung Fitri; Putri, Tesya Paramita; Kurniawan, Setyo Budi

    2017-11-01

    Chromium contamination in soil occurs due to the disposal of chromium industrial wastewater or sludge that excess the quality standard. Chromium concentration in soil is ranged between 1 to 300 mg/kg while the maximum health standard is 2.5 mg/kg. Bioremediation is one of technology that could be used for remediating heavy metal contamination in soil. Bacteria have an ability to remove heavy metal from soil. One bacteria species that capable to remove chromium from soil is Bacillus subtilis. The aim of this research was to know the chromium removal percentage in contaminated soil by Bacillus subtilis. Artificial chromium contaminated soil was used by mixing 425gram sand and chromium trichloride solution. Concentration of chromium added into the spiked soil were 50, 75, and 100 mg/L. During 14 days, pH, soil temperature and soil moisture were tested. Initial and final number of bacterial colony and chromium concentration analysed. The result showed that the highest percentage of chromium removal was 11% at a chromium concentration of 75 mg/L

  3. The tolerance efficiency of Panicum maximum and Helianthus annuus in TNT-contaminated soil and nZVI-contaminated soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiamjitrpanich, Waraporn; Parkpian, Preeda; Polprasert, Chongrak; Laurent, François; Kosanlavit, Rachain

    2012-01-01

    This study was designed to compare the initial method for phytoremediation involving germination and transplantation. The study was also to determine the tolerance efficiency of Panicum maximum (Purple guinea grass) and Helianthus annuus (Sunflower) in TNT-contaminated soil and nZVI-contaminated soil. It was found that the transplantation of Panicum maximum and Helianthus annuus was more suitable than germination as the initiate method of nano-phytoremediation potting test. The study also showed that Panicum maximum was more tolerance than Helianthus annuus in TNT and nZVI-contaminated soil. Therefore, Panicum maximum in the transplantation method should be selected as a hyperaccumulated plant for nano-phytoremediation potting tests. Maximum tolerance dosage of Panicum maximum to TNT-concentration soil was 320 mg/kg and nZVI-contaminated soil was 1000 mg/kg in the transplantation method.

  4. Cleaning of contaminated grounds with hydrocarbons by means of biopile; Saneamiento de suelos contaminados con hidrocarburos mediante biopilas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Iturbe Arguelles, R.; Flores Torres, C.; Chavez Lopez, C.; Roldan Martin, A. [Instituto de Ingenieria, UNAM, Mexico, D.F. (Mexico)

    2002-03-01

    In 1999, the Instituto de Ingenieria of the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM), initiated an evaluation through the soil and groundwater sampling and a risk health assessment in a Mexican refinery. An extended area was found contaminated with hydrocarbons. This area requires a soil remediation, taking into account that some zones present more than 30 000 mg/kg of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH). Biopile system was recommended as the best remediation method to diminish TPH and some poliaromathic hydrocarbons (PAH). Therefore, an experimental biopile of 30 m{sup 3} was constructed with contaminated soil. After 22 weeks, results show more than 80% of TPH and PAH remove. [Spanish] El grupo de saneamiento de suelos y acuiferos del Instituto de Ingenieria de la Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM), inicio en 1999 la evaluacion de la contaminacion del subsuelo de una refineria en una zona costera del pais, mediante el muestreo de 325 puntos a 1.5 m de profundidad y con el analisis de los siguientes parametros: hidrocarburos totales del petroleo (HTP), hidrocarburos poliaromaticos (HAP), diesel, gasolina, metilterbutileter (MTBE) y los metales hierro, vanadio, zinc, cadmio, cromo y plomo. Asimismo, se llevo a cabo una evaluacion de riesgo a la salud a fin de determinar los niveles de limpieza de las areas contaminadas. Una vez realizado el estudio se propuso probar a nivel piloto dos tecnicas de saneamiento para las areas contaminadas con valores superiores a 30 000 mg/Kg de HTP, o bien, para las zonas en donde la evaluacion de riesgo a la salud indica la existencia de riesgo para uno o mas compuestos (Iturbe et al., 2000). Las tecnicas propuestas son biopilas y lavado de suelo con surfactantes. En este trabajo se presenta la prueba piloto con biopilas, de la cual se obtuvo una eficiencia de remocion de HTP del 80 porciento en cinco meses de operacion.

  5. Hydrogen peroxide treatment of TCE contaminated soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hurst, D.H.; Robinson, K.G.; Siegrist, R.L.

    1993-01-01

    Solvent contaminated soils are ubiquitous in the industrial world and represent a significant environmental hazard due to their persistence and potentially negative impacts on human health and the environment. Environmental regulations favor treatment of soils with options which reduce the volume and toxicity of contaminants in place. One such treatment option is the in-situ application of hydrogen peroxide to soils contaminated with chlorinated solvents such as trichloroethylene (TCE). This study investigated hydrogen peroxide mass loading rates on removal of TCE from soils of varying organic matter content. Batch experiments conducted on contaminated loam samples using GC headspace analysis showed up to 80% TCE removal upon peroxide treatment. Column experiments conducted on sandy loam soils with high organic matter content showed only 25% TCE removal, even at hydrogen peroxide additions of 25 g peroxide per kg soil

  6. Developing an integration tool for soil contamination assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anaya-Romero, Maria; Zingg, Felix; Pérez-Álvarez, José Miguel; Madejón, Paula; Kotb Abd-Elmabod, Sameh

    2015-04-01

    In the last decades, huge soil areas have been negatively influenced or altered in multiples forms. Soils and, consequently, underground water, have been contaminated by accumulation of contaminants from agricultural activities (fertilizers and pesticides) industrial activities (harmful material dumping, sludge, flying ashes) and urban activities (hydrocarbon, metals from vehicle traffic, urban waste dumping). In the framework of the RECARE project, local partners across Europe are focusing on a wide range of soil threats, as soil contamination, and aiming to develop effective prevention, remediation and restoration measures by designing and applying targeted land management strategies (van Lynden et al., 2013). In this context, the Guadiamar Green Corridor (Southern Spain) was used as a case study, aiming to obtain soil data and new information in order to assess soil contamination. The main threat in the Guadiamar valley is soil contamination after a mine spill occurred on April 1998. About four hm3 of acid waters and two hm3 of mud, rich in heavy metals, were released into the Agrio and Guadiamar rivers affecting more than 4,600 ha of agricultural and pasture land. Main trace elements contaminating soil and water were As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Tl and Zn. The objective of the present research is to develop informatics tools that integrate soil database, models and interactive platforms for soil contamination assessment. Preliminary results were obtained related to the compilation of harmonized databases including geographical, hydro-meteorological, soil and socio-economic variables based on spatial analysis and stakeholder's consultation. Further research will be modellization and upscaling at the European level, in order to obtain a scientifically-technical predictive tool for the assessment of soil contamination.

  7. Speciation of zinc in contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stephan, Chadi H.; Courchesne, Francois; Hendershot, William H.; McGrath, Steve P.; Chaudri, Amar M.; Sappin-Didier, Valerie; Sauve, Sebastien

    2008-01-01

    The chemical speciation of zinc in soil solutions is critical to the understanding of its bioavailability and potential toxic effects. We studied the speciation of Zn in soil solution extracts from 66 contaminated soils representative of a wide range of field conditions in both North America and Europe. Within this dataset, we evaluated the links among the dissolved concentrations of zinc and the speciation of Zn 2+ , soil solution pH, total soil Zn, dissolved organic matter (DOM), soil organic matter (SOM) and the concentrations of different inorganic anions. The solid-liquid partitioning coefficient (K d ) for Zn ranged from 17 to 13,100 L kg -1 soil. The fraction of dissolved Zn bound to DOM varied from 60% to 98% and the soil solution free Zn 2+ varied from 40% to 60% of the labile Zn. Multiple regression equations to predict free Zn 2+ , dissolved Zn and the solid-liquid partitioning of Zn are given for potential use in environmental fate modeling and risk assessment. The multiple regressions also highlight some of the most important soil properties controlling the solubility and chemical speciation of zinc in contaminated soils. - We studied the relationships among the chemical speciation of Zn in soil solution extracts from 66 contaminated soils and various physicochemical properties of the soils

  8. Biological detoxification of a hydrocarbon contaminated soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fabbri, F.; Lucchese, G.; Nardella, A.

    2005-01-01

    The soil quality of an industrial site chronically contaminated by 39000 mg/kg of oil was detrimentally affected. Soil treatments by bio-pile and land-farming resulted in a reduction of the level of contamination exceeding 90% of the original values, but without reaching regulatory limits. However, the bio-remediation treatments dramatically reduced the mobility of the contaminants and, accordingly, microbial tests clearly indicate that the soil quality improved to acceptable levels, similar to those typically observed in unaltered soils. Hydrocarbon mobility was estimated by the use of water and mild extractants (methanol and sodium dodecyl sulphate) to leach the contaminants from the soil; soil quality was evaluated by comparing the values of selected microbial and enzymatic parameters of the treated soil samples to reference values determined for natural soils. Microbial assessments included: measurement of the nitrification potential, dehydrogenase activity, measures of respiration and lipase activity, microbial counts (MPN on rich media) and Microtox TM assays of the water elutriate. Dermal absorption potential was evaluated using absorption on C 18 disks

  9. The role of soil quality maps in the reuse of lightly contaminated soil

    OpenAIRE

    Lamé, F.P.J.; Leenaers, H.; Zegwaard, J.

    2000-01-01

    In 1999 the Dutch government agreed on a new policy regarding the reuse of lightly contaminated soil. From now on, lightly contaminated soil may be reused under conditions of soil-quality management. The municipal authorities supervise the reuse under this new regime. Two basic criteria need to be met before reuse of lightly contaminated soil is allowed. Firstly, the quality of the soil has to be characterised on a soil quality map. Secondly, the soil that will be reused has to be of the same...

  10. Testing of multistep soil washing for radiocesium-contaminated soil containing plant matter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Funakawa, Masafumi; Tagawa, Akihiro; Okuda, Nobuyasu

    2012-01-01

    Decontamination work following radiocesium exposure requires a vast reduction in the amount of contaminated soil generated. The current study subjected 4 types of contaminated soil with different properties to multistep soil washing under the same conditions. This study also determined the effectiveness of radiocesium decontamination and the extent to which the amount of contaminated soil was reduced. In addition, the effectiveness of plant matter separation, adsorbent addition, and grinding as part of multistep soil washing was determined using the same contaminated soil. Results of testing indicated that the rate of radiocesium decontamination ranged from 73.6 to 89.2% and the recovery rate ranged from 51.5 to 84.2% for twice-treated soil, regardless of the soil properties or cesium level. Plant matter in soil had a high radiocesium level. However, there was little plant matter in our soil sample. Therefore, plant matter separation had little effect on the improvement in the percentage of radiocesium decontamination of twice-treated soil. Soil surface grinding improved the rate of radiocesium decontamination of twice-treated soil. However, radiocesium in soil tightly bound with minerals in the soil; thus, the addition of an adsorbent also failed to improve the rate of radiocesium decontamination. (author)

  11. Contaminant Gradients in Trees: Directional Tree Coring Reveals Boundaries of Soil and Soil-Gas Contamination with Potential Applications in Vapor Intrusion Assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, Jordan L; Samaranayake, V A; Limmer, Matthew A; Schumacher, John G; Burken, Joel G

    2017-12-19

    Contaminated sites pose ecological and human-health risks through exposure to contaminated soil and groundwater. Whereas we can readily locate, monitor, and track contaminants in groundwater, it is harder to perform these tasks in the vadose zone. In this study, tree-core samples were collected at a Superfund site to determine if the sample-collection location around a particular tree could reveal the subsurface location, or direction, of soil and soil-gas contaminant plumes. Contaminant-centroid vectors were calculated from tree-core data to reveal contaminant distributions in directional tree samples at a higher resolution, and vectors were correlated with soil-gas characterization collected using conventional methods. Results clearly demonstrated that directional tree coring around tree trunks can indicate gradients in soil and soil-gas contaminant plumes, and the strength of the correlations were directly proportionate to the magnitude of tree-core concentration gradients (spearman's coefficient of -0.61 and -0.55 in soil and tree-core gradients, respectively). Linear regression indicates agreement between the concentration-centroid vectors is significantly affected by in planta and soil concentration gradients and when concentration centroids in soil are closer to trees. Given the existing link between soil-gas and vapor intrusion, this study also indicates that directional tree coring might be applicable in vapor intrusion assessment.

  12. Phytoremediation of soils contaminated with radionuclides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamaguchi, Isamu

    2004-01-01

    Aiming at efficient phytoremediation of soils contaminated with radionuclides, we examined the effect of soil microbes on the uptake ability of plants using the multitracer technique to find that tomato rhizofungi in Fusarium spp. can stimulate the uptake of 85 Sr and 137 Cs by the plants. The synergic effect of a nonpathogenic strain of F. oxysporum on the uptake of radionuclides by plants proved to be enhanced by introducing a phytochelatin synthase gene into the fungus. Since soil contamination by radionuclides is still an unsolved problem in many parts of the world. Studies on phytoremediation of polluted soil environment will be important for developing effective strategies and devising adequate techniques to reduce human risks caused by food contamination of radionuclides. (author)

  13. Thermal remediation of tar-contaminated soil and oil-contaminated gravel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anthony, E.J.; Wang, J.

    2005-01-01

    High temperature treatments are commonly considered for the decontamination of soil as they have the advantages of reliability, high capacity, and effective destruction of hazardous materials with reduced long-term liability. This paper examined the remediation of soil contaminated by coal tar as well as gravel contaminated by oil. Pilot plant studies were conducted using 2 representative incineration technologies: rotary kiln and fluidized bed. The coal tar contaminated soil had accumulated over a few decades at a calcination plant in western Canada. The soil was sticky and could not be handled by conventional feeding and combustion systems. Crushed lignite was mixed with the soil as an auxiliary fuel and to reduce stickiness. A pilot plant furnace was used to evaluate the potential of decontamination in a rotary calciner. An analysis of both a modelling study and the test results showed that complete decontamination could be achieved in the targeted calciner. The results suggested that energy recovery was also possible, which could in turn make the remediation process more cost-effective. Decontamination of oil-contaminated gravel was conducted with a pilot plant fluidized bed combustor to study the feasibility of using incineration technology in the remediation of gravel and debris contaminated by oil spills. Results indicated that the gravel was decontaminated with acceptable emission performance. It was concluded that the study will be valuable to the application of commercial incineration processes for the remediation of polluted soils. It was observed that the weathering of the oiled gravel lowered the rate of decontamination. A small amount of salt water resulted in lowered decontamination rates, which may be an important factor for situations involving the remediation of shoreline gravel contaminated by oil. 24 refs., 6 tabs., 7 figs

  14. Uptake by Plants of Radiostrontium from Contaminated Soils

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, A. J.

    1965-01-01

    In a recent report from this department it was shown that the extractability of radiostrontium from contaminated soil samples was effectively reduced by heat treatment and by the addition of phosphate to the soil. It was pointed out that, under emergency conditions, heat-treatment of the contamin......In a recent report from this department it was shown that the extractability of radiostrontium from contaminated soil samples was effectively reduced by heat treatment and by the addition of phosphate to the soil. It was pointed out that, under emergency conditions, heat......-treatment of the contaminated soil surface and heavy phosphate application might thus reduce the uptake by plants of radiostrontium more efficiently than liming, which is only effective in soils of low calcium status. In the investigation reviewed here the influence of heat treatment and superphosphate application on the plant...... uptake of radiostrontium was examined in pot experiments. For comparison the effect of applying calcium carbonate to the contaminated soil surface was also determined....

  15. Biological Treatment of Petroleum in Radiologically Contaminated Soil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    BERRY, CHRISTOPHER

    2005-11-14

    This chapter describes ex situ bioremediation of the petroleum portion of radiologically co-contaminated soils using microorganisms isolated from a waste site and innovative bioreactor technology. Microorganisms first isolated and screened in the laboratory for bioremediation of petroleum were eventually used to treat soils in a bioreactor. The bioreactor treated soils contaminated with over 20,000 mg/kg total petroleum hydrocarbon and reduced the levels to less than 100 mg/kg in 22 months. After treatment, the soils were permanently disposed as low-level radiological waste. The petroleum and radiologically contaminated soil (PRCS) bioreactor operated using bioventing to control the supply of oxygen (air) to the soil being treated. The system treated 3.67 tons of PCRS amended with weathered compost, ammonium nitrate, fertilizer, and water. In addition, a consortium of microbes (patent pending) isolated at the Savannah River National Laboratory from a petroleum-contaminated site was added to the PRCS system. During operation, degradation of petroleum waste was accounted for through monitoring of carbon dioxide levels in the system effluent. The project demonstrated that co-contaminated soils could be successfully treated through bioventing and bioaugmentation to remove petroleum contamination to levels below 100 mg/kg while protecting workers and the environment from radiological contamination.

  16. Effects of Two Kinds of Biochars on Soil Cu Availability in Contaminated Soil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    WANG Xiao-qi

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available This paper is aimed to research the impacts of different biochars(0,1%,2%,4%, including maize biochar and phytolacca root biochar, on rape growth and the soil Cu availability in the Cu-contaminated red soil via a series of pot experiments. The results showed that, compared with the control, the addition of two kinds of biochars could increase the biomass of the rape. In low Cu-contaminated red soil, added 4% maize biochar and phytolacca root biochar increased the biomass by 21.2 times and 67.9 times; however, the biomass were increased by 8.6 times and 109.6 times under high Cu-contaminated soil. The addition of phytolacca root biochar could increase the soil pH significantly, which has been increased by 0.4~1.6 units with the addition of phytolacca root biochar in low Cu-contaminated red soil, and it had 0.25~1.35 units more than that with maize biochar; In high Cu-contaminated red soil, with the addition of phytolacca root biochar, soil pH was increased by 0.33~1.52 units, which was 0.3~1.25 units higher than maize biochar. There was a significant effect on reducing the soil Cu availability with the addition of the two biochars. Among them, 4% addition of maize biochar and phytolacca root biochar could reduce soil available Cu content by 21.9% and 45.2% in low Cu-contaminated soil, however, it was decreased by 41.9% and 53.8% in high Cu-contaminated soil. Both of the two biochars were able to reduce the Cu accumulation in rape, where there was a decrease by 21.2% and 67.8% with he addition of 4% maize biochar and phytolacca root biochar under low Cu-contaminated soil, and it was decreased by 19.9% and 66.8% in high Cu-contaminated soil respectively. Both of the biochars could ameliorate the acidity and Cu availability in the red soil, enhance the biomass of the rape and reduce the Cu accumulation in rape, but phytolacca root biochar had more effective influence than maize biochar.

  17. Soil sampling for environmental contaminants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2004-10-01

    The Consultants Meeting on Sampling Strategies, Sampling and Storage of Soil for Environmental Monitoring of Contaminants was organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency to evaluate methods for soil sampling in radionuclide monitoring and heavy metal surveys for identification of punctual contamination (hot particles) in large area surveys and screening experiments. A group of experts was invited by the IAEA to discuss and recommend methods for representative soil sampling for different kinds of environmental issues. The ultimate sinks for all kinds of contaminants dispersed within the natural environment through human activities are sediment and soil. Soil is a particularly difficult matrix for environmental pollution studies as it is generally composed of a multitude of geological and biological materials resulting from weathering and degradation, including particles of different sizes with varying surface and chemical properties. There are so many different soil types categorized according to their content of biological matter, from sandy soils to loam and peat soils, which make analytical characterization even more complicated. Soil sampling for environmental monitoring of pollutants, therefore, is still a matter of debate in the community of soil, environmental and analytical sciences. The scope of the consultants meeting included evaluating existing techniques with regard to their practicability, reliability and applicability to different purposes, developing strategies of representative soil sampling for cases not yet considered by current techniques and recommending validated techniques applicable to laboratories in developing Member States. This TECDOC includes a critical survey of existing approaches and their feasibility to be applied in developing countries. The report is valuable for radioanalytical laboratories in Member States. It would assist them in quality control and accreditation process

  18. Organic contaminants in soil : desorption kinetics and microbial degradation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schlebaum, W.

    1999-01-01

    The availability of organic contaminants in soils or sediments for microbial degradation or removal by physical means (e.g.) soil washing or soil venting) depends on the desorption kinetics of these contaminants from the soil matrix. When the organic contaminants desorb very slow from the

  19. Surfactant screening of diesel-contaminated soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peters, R.W.; Shem, L.; Montemagno, C.D.; Lewis, B.

    1991-01-01

    At one installation, approximately 60,000 gal of No. 2 diesel fuel leaked into the subsurface environment, with contamination at depths of 6 to 34 m below the surface. Argonne National Laboratory was contracted to perform treatability studies for site remediation. The treatability studies focused on four separate phases: (1) leachability studies on the various contaminated soil borings, (2) air stripping studies, (3) bioremediation studies, and (4) surfactant screening/surfactant flooding studies. This paper summarizes the fourth phase of the research program in which 21 surfactants were screened for possible use to mobilize the organics from the contaminated soil prior to bioremediation. Anionic surfactants resulted in the greatest degree of diesel mobilization. The most promising surfactants will be employed on actual contaminated soil samples obtained from the site

  20. Bioremediation of soils contaminated with fuel oils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baker, K.H.; Herson, D.S.; Vercellon-Smith, P.; Cronce, R.C.

    1991-01-01

    A utility company discovered soils in their plant contaminated with diesel fuel and related fuel oils (300-450 ppm). The soils were excavated and removed to a concrete pad for treatment. The authors conducted laboratory studies to determine if biostimulation or bioaugmentation would be appropriate for treating the soils. Microbial numbers and soil respiration were monitored in microcosms supplemented with: (1) organic nutrients, (2) inorganic nutrients, and (3) inorganic nutrients plus additional adapted microorganisms. Their studies indicated that biostimulation via the addition of inorganic nutrients would be appropriate at this site. Treatment cells for the contaminated soils were constructed. Initial data indicates that a 35% reduction in the concentration of contaminants has occurred within the first month of operation

  1. Bioremediation of petroleum-contaminated soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pearce, K.; Snyman, H.G.; Oellermann, R.A.; Gerber, A.

    1995-01-01

    A pilot-scale study was conducted to evaluate the application of land-farming techniques in bioremediating a soil highly contaminated with petroleum products. A commercial biosupplement, and one prepared with indigenous microorganisms from the contaminated soil, were tested. Application of either of the biosupplements, in addition to the control of pH, moisture, and oxygen levels, resulted in a 94% reduction of the initial total petroleum hydrocarbon concentration (TPHC) (32% mass/mass) over a 70-day period. Implementation of these findings at full scale to bioremediate highly weathered petroleum products showed an average reduction of 89% over 5.5 months. Target levels of 1,400 mg/kg soil were reached from an initial average TPHC concentration of 12,200 mg/kg soil

  2. Bioremediation of Pyrene-Contaminated Soils Using Biosurfactant

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jorfi

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Background Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs are persistence organic chemicals with proved carcinogenic and mutagenic hazards. These compounds are usually adsorbed in soils in vicinity of oil and gas industries. Bioremediation of PAHs contaminated soils is difficult due to hydrophobic nature of PAHs. Objectives The main purpose of the current study was to determine the pyrene removal efficiency in synthetically contaminated soil, using biosurfactant. Materials and Methods Four pure bacterial strains capable of pyrene degradation were isolated from contaminated soils via enrichment techniques. The soil samples were spiked with an initial pyrene concentration of 500 mg/kg and subjected to bioremediation using a mixed culture comprised of previously isolated strains, in addition to application of biosurfactant during 63 days. Results The pyrene removal efficiency in samples containing biosurfactant, without biosurfactant and controls, were 86.4%, 59.8% and 14%, respectively, after 63 days. The difference of pyrene removal efficiency between the biosurfactant-containing samples and the ones without it was significant (P < 0.05. Conclusions Application of rhamnolipid biosurfactant produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa significantly improved pyrene removal in contaminated soils.

  3. Development of Decontamination Process for Soil Contaminated Uranium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Gye-Nam; Kim, Seung-Soo; Park, Uk-Rang; Han, Gyu-Seong; Moon, Jei-Kwon

    2014-01-01

    Various experiments with full-scaled electrokinetic equipment, soil washing equipment, and gravel washing equipment were performed to remove 238 U from contaminated soils of below 0.4 Bq/g. The repetition number and the removal efficiencies of the soil and gravel washing equipment were evaluated. The decontamination periods by the soil and gravel electrokinetic equipment were evaluated. Finally, a work process of full-scaled decontamination equipment was developed. Contaminated soils were classified into soils and gravels using a 8.0 cm sieve. Soils were sent to the soil washing equipment, while gravels were sent to the gravel washing equipment. Soils sent to the soil washing equipment were sent to the soil electrokinetic equipment after soil washing. A repetition number of soil washing was two times. The washed gravels were sent to the gravel electrokinetic equipment. Gravel contaminated with a high concentration requires crushing after gravel washing

  4. Development of Decontamination Process for Soil Contaminated Uranium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Gye-Nam; Kim, Seung-Soo; Park, Uk-Rang; Han, Gyu-Seong; Moon, Jei-Kwon [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-10-15

    Various experiments with full-scaled electrokinetic equipment, soil washing equipment, and gravel washing equipment were performed to remove {sup 238}U from contaminated soils of below 0.4 Bq/g. The repetition number and the removal efficiencies of the soil and gravel washing equipment were evaluated. The decontamination periods by the soil and gravel electrokinetic equipment were evaluated. Finally, a work process of full-scaled decontamination equipment was developed. Contaminated soils were classified into soils and gravels using a 8.0 cm sieve. Soils were sent to the soil washing equipment, while gravels were sent to the gravel washing equipment. Soils sent to the soil washing equipment were sent to the soil electrokinetic equipment after soil washing. A repetition number of soil washing was two times. The washed gravels were sent to the gravel electrokinetic equipment. Gravel contaminated with a high concentration requires crushing after gravel washing.

  5. Soil contamination issues at U.S. ports

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rice, D.W.; Hagner, D.

    1991-01-01

    This paper reports that seven large and medium size west coast ports were surveyed during August 1990 to determine their involvement with hydrocarbon contaminated soils and activities associated with the characterization and remediation of these soils. All ports surveyed indicated that hey have hydrocarbon contaminated soil problems. Although other west coast ports do not have the scale of petroleum transfer and storage facilities that the Prot of Los Angeles has, all ports had tenants with bulk oil or fuel storage in aboveground tanks and were undertaking characterization and remediation work. Hydrocarbon contaminated soil problems were associated with these facilities or with decommissioned facilities of this type

  6. Analysis of soils contaminated with petroleum constituents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    O'Shay, T.A.; Hoddinott, K.

    1994-01-01

    This symposium was held in Atlanta, Georgia on June 24, 1993. The purpose of the symposium was to provide a forum for exchange of information on petroleum contaminated soils. When spilled on the ground, petroleum products can cause massive problems in the environment. In this Special Technical Publication (STP), papers were selected in two categories; the analytical procedures for soil contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons and the behavior of hydrocarbon contaminated soils. Individual papers have been processed separately for inclusion in the appropriate data bases

  7. Bioremediation potential of diesel-contaminated Libyan soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koshlaf, Eman; Shahsavari, Esmaeil; Aburto-Medina, Arturo; Taha, Mohamed; Haleyur, Nagalakshmi; Makadia, Tanvi H; Morrison, Paul D; Ball, Andrew S

    2016-11-01

    Bioremediation is a broadly applied environmentally friendly and economical treatment for the clean-up of sites contaminated by petroleum hydrocarbons. However, the application of this technology to contaminated soil in Libya has not been fully exploited. In this study, the efficacy of different bioremediation processes (necrophytoremediation using pea straw, bioaugmentation and a combination of both treatments) together with natural attenuation were assessed in diesel contaminated Libyan soils. The addition of pea straw was found to be the best bioremediation treatment for cleaning up diesel contaminated Libyan soil after 12 weeks. The greatest TPH degradation, 96.1% (18,239.6mgkg(-1)) and 95% (17,991.14mgkg(-1)) were obtained when the soil was amended with pea straw alone and in combination with a hydrocarbonoclastic consortium respectively. In contrast, natural attenuation resulted in a significantly lower TPH reduction of 76% (14,444.5mgkg(-1)). The presence of pea straw also led to a significant increased recovery of hydrocarbon degraders; 5.7log CFU g(-1) dry soil, compared to 4.4log CFUg(-1) dry soil for the untreated (natural attenuation) soil. DGGE and Illumina 16S metagenomic analyses confirm shifts in bacterial communities compared with original soil after 12 weeks incubation. In addition, metagenomic analysis showed that original soil contained hydrocarbon degraders (e.g. Pseudoxanthomonas spp. and Alcanivorax spp.). However, they require a biostimulant (in this case pea straw) to become active. This study is the first to report successful oil bioremediation with pea straw in Libya. It demonstrates the effectiveness of pea straw in enhancing bioremediation of the diesel-contaminated Libyan soil. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. SOIL WASHING TREATABILITY TESTS FOR PESTICIDE- CONTAMINATED SOIL

    Science.gov (United States)

    The 1987 Sand Creek Operable Unit 5 record of decision (ROD) identified soil washing as the selected technology to remediate soils contaminated with high levels of organochlorine pesticides, herbicides, and metals. Initial treatability tests conducted to assess the applicability...

  9. Algal tests with soil suspensions and elutriates: A comparative evaluation for PAH contaminated soils

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Baun, Anders; Justesen, Kasper Bo; Nyholm, Niels

    2002-01-01

    An algal growth inhibition test procedure with soil suspensions is proposed and evaluated for PAH-contaminated soil. The growth rate reduction of the standard freshwater green alga Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata (formerly known as Selenastrum capricornutum) was used as the toxicity endpoint......, and was quantified by measuring the fluorescence of solvent-extracted algal pigments. No growth rate reduction was detected for soil contents up to 20 g/l testing five non-contaminated Danish soils. Comparative testing with PAH-contaminated soil elutriates and soil suspensions showed that the suspensions had...

  10. Flotation separation of uranium from contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Misra, M.; Mehta, R.; Garcia, H.; Chai, C.D.; Smith, R.W.

    1995-01-01

    The volume of low-level contaminated soil at the Department of Energy's Nuclear Weapon Sites are in the order of several million tons. Most of the contaminants are uranium, plutonium, other heavy metals and organic compounds. Selected physical separation processes have shown demonstrated potential in concentrating the radionuclides in a small fraction of the soil. Depending upon the size, nature of bonding and distributions of radionuclides, more than 90% of the radionuclide activity can be concentrated in a small volume of fraction of the soil. The physico-chemical separation processes such as flotation in a mechanical and microbubble tall column cell have shown promising applications in cleaning up the high volume contaminated soil

  11. Bioremediation of petroleum-contaminated soil: A Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuniati, M. D.

    2018-02-01

    Petroleum is the major source of energy for various industries and daily life. Releasing petroleum into the environment whether accidentally or due to human activities is a main cause of soil pollution. Soil contaminated with petroleum has a serious hazard to human health and causes environmental problems as well. Petroleum pollutants, mainly hydrocarbon, are classified as priority pollutants. The application of microorganisms or microbial processes to remove or degrade contaminants from soil is called bioremediation. This microbiological decontamination is claimed to be an efficient, economic and versatile alternative to physicochemical treatment. This article presents an overview about bioremediation of petroleum-contaminated soil. It also includes an explanation about the types of bioremediation technologies as well as the processes.

  12. Bioremediation of uranium contaminated Fernald soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Delwiche, M.E.; Wey, J.E.; Torma, A.E.

    1994-01-01

    This study investigated the use of microbial bioleaching for removal of uranium from contaminated soils. The ability of bacteria to assist in oxidation and solubilization of uranium was compared to the ability of fungi to produce complexing compounds which have the same effect. Biosorption of uranium by fungi was also measured. Soil samples were examined for changes in mineralogical properties due to these processes. On the basis of these laboratory scale studies a generalized flow sheet is proposed for bioremediation of contaminated Fernald soils

  13. Contaminant resorption during soil washing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gombert, D.

    1993-01-01

    To evaluate the applicability of soil washing to a specific site requires some basic research in how contaminants are bound. Much can be learned from sequential extraction methodology based on micronutrient bioavailability studies wherein the soil matrix is chemically dissected to selectively remove particular fixation mechanisms independently. This procedure uses a series of progressively more aggressive solvents to dissolve the principle phases that make up a soil, however, the published studies do not appear to consider the potential for a contaminant released from one type of site to resorb on another site during an extraction. This physical model assumes no ion exchange or adsorption at sites either previously occupied by other ions, or exposed by the dissolution. Therefore, to make engineering use of the sequential extraction data, the release of contamination must be evaluated relative to the effects of resorption. Time release studies were conducted to determine the optimum duration for extraction to maximize complete destruction of the target matrix fraction while minimizing contaminant resorption. Tests with and without a potassium brine present to inhibit cesium resorption indicated extraction efficiency could be enhanced by as much as a factor of ten using the brine

  14. Bioremediation of lead contaminated soil with Rhodobacter sphaeroides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xiaomin; Peng, Weihua; Jia, Yingying; Lu, Lin; Fan, Wenhong

    2016-08-01

    Bioremediation with microorganisms is a promising technique for heavy metal contaminated soil. Rhodobacter sphaeroides was previously isolated from oil field injection water and used for bioremediation of lead (Pb) contaminated soil in the present study. Based on the investigation of the optimum culturing conditions and the tolerance to Pb, we employed the microorganism for the remediation of Pb contaminated soil simulated at different contamination levels. It was found that the optimum temperature, pH, and inoculum size for R. sphaeroides is 30-35 °C, 7, and 2 × 10(8) mL(-1), respectively. Rhodobacter sphaeroides did not remove the Pb from soil but did change its speciation. During the bioremediation process, more available fractions were transformed to less accessible and inert fractions; in particular, the exchangeable phase was dramatically decreased while the residual phase was substantially increased. A wheat seedling growing experiment showed that Pb phytoavailability was reduced in amended soils. Results inferred that the main mechanism by which R. sphaeroides treats Pb contaminated soil is the precipitation formation of inert compounds, including lead sulfate and lead sulfide. Although the Pb bioremediation efficiency on wheat was not very high (14.78% root and 24.01% in leaf), R. sphaeroides remains a promising alternative for Pb remediation in contaminated soil. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Remediation of diesel-oil-contaminated soil using peat

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghaly, R.A.; Pyke, J.B.; Ghaly, A.E.; Ugursal, V.I.

    1999-01-01

    We investigated a remediation process for diesel-contaminated soil, in which water was used to remove the diesel from the soil and peat was used to absorb the diesel layer formed on the surface of the water. The percolation of water through the soil was uniform. The time required for water to percolate the soil and for the layers (soil, water, and diesel) to separate depended on the soil depth. Both the depth of soil and mixing affected the thickness of the diesel layer and thus diesel recovery from the contaminated soil. Higher diesel recovery was achieved with smaller soil depth and mixing. The initial moisture content and the lower heating value of the peat were 7.1% and 17.65 MJ/kg, respectively. The final moisture content and lower heating value of the diesel-contaminated peat obtained from the experiment with mixing were 8.65 - 10.80% and 32.57 - 35.81 MJ/kg, respectively. The energy content of the diesel-contaminated peat is much higher than that of coal, and the moisture content is within the range recommended for biomass gasification. (author)

  16. Ecological Role of Soils upon Radioactive Contamination

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsvetnov, Evgeny; Shcheglov, Alexei; Tsvenova, Olga

    2016-04-01

    The ecological role of soils upon radioactive contamination is clearly manifested in the system of notions about ecosystems services, i.e., benefits gained by humans from ecosystems and their components, including soils (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005). For the soils, these services are considered on the basis of soil functions in the biosphere that belong to the protective ecosystem functions within the group of soil functions known under the names of "Buffer and protective biogeocenotic shield" (at the level of particular biogeocenoses) and "Protective shield of the biosphere" (at the global biospheric level) (according to Dobrovol'skii & Nikitin, 2005). With respect to radionuclides, this group includes (1) the depositing function, i.e., the accumulation and long-term sequestration of radioactive substances by the soil after atmospheric fallout; (2) the geochemical function, i.e., the regulation of horizontal and vertical fluxes of radionuclides in the system of geochemically conjugated landscapes and in the soil-groundwater and soil-plant systems; and (3) the dose-forming function that is manifested by the shielding capacity of the soil with respect to the external ionizing radiation (lowering of the dose from external radiation) and by the regulation of the migration of radionuclides in the trophic chain (lowering of the dose from internal radiation). The depositing and geochemical functions of the soils are interrelated, which is seen from quantitative estimates of the dynamics of the fluxes of radionuclides in the considered systems (soil-plant, soil-groundwater, etc.). The downward migration of radionuclides into the lower soil layers proceeds very slowly: for decades, more than 90% of the pool of radionuclides is stored in the topmost 10 cm of the soil profile. In the first 3-5 years after the fallout, the downward migration of radionuclides with infiltrating water flows decreases from several percent to decimals and hundredths of percent from the

  17. Remediation of contaminated soil by cement treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dimovic, S.

    2004-01-01

    This manuscript presents the most applicable remedial technologies for contaminated soil with focus on cement stabilisation/solidification treatment. These technologies are examined in the light of soil contamination with depleted uranium in the large area of south Serbia,after Nato bombing 1999. (author) [sr

  18. Screening of plants for phytoremediation of oil-contaminated soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ikeura, Hiromi; Kawasaki, Yu; Kaimi, Etsuko; Nishiwaki, Junko; Noborio, Kosuke; Tamaki, Masahiko

    2016-01-01

    Several species of ornamental flowering plants were evaluated regarding their phytoremediation ability for the cleanup of oil-contaminated soil in Japanese environmental conditions. Thirty-three species of plants were grown in oil-contaminated soil, and Mimosa, Zinnia, Gazania, and cypress vine were selected for further assessment on the basis of their favorable initial growth. No significant difference was observed in the above-ground and under-ground dry matter weight of Gazania 180 days after sowing between contaminated and non-contaminated plots. However, the other 3 species of plants died by the 180th day, indicating that Gazania has an especially strong tolerance for oil-contaminated soil. The total petroleum hydrocarbon concentration of the soils in which the 4 species of plants were grown decreased by 45-49% by the 180th day. Compared to an irrigated plot, the dehydrogenase activity of the contaminated soil also increased significantly, indicating a phytoremediation effect by the 4 tested plants. Mimosa, Zinnia, and cypress vine all died by the 180th day after seeding, but the roots themselves became a source of nutrients for the soil microorganisms, which led to a phytoremediation effect by increase in the oil degradation activity. It has been indicated that Gazania is most appropriate for phytoremediation of oil-contaminated soil.

  19. Surface soil contamination standards

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boothe, G.F.

    1979-01-01

    The purpose of this document is to define surface soil contamination limits for radioactive materials below which posting, restrictions and environmental controls are not necessary in order to protect personnel and the environment. The standards can also be used to determine if solid waste or other material is contaminated relative to disposal requirements. The derivation of the standards is given

  20. Radionuclide contaminated soil: Laboratory study and economic analysis of soil washing. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fuhrmann, M.; Zhou, H.; Patel, B.; Bowerman, B.; Brower, J.

    1996-01-01

    The objective of the work discussed in this report is to determine if soil washing is a feasible method to remediate contaminated soils from the Hazardous Waste Management Facility (HWMF) at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). The contaminants are predominantly Cs-137 and Sr-90. The authors have assumed that the target activity for Cs-137 is 50 pCi/g and that remediation is required for soils having greater activities. Cs-137 is the limiting contaminant because it is present in much greater quantities than Sr-90. This work was done in three parts, in which they: estimated the volume of contaminated soil as a function of Cs-137 content, determined if simple removal of the fine grained fraction of the soil (the material that is less than 0.063 mm) would effectively reduce the activity of the remaining soil to levels below the 50 pCi/g target, assessed the effectiveness of chemical and mechanical (as well as combinations of the two) methods of soil decontamination. From this analysis the authors were then able to develop a cost estimate for soil washing and for a baseline against which soil washing was compared

  1. Soil contamination studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1997-06-01

    The objective of this project was to develop a quick screening method that accurately identifies and quantifies the amount of alpha-emitting radionuclides in infinitely-thick soil samples using a Frisch grid ionization chamber. An additional objective of the work was to provide the US Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office and its contractors with information on the theoretical and actual measured results of atmospheric testing contamination of soil and water at the Nevada Test Site through a comprehensive search of existing literature

  2. The Influence of Soil Chemical Factors on In Situ Bioremediation of Soil Contamination

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Breedveld, Gijs D.

    1997-12-31

    Mineral oil is the major energy source in Western society. Production, transport and distribution of oil and oil products cause serious contamination problems of water, air and soil. The present thesis studies the natural biodegradation processes in the soil environment which can remove contamination by oil products and creosote. The main physical/chemical processes determining the distribution of organic contaminants between the soil solid, aqueous and vapour phase are discussed. Then a short introduction to soil microbiology and environmental factors important for biodegradation is given. There is a discussion of engineered and natural bioremediation methods and the problems related to scaling up laboratory experiments to field scale remediation. Bioremediation will seldom remove the contaminants completely; a residue remains. Factors affecting the level of residual contamination and the consequences for contaminant availability are discussed. Finally, the main findings of the work are summarized and recommendations for further research are given. 111 refs., 41 figs., 19 tabs.

  3. Statistical sampling strategies for survey of soil contamination

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Brus, D.J.

    2011-01-01

    This chapter reviews methods for selecting sampling locations in contaminated soils for three situations. In the first situation a global estimate of the soil contamination in an area is required. The result of the surey is a number or a series of numbers per contaminant, e.g. the estimated mean

  4. Effects of past copper contamination and soil structure on copper leaching from soil

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Paradelo, M; Møldrup, Per; Arthur, Emmanuel

    2013-01-01

    Copper contamination affects biological, chemical, and physical soil properties and associated ecological functions. Changes in soil pore organization as a result of Cu contamination can dramatically affect flow and contaminant transport in polluted soils. This study assessed the influence of soil...... structure on the movement of water and Cu in a long-term polluted soil. Undisturbed soil cores collected along a Cu gradient (from about 20 to about 3800 mg Cu kg−1 soil) were scanned using X-ray computed tomography (CT). Leaching experiments were performed to analyze tracer transport, colloid leaching......, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and Cu losses. The 5% arrival time (t0.05) and apparent dispersivity (λapp) for tracer breakthrough were calculated by fitting the experimental data to a nonparametric, double-lognormal probability density function. Soil bulk density, which did not follow the Cu gradient...

  5. Phyto-remediation of contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chagvardieff, P.

    2014-01-01

    Some plants can be selected for their capacity to extract radionuclides from the soil, on the contrary other plants can be chosen for being able to produce food grade products in a contaminated environment. Modern genetic methods can be used to enhance these abilities and turn some plants into an efficient means in the managing of contaminated areas. The DEMETERRES project that gathers different research organisations like CEA, IRSN and INRA and industrial partners like AREVA and VEOLIA aims at developing innovative bio-technologies like phyto-extraction and environment friendly physico-chemical technologies for the remediation of contaminated soils. This project was launched in 2013 on a 5-year scheme and is expected to lead to industrial applications. (A.C.)

  6. Bioremediation of soil contaminated crude oil by Agaricomycetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohammadi-Sichani, M Maryam; Assadi, M Mazaheri; Farazmand, A; Kianirad, M; Ahadi, A M; Ghahderijani, H Hadian

    2017-01-01

    One of the most important environmental problems is the decontamination of petroleum hydrocarbons polluted soil, particularly in the oil-rich country. Bioremediation is the most effective way to remove these pollutants in the soil. Spent mushroom compost has great ability to decompose lignin-like pollution. The purpose of this study was the bioremediation of soil contaminated with crude oil by an Agaricomycetes . Soil sample amended with spent mushroom compost into 3%, 5% and 10% (w/w) with or without fertilizer. Ecotoxicity germination test was conducted with Lipidium sativa . The amplified fragment (18 s rDNA) sequence of this mushroom confirmed that the strain belonged to Pleurotus ostreatus species with complete homology (100% identity). All tests experiment sets were effective at supporting the degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons contaminated soil after three months. Petroleum contaminated soil amended with Spent mushroom compost 10% and fertilizer removed 64.7% of total petroleum hydrocarbons compared control. The germination index (%) in ecotoxicity tests ranged from 60.4 to 93.8%. This showed that the petroleum hydrocarbons contaminated soil amended with 10% Spent mushroom compost had higher bioremediation ability and reduced soil toxicity in less than three months.

  7. Remediation of soil contaminated with polycyclic aromatic ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    user

    2011-02-14

    Feb 14, 2011 ... The aim of this study was to determine ways of remediating soils contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) associated with crude oil. The study involves the use of planted cowpeas, mushrooms, algae, dead vegetable and live earthworm, and fire-heating of the contaminated garden soil ...

  8. Biochar- and phosphate-induced immobilization of heavy metals in contaminated soil and water: implication on simultaneous remediation of contaminated soil and groundwater.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Yuan; Cao, Xinde; Zhao, Ling; Arellano, Eduardo

    2014-03-01

    Long-term wastewater irrigation or solid waste disposal has resulted in the heavy metal contamination in both soil and groundwater. It is often separately implemented for remediation of contaminated soil or groundwater at a specific site. The main objective of this study was to demonstrate the hypothesis of simultaneous remediation of both heavy metal contaminated soil and groundwater by integrating the chemical immobilization and pump-and-treat methods. To accomplish the objective, three experiments were conducted, i.e., an incubation experiment was first conducted to determine how dairy-manure-derived biochar and phosphate rock tailing induced immobilization of Cd in the Cd-contaminated soils; second, a batch sorption experiment was carried out to determine whether the pre-amended contaminated soil still had the ability to retain Pb, Zn and Cd from aqueous solution. BCR sequential extraction as well as XRD and SEM analysis were conducted to explore the possible retention mechanism; and last, a laboratory-scale model test was undertaken by leaching the Pb, Zn, and Cd contaminated groundwater through the pre-amended contaminated soils to demonstrate how the heavy metals in both contaminated soil and groundwater were simultaneously retained and immobilized. The incubation experiment showed that the phosphate biochar were effective in immobilizing soil Cd with Cd concentration in TCLP (toxicity characteristics leaching procedure) extract reduced by 19.6 % and 13.7 %, respectively. The batch sorption experiment revealed that the pre-amended soil still had ability to retain Pb, Zn, and Cd from aqueous solution. The phosphate-induced metal retention was mainly due to the metal-phosphate precipitation, while both sorption and precipitation were responsible for the metal stabilization in the biochar amendment. The laboratory-scale test demonstrated that the soil amended with phosphate removed groundwater Pb, Zn, and Cd by 96.4 %, 44.6 %, and 49.2 %, respectively, and the

  9. Evaluation of hydrophobicity in PAH-contaminated soils during phytoremediation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cofield, Naressa; Banks, M. Katherine; Schwab, A. Paul

    2007-01-01

    The impact of recalcitrant organic compounds on soil hydrophobicity was evaluated in contaminated soil from a manufactured gas plant site following 12 months of phytoremediation. Significant reduction in soil wetting and water retention was observed in contaminated soil compared to an uncontaminated control. Phytoremediation was effective at reducing total PAHs by 69% with corresponding changes in soil classification from extremely hydrophobic (initial sample) to moderately-strongly hydrophobic (planted) and hydrophilic-very hydrophilic (unplanted) after 12 months. The greatest reduction in soil hydrophobicity was observed in the unplanted, unfertilized treatments that had the lowest removal rate of PAHs. The presence of plants may contribute to hydrophobicity in contaminated soil. - The presence of recalcitrant hydrophobic organic pollutants may enhance soil hydrophobicity

  10. Soil Contamination and Remediation Strategies. Current research and future challenge

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petruzzelli, G.

    2012-04-01

    Soil contamination: the heritage of industrial development Contamination is only a part of a whole set of soil degradation processes, but it is one of paramount importance since soil pollution greatly influences the quality of water, food and human health. Soil contamination has been identified as an important issue for action in the European strategy for soil protection, it has been estimated that 3.5 million of sites are potentially contaminated in Europe. Contaminated soils have been essentially discovered in industrial sites landfills and energy production plants, but accumulation of heavy metals and organic compounds can be found also in agricultural land . Remediation strategies. from incineration to bioremediation The assessment of soil contamination is followed by remedial action. The remediation of contaminated soils started using consolidates technologies (incineration inertization etc.) previously employed in waste treatment,. This has contributed to consider a contaminated soil as an hazardous waste. This rough approximation was unfortunately transferred in many legislations and on this basis soil knowledge have been used only marginally in the clean up procedures. For many years soil quality has been identified by a value of concentration of a contaminant and excavation and landfill disposal of soil has been largely used. In the last years the knowledge of remediation technology has rapidly grown, at present many treatment processes appear to be really feasible at field scale, and soil remediation is now based on risk assessment procedures. Innovative technologies, largely dependent on soil properties, such as in situ chemical oxidation, electroremediation, bioventing, soil vapor extraction etc. have been successfully applied. Hazardous organic compounds are commonly treated by biological technologies, biorememdiation and phytoremediation, being the last partially applied also for metals. Technologies selection is no longer exclusively based on

  11. Chemical fingerprinting of hydrocarbon-contamination in soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boll, Esther S; Nejrup, Jens; Jensen, Julie K; Christensen, Jan H

    2015-03-01

    Chemical fingerprinting analyses of 29 hydrocarbon-contaminated soils were performed to assess the soil quality and determine the main contaminant sources. The results were compared to an assessment based on concentrations of the 16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons pointed out by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPAPAH16) and total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH). The chemical fingerprinting strategy proposed in this study included four tiers: (i) qualitative analysis of GC-FID chromatograms, (ii) comparison of the chemical composition of both un-substituted and alkyl-substituted polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs), (iii) diagnostic ratios of selected PACs, and (iv) multivariate data analysis of sum-normalized PAC concentrations. The assessment criteria included quantitative analysis of 19 PACs and C1-C4 alkyl-substituted homologues of naphthalene, fluorene, dibenzothiophene, phenanthrene, pyrene, and chrysene; and 13 oxygenated polycyclic aromatic compounds (O-PACs). The chemical composition of un-substituted and alkyl-substituted PACs and visual interpretation of GC-FID chromatograms were in combination successful in differentiating pyrogenic and petrogenic hydrocarbon sources and in assessing weathering trends of hydrocarbon contamination in the soils. Multivariate data analysis of sum-normalized concentrations could as a stand-alone tool distinguish between hydrocarbon sources of petrogenic and pyrogenic origin, differentiate within petrogenic sources, and detect weathering trends. Diagnostic ratios of PACs were not successful for source identification of the heavily weathered hydrocarbon sources in the soils. The fingerprinting of contaminated soils revealed an underestimation of PACs in petrogenic contaminated soils when the assessment was based solely on EPAPAH16. As alkyl-substituted PACs are dominant in petrogenic sources, the evaluation of the total load of PACs based on EPAPAH16 was not representative. Likewise, the O-PACs are not

  12. The role of soil quality maps in the reuse of lightly contaminated soil

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lamé, F.P.J.; Leenaers, H.; Zegwaard, J.

    2000-01-01

    In 1999 the Dutch government agreed on a new policy regarding the reuse of lightly contaminated soil. From now on, lightly contaminated soil may be reused under conditions of soil-quality management. The municipal authorities supervise the reuse under this new regime. Two basic criteria need to be

  13. Surfactant screening of diesel-contaminated soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peters, R.W.; Montemagno, C.D.; Shem, L.; Lewis, B.-A.

    1992-01-01

    At one installation in California, approximately 60,000 gal of No. 2 diesel fuel leaked into the subsurface environment, resulting in contamination at depths from 6 to 34 m below the surface. Argonne National Laboratory was contracted to perform treatability studies for site remediation. This paper summarizes a surfactant screening/surfactant flooding research program in which 22 surfactants were screened for their effectiveness in mobilizing the organics from the contaminated soil prior to bioremediation. Anionic surfactants resulted in the greatest degree of diesel mobilization. The most promising surfactants will be employed on contaminated soil samples obtained from the site

  14. Sorption of BTX mixtures to contaminated and uncontaminated site soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uchrin, C.G.; Koshy, K.; Wojtenko, I.

    1995-01-01

    Both adsorption and desorption studies are being performed examining benzene, toluene, and meta-xylene (BTX) as single components, binary mixtures, and trinary mixture onto both existing contaminated soils as well as some uncontaminated reference soils. The contaminated soils were obtained from an oil refinery site and another industrial site in New Jersey. The oil refinery site soil did not exhibit significant amounts of either benzene, toluene or xylene but was contaminated with other compounds while the other industrial site soil was contaminated with toluene among other compounds. The organic carbon content of the soils ranged from 0.14 to 2.91 percent. Preliminary adsorption studies showed BTX to strongly sorb to these soils. The adsorption studies onto the reference soils also demonstrated the effect of organic matter on adsorption. Sequential batch desorption studies show the BTX to desorb quickly, reaching equilibrium within 48 hours. Long-term uptake and release were not noted with these soil/contaminant systems

  15. Enhanced bioremediation of PAH contaminated soils from coal processing sites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Joshi, M.M.; Lee, S.

    1995-01-01

    The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are a potential hazard to health due to their carcinogenic, mutagenic nature and acute toxicity and there is an imminent need for remediation of PAH contaminated soils abounding the several coke oven and town gas sites. Aerobic biological degradation of PAHs is an innovative technology and has shown high decontamination efficiencies, complete mineralization of contaminants, and is environmentally safe. The present study investigates the remediation of PAH contaminated soils achieved using Acinetobacter species and fungal strain Phanerochaete Chrysosporium. The soil used for the experiments was an industrially contaminated soil obtained from Alberta Research Council (ARC) primary cleanup facility, Alberta, Canada. Soil characterization was done using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) to qualitatively and quantitatively determine the contaminants in the soil. Artificially contaminated soil was also used for some experiments. All the experiments were conducted under completely mixed conditions with suitable oxygen and nutrient amendments. The removal efficiency obtained for various PAHs using the two microorganisms was compared

  16. A soil washing pilot plant for removing petroleum hydrocarbons from contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Toor, I.A.; Roehrig, G.R.

    1992-01-01

    A soil washing pilot plant was built and tested for its ability to remove petroleum hydrocarbons from certain soils. The ITEX soil washing pilot plant is a trailer mountable mobile unit which has a washing capacity of two tons per hour of contaminated soils. A benchscale study was carried out prior to the fabrication of the pilot plant. The first sample was contaminated with diesel fuel while the second sample was contaminated with crude oil. Various nonionic, cationic and anionic cleaning agents were evaluated for their ability to remove petroleum hydrocarbons from these materials. The nonionic cleaning agents were more successful in cleaning the soils in general. The ultimate surfactant choice was based on several factors including cost, biodegradability, cleaning efficiency and other technical considerations. The soil samples were characterized in terms of their particle size distributions. Commercial diesel fuel was carefully mixed in this sand to prepare a representative sample for the pilot plant study. Two pilot runs were made using this material. A multistage washing study was also conducted in the laboratory which indicates that the contamination level can be reduced to 100 ppm using only four stages. Because the pilot plant washing efficiency is twice as high, it is believed that ultimate contamination levels can be reduced to lower levels using the same number of stages. However, this hypothesis has not been demonstrated to date

  17. Electroremediation of PCB contaminated soil combined with iron nanoparticles: Effect of the soil type

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gomes, Helena I.; Dias-Ferreira, Celia; Ottosen, Lisbeth M.

    2015-01-01

    Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) are carcinogenic and persistent organic pollutants that accumulate in soils and sediments. Currently, there is no cost-effective and sustainable remediation technology for these contaminants. In this work, a new combination of electrodialytic remediation and zero...... nanoparticles. Remediation experiments are made with two different historically PCB contaminated soils, which differ in both soil composition and contamination source. Soil 1 is a mix of soils with spills of transformer oils, while Soil 2 is a superficial soil from a decommissioned school where PCB were used...... as windows sealants. Saponin, a natural surfactant, was also tested to increase the PCB desorption from soils and enhance dechlorination. Remediation of Soil 1 (with highest pH, carbonate content, organic matter and PCB concentrations) obtained the maximum 83% and 60% PCB removal with the two...

  18. Evaluation of soil flushing of complex contaminated soil: An experimental and modeling simulation study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yun, Sung Mi; Kang, Christina S. [Department of Environmental Engineering, Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 143-701 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jonghwa [Department of Industrial Engineering, Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 143-701 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Han S., E-mail: hankim@konkuk.ac.kr [Department of Environmental Engineering, Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 143-701 (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-04-28

    Highlights: • Remediation of complex contaminated soil achieved by sequential soil flushing. • Removal of Zn, Pb, and heavy petroleum oils using 0.05 M citric acid and 2% SDS. • Unified desorption distribution coefficients modeled and experimentally determined. • Nonequilibrium models for the transport behavior of complex contaminants in soils. - Abstract: The removal of heavy metals (Zn and Pb) and heavy petroleum oils (HPOs) from a soil with complex contamination was examined by soil flushing. Desorption and transport behaviors of the complex contaminants were assessed by batch and continuous flow reactor experiments and through modeling simulations. Flushing a one-dimensional flow column packed with complex contaminated soil sequentially with citric acid then a surfactant resulted in the removal of 85.6% of Zn, 62% of Pb, and 31.6% of HPO. The desorption distribution coefficients, K{sub Ubatch} and K{sub Lbatch}, converged to constant values as C{sub e} increased. An equilibrium model (ADR) and nonequilibrium models (TSNE and TRNE) were used to predict the desorption and transport of complex contaminants. The nonequilibrium models demonstrated better fits with the experimental values obtained from the column test than the equilibrium model. The ranges of K{sub Ubatch} and K{sub Lbatch} were very close to those of K{sub Ufit} and K{sub Lfit} determined from model simulations. The parameters (R, β, ω, α, and f) determined from model simulations were useful for characterizing the transport of contaminants within the soil matrix. The results of this study provide useful information for the operational parameters of the flushing process for soils with complex contamination.

  19. Enhanced ex-situ bioremediation of soil contaminated with ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    contaminated soil. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of using electrical biostimulation processes to enhance ex-situ bioremediation of soils contaminated with organic pollutants. The effect of ...

  20. Soil remediation: humic acids as natural surfactants in the washings of highly contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Conte, Pellegrino; Agretto, Anna; Spaccini, Riccardo; Piccolo, Alessandro

    2005-01-01

    The remediation of the highly contaminated site around the former chemical plant of ACNA (near Savona) in Northern Italy is a top priority in Italy. The aim of the present work was to contribute in finding innovative and environmental-friendly technology to remediate soils from the ACNA contaminated site. Two soils sampled from the ACNA site (A and B), differing in texture and amount and type of organic contaminants, were subjected to soil washings by comparing the removal efficiency of water, two synthetic surfactants, sodium dodecylsulphate (SDS) and Triton X-100 (TX100), and a solution of a natural surfactant, a humic acid (HA) at its critical micelle concentration (CMC). The extraction of pollutants by sonication and soxhlet was conducted before and after the soil washings. Soil A was richer in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, whereas soil B had a larger content of thiophenes. Sonication resulted more analytically efficient in the fine-textured soil B. The coarse-textured soil A was extracted with a general equal efficiency also by soxhlet. Clean-up by water was unable to exhaustively remove contaminants from the two soils, whereas all the organic surfactants revealed very similar efficiencies (up to 90%) in the removal of the contaminants from the soils. Hence, the use of solutions of natural HAs appears as a better choice for soil washings of highly polluted soils due to their additional capacity to promote microbial activity, in contrast to synthetic surfactants, for a further natural attenuation in washed soils. - Solutions of natural humic acids appear to be a better choice for washing highly polluted soils

  1. Prospects for separating heavy metal from contaminated soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Langen, M.; Hoberg, H.; Hamacher, B.

    1994-01-01

    For decades, large quantities of organic and inorganic pollutants have been brought into the soil as a result of the industrial operations of smelting and coking plants. This paper reports on the prospects of separating heavy metals from soil contaminated by smelting and coking plants by means of a physical/chemical washing procedure. Besides the description of virgin soil characteristics, cleaning results and process parameters of calssification, density separation and flotation processes are presented. It is shown that heavy metal pollution of virgin soil can be reduced by the classical process stages of soil washing. The metal content of virgin soil are critically assessed whereby the limits of the physical-chimical washing process will also be entered into. Emphasis is placed on the significance of the determination of limiting values for inorganic contamination, especially for soil contaminated with both organic and inorganic pollution. (orig.) [de

  2. Risk assessment of soil contamination criteria

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    King, C.M.; Marter, W.L.; Montaque, D.F.; Holton, G.A.

    1987-06-01

    Criteria have been developed to select radioactive and nonradioactive contaminants at waste sites detailed analysis and risk assessment. These criteria were based on soil and water quality guidelines developed by various government agencies to determine if the criteria were appropriate. We performed a risk assessment of a hypothetical site which contained radioactive and nonradioactive contaminants at levels equal to the criteria values. Risks to the public from atmospheric, surface water, and groundwater exposure pathways were examined. Health risks to the public from atmospheric releases of radioactive and nonradioactive materials from a waste at soil criteria contamination levels are low. Health risks to the maximally exposed individual to chemical carcinogens are considerably below traditional EPA action levels. And health risks to the maximally exposed individual to atmospherically released radioactive contaminants is 1.88 x 10 -7 , more than a factor of 5 less than 10 -6 . Based on our atmospheric exposure pathways analysis and risk assessment, the applied soil criteria are appropriate for screening out unimportant risk contributors to human health from atmospheric exposure pathways. 13 refs., 3 figs., 7 tabs

  3. Remediation of sandy soils contaminated with hydrocarbons and halogenated hydrocarbons by soil vapour extraction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Albergaria, José Tomás; Alvim-Ferraz, Maria da Conceição M; Delerue-Matos, Cristina

    2012-08-15

    This paper presents the study of the remediation of sandy soils containing six of the most common contaminants (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene) using soil vapour extraction (SVE). The influence of soil water content on the process efficiency was evaluated considering the soil type and the contaminant. For artificially contaminated soils with negligible clay contents and natural organic matter it was concluded that: (i) all the remediation processes presented efficiencies above 92%; (ii) an increase of the soil water content led to a more time-consuming remediation; (iii) longer remediation periods were observed for contaminants with lower vapour pressures and lower water solubilities due to mass transfer limitations. Based on these results an easy and relatively fast procedure was developed for the prediction of the remediation times of real soils; 83% of the remediation times were predicted with relative deviations below 14%. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Remediation of a radioactively contaminated soil using a mobile soil-washing system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grant, D.C.; Lahoda, E.J.; Dietrich, A.J.; Weigle, D.H.; Keegan, C.P.; Sachse, J.D.

    1993-01-01

    In order to obtain free-release of a former uranium mining site in Texas, it was required that the surface soil meet specific radiological guidelines. The soil has been contaminated with uranium and radium as a result of the spillage of well-drilling material, process solutions, and ion exchange resins during mining. To meet the required guidelines, the contaminated soil had to be either removed and disposed of off-site or remediated. For economic and long-term liability reasons, remediation of the soil by soil washing was performed. The remediation of this site utilizing the Scientific Ecology Group's soil washing system is discussed in this paper

  5. Uptake of Organic Contaminants from Soil into Vegetables and Fruits

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Trapp, Stefan; Legind, Charlotte Nielsen

    2011-01-01

    Contaminants may enter vegetables and fruits by several pathways: by uptake with soil pore water, by diffusion from soil or air, by deposition of soil or airborne particles, or by direct application. The contaminant-specific and plantspecific properties that determine the importance...... of these pathways are described in this chapter. A variety of models have been developed, specific for crop types and with steady-state or dynamic solutions. Model simulations can identify sensitive properties and relevant processes. Persistent, polar (log KOW contaminants have...... the highest potential for accumulation from soil, and concentrations in leaves may be several hundred times higher than in soil. However, for most contaminants the accumulation in vegetables or fruits is much lower. Lipophilic (log KOW > 3) contaminants are mainly transported to leaves by attached soil...

  6. Soil contamination with cadmium, consequences and remediation using organic amendments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khan, Muhammad Amjad; Khan, Sardar; Khan, Anwarzeb; Alam, Mehboob

    2017-12-01

    Cadmium (Cd) contamination of soil and food crops is a ubiquitous environmental problem that has resulted from uncontrolled industrialization, unsustainable urbanization and intensive agricultural practices. Being a toxic element, Cd poses high threats to soil quality, food safety, and human health. Land is the ultimate source of waste disposal and utilization therefore, Cd released from different sources (natural and anthropogenic), eventually reaches soil, and then subsequently bio-accumulates in food crops. The stabilization of Cd in contaminated soil using organic amendments is an environmentally friendly and cost effective technique used for remediation of moderate to high contaminated soil. Globally, substantial amounts of organic waste are generated every day that can be used as a source of nutrients, and also as conditioners to improve soil quality. This review paper focuses on the sources, generation, and use of different organic amendments to remediate Cd contaminated soil, discusses their effects on soil physical and chemical properties, Cd bioavailability, plant uptake, and human health risk. Moreover, it also provides an update of the most relevant findings about the application of organic amendments to remediate Cd contaminated soil and associated mechanisms. Finally, future research needs and directions for the remediation of Cd contaminated soil using organic amendments are discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Remediation of soils contaminated with heavy metals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Boni, M.R.; D' Aprile, L. [Univ. of Rome ' ' La Sapienza' ' , Dept. of Hydraulic Transportation and Roads (Italy)

    2001-07-01

    In December 1999 Italy issued the national regulation (DM 471/99) for the clean-up of contaminated sites. This regulation applies both to derelict and to still operating industrial plants and waste management facilities. Target concentration values for clean-up interventions are issued and the requirements for design and planning of technical operation are defined. The selection of the appropriate clean-up technology are based on the following main criteria: - reduce the concentration in environmental media and the migration of pollutants without removing soil off-site; - in order to reduce contaminated material removal and transportation, remedial actions of soil, subsoil and groundwater should preferably be based on in-situ treatments. In-situ technologies commonly applied in Italy to the remediation of soils contaminated by heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Hg, Pb) are: - containment (caps, vertical barriers); - soil flushing; - cement based solidification/stabilization. (orig.)

  8. Petroleum Contaminated Soil Treatment Using Surfactant and Hydrogen Peroxide

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ilza Lobo

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available The process of washing soil with surfactants, sodium lauryl ether sulphate (LESS and sodium lauryl sulphate (SDS was combined with chemical oxidation using hydrogen peroxide, with a view to in situ remediation of clay soil contaminated with hydrocarbons oil. The evaluation of the efficiency of the procedure was the removal of polyaromatic hydrocarbons and the comparison of physical and chemical characteristics of contaminated soil and uncontaminated from the same region. The combination of these two techniques, soil washing and application of an oxidizing agent, presented as a process of effective remediation for soils contaminated with petroleum products in subtropical regions.

  9. Phytoremediation of soils contaminated by cadmium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watai, H.; Miyazaki, T.; Fujikawa, T.; Mizoguchi, M.

    2004-12-01

    Phytoremediation is a technique to clean up soils contaminated with heavy metals. Advantages of this method are that (1) This technique is suitable to cleanup soils slightly contaminated with heavy metals in relatively wide area. (2) The expense for clean up is lower than civil engineering techniques. (3) This method can remove heavy metals fundamentally from contaminated. (4) The heavy metals are able to recycle by ashing of plants. Many researches have been done on the phytoremediation up to now, but almost all these researches were devoted to clarify the phytoremediation from the view point of plants themselves. However, few efforts have been devoted to analyze the migrations of heavy metals in soils during the phytoremediation process. The objective of this study is to clarify the features of Cd migration when plant roots are absorbing Cd from the ambient soils. Especially, we focused on finding the Cd migration pattern by changing the soil condition such as plant growing periods, planting densities, and the initial Cd concentration in soils. We planted sunflowers in columns filled with Cd contaminated soils because sunflower is a well-known hyperaccumulator of Cd from soils. By cutting the shoots of plants at the soil surface, and by keeping the plant roots in the soils without disturbance, the Cd concentrations, moisture contents, pH distributions, EC distributions, and dry weight of residual roots in the soils were carefully analyzed. The experimental results showed that (1)The growth of the planted sunflowers were suffered by applying of Cd. (2)The decrease of suction was affected by water uptake by roots at the depth from 0 to 5 cm. Water contents with plants in soils decrease more than without plants. (3)Cd adsorption by roots was predominant within 5cm from soil surface. In addition, it was also shown that there was an optimal Cd concentration where Cd is most effectively adsorbed by the plant. In this experiment we found that 40 to 60 mg kg-1 was the

  10. Germination and initial growth of Campomanesia xanthocarpa O. Berg. (Myrtaceae, in petroleum-contaminated soil and bioremediated soil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    AM. Gogosz

    Full Text Available In 2000 there was an oil spill at the Getúlio Vargas Refinery (REPAR in Paraná. Nearly five years after contamination and the use of bioremediation, a study was carried out to identify the effects of the contaminated soil and the bioremediated soil on the germination and initial growth of C. xanthocarpa. The experiment was established with soil from REPAR, with three treatment groups: contaminated soil (C, bioremediated soil (B and uncontaminated soil (U; with five repetitions of 50 seeds each. There was no significant difference in the percentage of germination and the speed of germination index. The production of total biomass (30 - 60 days and shoot biomass (60 days was greater in the bioremediated soil compared to the other treatments. The averages for the root biomass were lower in the contaminated soil than in the bioremediated soil. The shoot length and the total length of the seedling in the contaminated soil and uncontaminated soil were lower than in the bioremediated soil.

  11. Hybrid electrokinetic method applied to mix contaminated soil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mansour, H.; Maria, E. [Dept. of Building Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia Univ., Montreal (Canada)

    2001-07-01

    Several industrials and municipal areas in North America are contaminated with heavy metals and petroleum products. This mix contamination presents a particularly difficult task for remediation when is exposed in clayey soil. The objective of this research was to find a method to cleanup mix contaminated clayey soils. Finally, a multifunctional hybrid electrokinetic method was investigated. Clayey soil was contaminated with lead and nickel (heavy metals) at the level of 1000 ppm and phenanthrene (PAH) of 600 ppm. Electrokinetic surfactant supply system was applied to mobilize, transport and removal of phenanthrene. A chelation agent (EDTA) was also electrokinetically supplied to mobilize heavy metals. The studies were performed on 8 lab scale electrokinetic cells. The mix contaminated clayey soil was subjected to DC total voltage gradient of 0.3 V/cm. Supplied liquids (surfactant and EDTA) were introduced in different periods of time (22 days, 42 days) in order to optimize the most excessive removal of contaminants. The ph, electrical parameters, volume supplied, and volume discharged was monitored continuously during each experiment. At the end of these tests soil and cathalyte were subjected to physico-chemical analysis. The paper discusses results of experiments including the optimal energy use, removal efficiency of phenanthrene, as well, transport and removal of heavy metals. The results of this study can be applied for in-situ hybrid electrokinetic technology to remediate clayey sites contaminated with petroleum product mixed with heavy metals (e.g. manufacture Gas Plant Sites). (orig.)

  12. Bioremediation of contaminated soil: Strategy and case histories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Balba, M.T.; Ying, A.C.; McNeice, T.G.

    1991-01-01

    Microorganisms are capable of degrading many kinds of xenobiotic compounds and toxic chemicals. These microorganisms are ubiquitous in nature and there are numerous cases in which long-term contamination of soil and groundwater has been observed. The persistence of the contamination is usually caused by the inability of micro-organisms to metabolize these compounds under the prevailing environmental conditions. Two general reasons account for the failure of microbes to degrade pollutants in any environment: (1) inherent molecular recalcitrance of the contaminants and (2) environmental factors. The inherent molecular recalcitrance is usually associated with xenobiotic compounds where the chemical structure of the molecule is such that microbes and enzymes required for its catabolism have not evolved yet in nature. The environmental factors include a range of physicochemical conditions which influence microbial growth and activity. Biological remediation of contaminated sites can be accomplished using naturally-occurring microorganisms to treat the contaminants. Only particular groups of microorganisms are capable of decomposing specific compounds. The development of a bioremediation program for a specific contaminated soil system usually includes: thorough site/soil/waste characterization; treatability studies; and design and implementation of the bioremediation plan. The results of in situ and ex situ treatment programs involving the cleanup of petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated soil will be discussed in detail. The paper will address key issues affecting the success of the bioremediation process such as nutrient transport, metal precipitation and potential soil clogging, microbial inoculation, etc

  13. Enhancement of in situ Remediation of Hydrocarbon Contaminated Soil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Palmroth, M.

    2006-07-01

    Approximately 750 000 sites of contaminated land exist across Europe. The harmful chemicals found in Finnish soils include heavy metals, oil products, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), chlorophenols, and pesticides. Petroleum and petroleum products enter soil from ruptured oil pipelines, land disposal of refinery products, leaking storage tanks and through accidents. PAH contamination is caused by the spills of coal tar and creosote from coal gasification and wood treatment sites in addition to oil spills. Cleanup of soil by bioremediation is cheaper than by chemical and physical processes. However, the cleaning capacity of natural attenuation and in situ bioremediation is limited. The purpose of this thesis was to find feasible options to enhance in situ remediation of hydrocarbon contaminants. The aims were to increase the bioavailability of the contaminants and microbial activity at the subsurface in order to achieve higher contaminant removal efficiency than by intrinsic biodegradation alone. Enhancement of microbial activity and decrease of soil toxicity during remediation were estimated by using several biological assays. The performance of these assays was compared in order to find suitable indicators to follow the progress of remediation. Phytoremediation and chemical oxidation are promising in situ techniques to increase the degradation of hydrocarbons in soil. Phytoremediation is plant-enhanced decontamination of soil and water. Degradation of hydrocarbons is enhanced in the root zone by increased microbial activity and through the detoxifying enzymes of plants themselves. Chemical oxidation of contaminants by Fenton's reaction can produce degradation products which are more biodegradable than the parent compounds. Fenton's reaction and its modifications apply solutions of hydrogen peroxide and iron for the oxidation of organic chemicals. The cost of oxidation can be reduced by aiming at partial instead of full

  14. Biological technologies for the remediation of co-contaminated soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ye, Shujing; Zeng, Guangming; Wu, Haipeng; Zhang, Chang; Dai, Juan; Liang, Jie; Yu, Jiangfang; Ren, Xiaoya; Yi, Huan; Cheng, Min; Zhang, Chen

    2017-12-01

    Compound contamination in soil, caused by unreasonable waste disposal, has attracted increasing attention on a global scale, particularly since multiple heavy metals and/or organic pollutants are entering natural ecosystem through human activities, causing an enormous threat. The remediation of co-contaminated soil is more complicated and difficult than that of single contamination, due to the disparate remediation pathways utilized for different types of pollutants. Several modern remediation technologies have been developed for the treatment of co-contaminated soil. Biological remediation technologies, as the eco-friendly methods, have received widespread concern due to soil improvement besides remediation. This review summarizes the application of biological technologies, which contains microbial technologies (function microbial remediation and composting or compost addition), biochar, phytoremediation technologies, genetic engineering technologies and biochemical technologies, for the remediation of co-contaminated soil with heavy metals and organic pollutants. Mechanisms of these technologies and their remediation efficiencies are also reviewed. Based on this study, this review also identifies the future research required in this field.

  15. Waste reduction by separation of contaminated soils during environmental restoration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roybal, J.A.; Conway, R.; Galloway, B.; Vinsant, E.; Slavin, P.; Guerin, D.

    1998-06-01

    During cleanup of contaminated sites, Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico (SNL/NM) frequently encounters soils with low-level radioactive contamination. The contamination is not uniformly distributed, but occurs within areas of clean soil. Because it is difficult to characterize heterogeneously contaminated soils in detail and to excavate such soils precisely using heavy equipment, it is common for large quantities of uncontaminated soil to be removed during excavation of contaminated sites. This practice results in the commingling and disposal of clean and contaminated material as low-level waste (LLW), or possibly low-level mixed waste (LLMW). Until recently, volume reduction of radioactively contaminated soil depended on manual screening and analysis of samples, which is a costly and impractical approach and does not uphold As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) principles. To reduce the amount of LLW and LLMW generated during the excavation process, SNL/NM is evaluating two alternative technologies. The first of these, the Segmented Gate System (SGS), is an automated system that located and removes gamma-ray emitting radionuclides from a host matrix (soil, sand, dry sludge). The matrix materials is transported by a conveyor to an analyzer/separation system, which segregates the clean and contaminated material based on radionuclide activity level. The SGS was used to process radioactively contaminated soil from the excavation of the Radioactive Waste Landfill. The second technology, Large Area Gamma Spectroscopy (LAGS), utilizes a gamma spec analyzer suspended over a slab upon which soil is spread out to a uniform depth. A counting period of approximately 30 minutes is used to obtain a full-spectrum analysis for the isotopes of interest. The LAGS is being tested on the soil that is being excavated from the Classified Waste Landfill

  16. Solubility measurement of uranium in uranium-contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, S.Y.; Elless, M.; Hoffman, F.

    1993-08-01

    A short-term equilibration study involving two uranium-contaminated soils at the Fernald site was conducted as part of the In Situ Remediation Integrated Program. The goal of this study is to predict the behavior of uranium during on-site remediation of these soils. Geochemical modeling was performed on the aqueous species dissolved from these soils following the equilibration study to predict the on-site uranium leaching and transport processes. The soluble levels of total uranium, calcium, magnesium, and carbonate increased continually for the first four weeks. After the first four weeks, these components either reached a steady-state equilibrium or continued linearity throughout the study. Aluminum, potassium, and iron, reached a steady-state concentration within three days. Silica levels approximated the predicted solubility of quartz throughout the study. A much higher level of dissolved uranium was observed in the soil contaminated from spillage of uranium-laden solvents and process effluents than in the soil contaminated from settling of airborne uranium particles ejected from the nearby incinerator. The high levels observed for soluble calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonate are probably the result of magnesium and/or calcium carbonate minerals dissolving in these soils. Geochemical modeling confirms that the uranyl-carbonate complexes are the most stable and dominant in these solutions. The use of carbonate minerals on these soils for erosion control and road construction activities contributes to the leaching of uranium from contaminated soil particles. Dissolved carbonates promote uranium solubility, forming highly mobile anionic species. Mobile uranium species are contaminating the groundwater underlying these soils. The development of a site-specific remediation technology is urgently needed for the FEMP site

  17. Management and re-use of contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nowicki, V.K.; LeBlanc, M.

    1993-01-01

    The volume occupied by petroleum-contaminated soils in landfill facilities could be totally eliminated by treatment of these soils in separate facilities. Once treated, the soils could be recycled. In New Brunswick, one such treatment facility was opened in 1992 adjacent to the Fredericton regional landfill site; a second site was opened near Moncton in 1992. These facilities receive petroleum-contaminated soil from such users as gasoline stations, bulk plants, institutions, and transport companies, as well as from oil spill sites. The types of contaminants present range from gasoline to heavy fuel oils and greases, and the soils can vary from clays to gravels. Incoming soils are layered on treatment pads and treated by bioremediation. A bionutrient mixture containing fertilizers plus an amount of adapted, naturally-occurring petroleum hydrocarbon degrading microorganisms is sprayed onto the pile layer by layer. Aeration tubing is also installed during this layering process. When the piles are complete, they are covered with black plastic and aerated. Bioremediation times vary from 10 to 24 weeks. The facility has successfully decontaminated over 20,000 tonnes of soil to date. The resulting soil can be used for such purposes as soil cover and backfill. The bioremediation process itself is portable and can be initiated at landfill sites themselves to reduce transport and handling costs. 16 refs., 4 figs

  18. Micrometeorological methods for measurements of mercury emissions over contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, K.H.; Lindberg, S.E.; Hanson, P.J.; Owens, J.; Myers, T.P.

    1993-01-01

    As part of a larger study involving development and application of field and laboratory methods (micrometeorological, dynamic enclosure chamber, and controlled laboratory chamber methods) to measure the air/surface exchange of Hg vapor, we performed a series of preliminary measurements over contaminated soils. From March--April 1993, we used the modified Bowen ratio (MBR) method to measure emission rates of mercury over a floodplain contaminated with mercury near Oak Ridge, TN. The mercury emission rates measured from contaminated EFPC soils using the MBR method during early spring show that (1) in all cases, the contaminated soils acted as a source of mercury to the atmosphere with source strengths ranging from 17 to 160 ng m -2 h -1 ; and (2) the strengths of mercury emissions can be greatly influenced by the combined effects of surface soil temperature, residence time of air masses over the source area, and turbulence conditions. The mercury fluxes measured in a controlled flow chamber indicate that contaminated soils can exhibit up to an order of magnitude higher emission rates of Hg under conditions of elevated soil temperature, soil structure disturbance, and high turbulence. Mercury emissions from contaminated soils exceeded emissions from background soils by one to two orders of magnitude

  19. Biosensors for detection of mercury in contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bontidean, Ibolya; Mortari, Alessia; Leth, Suzanne; Brown, Nigel L.; Karlson, Ulrich; Larsen, Martin M.; Vangronsveld, Jaco; Corbisier, Philippe; Csoeregi, Elisabeth

    2004-01-01

    Biosensors based on whole bacterial cells and on bacterial heavy metal binding protein were used to determine the mercury concentration in soil. The soil samples were collected in a vegetable garden accidentally contaminated with elemental mercury 25 years earlier. Bioavailable mercury was measured using different sensors: a protein-based biosensor, a whole bacterial cell based biosensor, and a plant sensor, i.e. morphological and biochemical responses in primary leaves and roots of bean seedlings grown in the mercury-contaminated soil. For comparison the total mercury concentration of the soil samples was determined by AAS. Whole bacterial cell and protein-based biosensors gave accurate responses proportional to the total amount of mercury in the soil samples. On the contrary, plant sensors were found to be less useful indicators of soil mercury contamination, as determined by plant biomass, mercury content of primary leaves and enzyme activities

  20. Electrokinetic remediation of fluorine-contaminated soil and its impact on soil fertility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Ming; Wang, Hui; Zhu, Shufa; Liu, Yana; Xu, Jingming

    2015-11-01

    Compared to soil pollution by heavy metals and organic pollutants, soil pollution by fluorides is usually ignored in China. Actually, fluorine-contaminated soil has an unfavorable influence on human, animals, plants, and surrounding environment. This study reports on electrokinetic remediation of fluorine-contaminated soil and the effects of this remediation technology on soil fertility. Experimental results showed that electrokinetic remediation using NaOH as the anolyte was a considerable choice to eliminate fluorine in contaminated soils. Under the experimental conditions, the removal efficiency of fluorine by the electrokinetic remediation method was 70.35%. However, the electrokinetic remediation had a significant impact on the distribution and concentrations of soil native compounds. After the electrokinetic experiment, in the treated soil, the average value of available nitrogen was raised from 69.53 to 74.23 mg/kg, the average value of available phosphorus and potassium were reduced from 20.05 to 10.39 mg/kg and from 61.31 to 51.58 mg/kg, respectively. Meanwhile, the contents of soil available nitrogen and phosphorus in the anode regions were higher than those in the cathode regions, but the distribution of soil available potassium was just the opposite. In soil organic matter, there was no significant change. These experiment results suggested that some steps should be taken to offset the impacts, after electrokinetic treatment.

  1. Removal of residual contaminants in petroleum-contaminated soil by Fenton-like oxidation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lu Mang [School of Material Science and Engineering, Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute, Jingdezhen, 333001, Jiangxi Province (China); State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, China University of Petroleum, Beijing 102249 (China); Zhang Zhongzhi, E-mail: zzzhang1955@hotmail.com [State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, China University of Petroleum, Beijing 102249 (China); Qiao Wei; Guan Yueming; Xiao Meng; Peng Chong [State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, China University of Petroleum, Beijing 102249 (China)

    2010-07-15

    The degradation of bioremediation residues by hydrogen peroxide in petroleum-contaminated soil was investigated at circumneutral pH using a Fenton-like reagent (ferric ion chelated with EDTA). Batch tests were done on 20 g soil suspended in 60 mL aqueous solution containing hydrogen peroxide and Fe{sup 3+}-EDTA complex under constant stirring. A slurry reactor was used to treat the soil based on the optimal reactant conditions. Contaminants were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. The results showed that the optimal treatment condition was: the molar ratio of hydrogen peroxide to iron = 200:1, and pH 7.0. Under the optimum condition, total dichloromethane-extractable organics were reduced from 14,800 to 2300 mg kg{sup -1} soil when the accumulative H{sub 2}O{sub 2} dosage was 2.45 mol kg{sup -1} soil during the reactor treatment. Abundance of viable cells was lower in incubated Fenton-like treated soil than in untreated soil. Oxidation of contaminants produced remarkable compositional and structural modifications. A fused ring compound, identified as C{sub 34}H{sub 38}N{sub 1}, was found to exhibit the greatest resistance to oxidation.

  2. Phytotoxicity of trace metals in spiked and field-contaminated soils: Linking soil-extractable metals with toxicity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamels, Fanny; Malevé, Jasmina; Sonnet, Philippe; Kleja, Dan Berggren; Smolders, Erik

    2014-11-01

    Soil tests have been widely developed to predict trace metal uptake by plants. The prediction of metal toxicity, however, has rarely been tested. The present study was set up to compare 8 established soil tests for diagnosing phytotoxicity in contaminated soils. Nine soils contaminated with Zn or Cu by metal mining, smelting, or processing were collected. Uncontaminated reference soils with similar soil properties were sampled, and series of increasing contamination were created by mixing each with the corresponding soil. In addition, each reference soil was spiked with either ZnCl2 or CuCl2 at several concentrations. Total metal toxicity to barley seedling growth in the field-contaminated soils was up to 30 times lower than that in corresponding spiked soils. Total metal (aqua regia-soluble) toxicity thresholds of 50% effective concentrations (EC50) varied by factors up to 260 (Zn) or 6 (Cu) among soils. For Zn, variations in EC50 thresholds decreased as aqua regia > 0.43 M HNO3  > 0.05 M ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) > 1 M NH4 NO3  > cobaltihexamine > diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) > 0.001 M CaCl2 , suggesting that the last extraction is the most robust phytotoxicity index for Zn. The EDTA extraction was the most robust for Cu-contaminated soils. The isotopically exchangeable fraction of the total soil metal in the field-contaminated soils markedly explained the lower toxicity compared with spiked soils. The isotope exchange method can be used to translate soil metal limits derived from soils spiked with metal salts to site-specific soil metal limits. © 2014 SETAC.

  3. Bioremediation of Pyrene-Contaminated Soils Using Biosurfactant

    OpenAIRE

    Jorfi; Rezaee; Jaafarzadeh; Esrafili; Akbari; Moheb Ali

    2014-01-01

    Background Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are persistence organic chemicals with proved carcinogenic and mutagenic hazards. These compounds are usually adsorbed in soils in vicinity of oil and gas industries. Bioremediation of PAHs contaminated soils is difficult due to hydrophobic nature of PAHs. Objectives The main purpose of the current study was to determine the pyrene removal efficiency in synthetically contaminated ...

  4. Airborne soil particulates as vehicles for Salmonella contamination of tomatoes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Govindaraj Dev; Williams, Robert C; Al Qublan, Hamzeh M; Sriranganathan, Nammalwar; Boyer, Renee R; Eifert, Joseph D

    2017-02-21

    The presence of dust is ubiquitous in the produce growing environment and its deposition on edible crops could occur. The potential of wind-distributed soil particulate to serve as a vehicle for S. Newport transfer to tomato blossoms and consequently, to fruits, was explored. Blossoms were challenged with previously autoclaved soil containing S. Newport (9.39log CFU/g) by brushing and airborne transfer. One hundred percent of blossoms brushed with S. Newport-contaminated soil tested positive for presence of the pathogen one week after contact (PCompressed air was used to simulate wind currents and direct soil particulates towards blossoms. Airborne soil particulates resulted in contamination of 29% of the blossoms with S. Newport one week after contact. Biophotonic imaging of blossoms post-contact with bioluminescent S. Newport-contaminated airborne soil particulates revealed transfer of the pathogen on petal, stamen and pedicel structures. Both fruits and calyxes that developed from blossoms contaminated with airborne soil particulates were positive for presence of S. Newport in both fruit (66.6%) and calyx (77.7%). Presence of S. Newport in surface-sterilized fruit and calyx tissue tested indicated internalization of the pathogen. These results show that airborne soil particulates could serve as a vehicle for Salmonella. Hence, Salmonella contaminated dust and soil particulate dispersion could contribute to pathogen contamination of fruit, indicating an omnipresent yet relatively unexplored contamination route. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Electrokinetic Amendment in Phytoremediation of Mixed Contaminated Soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chirakkara, Reshma A.; Reddy, Krishna R.; Cameselle, Claudio

    2015-01-01

    This study examines the effects of electrokinetic amendments for phytoremediation of mixed contaminated soil where typical silty clay soil was spiked with organic contaminants (naphthalene and phenanthrene) and heavy metal (lead, cadmium and chromium). The contaminated soil was treated with compost and placed in electrokinetic cells, which were seeded with oat plant or sunflower. Thirty days after germination, 25 V alternating current was applied to selected cells using graphite electrodes for 3 h per day. The plants were harvested after a growth period of 61 days. One cell remained unplanted to evaluate the effect of the electric current on the soil, alone. The results confirm a significant reduction of heavy metals and organic contaminants in soil. However, there was no noticeable improvement of heavy metal phytoextraction or PAH degradation due to the application of electric field despite the increase in biomass production by the plants subjected to the electric current. The electric potential application time and frequency are suggested to be increased to have noticeable effects in heavy metal uptake and PAHs degradation.

  6. Surfactant-enhanced bioremediation of PAH- and PCB-contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghosh, M.M.; Yeom, I.T.; Shi, Z.; Cox, C.D.; Robinson, K.G.

    1995-01-01

    The role of surfactants in the desorption of soil-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) was investigated. The solubilization of individual PAHs in an extract of a weathered, coal tar-contaminated soil containing a mixture of PAHs and other petroleum derivatives was found to be significantly less than that for pure compounds. Batch soil washing with Triton X-100 (a commercial, nonionic alkyl phenol ethoxylate) was found to increase the effective diffusion rate of PAHs from the contaminated soil by four orders of magnitude compared to that obtained by gas purging when the results were analyzed using a radial diffusion model. At concentrations of up to 24 times its critical micelle concentration (CMC), Triton X-100 did not seem to enhance hydrocarbon degradation in the coal tar-contaminated soil; however, the biosurfactant rhamnolipid R1, at a concentration of 50x CMC, increased the rate of mineralization of 4,4'-chlorinated biphenyl mobilized from a laboratory-contaminated soil by more than 60 times

  7. Remediation Of Radioactive Contaminated Soil in Oil Fields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taha, A.A.; Hassib, G.M.; Ibrahim, Z.A.

    2011-01-01

    Radioactive contamination by naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) in evaporation pond has been evaluated. At several onshore oil field locations, the produced water is discharged to form artificial lagoons or ponds. Subsequently, the released waters drain to the ground leaving radioactive deposits associated with the soil that eventually require remedial action in accordance with radiation protection principles. The present study aims to investigate the remediation of contaminated soil in some oil fields and in this concern, two scenarios were proposed. The first scenario is studying the feasibility of using soil washing technique (a physical-chemical separation process) for removing radium-226 from the contaminated soil samples collected from an evaporating pond. The size/activity distribution analyses were carried out. The data obtained showed that almost 68 % of the investigated soil was coarse sand (≥ 300 μm), 28 % was medium and fine sand (≤300 μm and (≥75 μm) and only small fraction of 4 % was silt and clay (≤75 μm). A series of mild acids such as HCl and mild NaCl/HCl (chloride washing) were used for washing the investigated soil fractions. The obtained data showed that the coarse fraction ≥ 300 μm can be re mediated below a regulatory level of 1Bq/g. and the radium from this coarse fraction could be easily removed by screening and chloride washing. For the remediation of (≤ 300 μm and (≥ 75 μm soil fractions, a series of mild chloride washing experiments also showed that the chloride base (NaCl/HCl) was found to be potentially useful. However, there was a difficulty in achieving a low radium value in the fine (≥ 75 μm size fractions using chloride washing. The second scenario is to get rid of all contaminated soil and store it in a concrete basin through the program of radiological protection of personnel and environment. Preliminary gamma survey of contaminated soil showed that the significant area of the investigated

  8. An evaluation of different soil washing solutions for remediating arsenic-contaminated soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yiwen; Ma, Fujun; Zhang, Qian; Peng, Changsheng; Wu, Bin; Li, Fasheng; Gu, Qingbao

    2017-04-01

    Soil washing is a promising way to remediate arsenic-contaminated soils. Most research has mostly focused on seeking efficient extractants for removing arsenic, but not concerned with any changes in soil properties when using this technique. In this study, the removal of arsenic from a heavily contaminated soil employing different washing solutions including H 3 PO 4 , NaOH and dithionite in EDTA was conducted. Subsequently, the changes in soil physicochemical properties and phytotoxicity of each washing technique were evaluated. After washing with 2 M H 3 PO 4 , 2 M NaOH or 0.1 M dithionite in 0.1 M EDTA, the soil samples' arsenic content met the clean-up levels stipulated in China's environmental regulations. H 3 PO 4 washing decreased soil pH, Ca, Mg, Al, Fe, and Mn concentrations but increased TN and TP contents. NaOH washing increased soil pH but decreased soil TOC, TN and TP contents. Dithionite in EDTA washing reduced soil TOC, Ca, Mg, Al, Fe, Mn and TP contents. A drastic color change was observed when the soil sample was washed with H 3 PO 4 or 0.1 M dithionite in 0.1 M EDTA. After adjusting the soil pH to neutral, wheat planted in the soil sample washed by NaOH evidenced the best growth of all three treated soil samples. These results will help with selecting the best washing solution when remediating arsenic-contaminated soils in future engineering applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Electrokinetic remediation of anionic contaminants from unsaturated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lindgren, E.R.; Kozak, M.W.; Mattson, E.D.

    1992-01-01

    Heavy-metal contamination of soil and groundwater is a widespread problem in the DOE weapons complex, and for the nation as a whole. Electrokinetic remediation is one possible technique for in situ removal of such contaminants from unsaturated soils. In previous studies at Sandia National Laboratories, the electromigration of chromate ions and anionic dye ions have been demonstrated. This paper reports on a series of experiments that were conducted to study the effect of moisture content on the electromigration rate of anionic contaminants in unsaturated soil and determine the limiting moisture content for which electromigration occurs

  10. Ex-situ bioremediation of petroleum contaminated soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Minier, M.R.

    1994-01-01

    The use of stress acclimated bacteria and nutrient supplements to enhance the biodegradation of petroleum contaminated soil can be a cost effective and reliable treatment technology to reduce organic contaminant levels to below established by local, state, and federal regulatory clean-up criteria. This paper will summarize the results of a field study in which 12,000 yds 3 of petroleum contaminated soil was successfully treated via ex-situ bioremediation and through management of macro and micronutrient concentrations, as well as, other site specific environmental factors that are essential for optimizing microbial growth

  11. CLOPYRALID DISSIPATION IN THE SOIL CONTAMINATED WITH HEAVY METALS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mariusz Kucharski

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the studies was to determine the influence of copper and zinc contamination on clopyralid dissipation in soil. The experiment was carried out in laboratory conditions (plant growth chamber. Clopyralid was applied to three different soils [similar textures, pH, organic carbon content and contrasting copper and zinc content: soil natural contaminated with Cu and Zn (S1, soil with natural low Cu and Zn concentration (S2 and soil S21 prepared in the laboratory (S2 soil additionally contaminated with Cu and Zn salts in the amounts equivalent to contamination level of S1 soil]. Soil samples were taken for analyses for 1 hour (initial concentration and 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 and 96 days after treatment. Clopyralid residue was analysed using GC/ECD (gas chromatography with electron capture detector. Good linearity was found between logarithmic concentration of clopyralid residues and time. The differences in Cu and Zn content influenced the clopyralid decay in soil. The values of DT50 obtained in the experiment ranged from 21 to 27 days. A high concentration of Cu and Zn in soil slowed down clopyralid degradation (the DT50 value was higher – 25–27 days.

  12. Production of non-constructive concrete blocks using contaminated soil

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Korte, A.C.J.; Brouwers, Jos

    2009-01-01

    In this research, a heavily contaminated humus-rich peat soil and a lightly contaminated humus-poor sand soil, extracted from a field location in the Netherlands, are immobilized. These two types of soil are very common in the Netherlands. The purpose is to develop financial feasible, good quality

  13. Phyto remediation of PAH contaminated soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petruzzelli, G.; Pedron, F.; Barbafieri, M.; Cervelli, St.; Vigna Guidi, G.

    2005-01-01

    Phyto-remediation may enhance degradation of organic compounds promoting an adequate substrate for microbial growth. The aim of this work was to evaluate the efficiency of two plant species, Lupinus albus and Zea mais, in the bio-remediation of a PAH contaminated soil. This soil has been collected in a contaminated industrial area in Italy characterized by PAH concentrations up to 16000 mg/Kg. Microcosms experiments were carried out by planting Lupinus albus and Zea mais in the polluted soil; controls without plants were run separately. Growing period lasted by three months. Plants favoured PAH biodegradation by percentages of 32% with Lupinus albus and 22% with Zea mais, with respect to non vegetated microcosms. (authors)

  14. Bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated soils using soil vapor extraction: Case study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roth, R.J.; Peterson, R.M.

    1994-01-01

    Soils contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons are being remediated in situ at a site in Lakewood, New Jersey by bioremediation in conjunction with soil vapor extractions (SVE) and nutrient addition. The contaminants were from hydraulic oils which leaked from subsurface hydraulic lifts, waste oil from leaking underground storage tanks (USTs), an aboveground storage tank, and motor oil from a leaking UST. The oils contaminated subsurface soils at the site to a depth of 25 feet. Approximately 900 cubic yards of soil were contaminated. Soil sample analyses showed total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) concentrations up to 31,500 ppm. The design of the remedial system utilized the results of a treatability study which showed that TPH degrading microorganisms, when supplied with oxygen and nutrients, affected a 14% reduction in TPH in 30 days. A SVE system was installed which used three wells, each installed to a depth of 25 feet below grade. The SVE system was operated to achieve an extracted air flow of approximately 20 to 30 scfm from each well. Bioremediation of the TPH was monitored by measuring CO 2 and O 2 concentrations at the wellheads and vapor monitoring probes. After four months of remediation, CO 2 concentrations were at a minimum, at which point the subsurface soils were sampled and analyzed for TPH. The soil analyses showed a removal of TPH by biodegradation of up to 99.8% after four months of remediation

  15. Remediation of lead contaminated soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Urban, W.; Krishnamurthy, S.

    1992-01-01

    Lead contaminated soil in urban area is of major concern because of the potential health risk to children. Many studies have established a direct correlation between lead in soil and elevated blood lead levels in children. In Minneapolis, Minnesota, Mielke et al. (1983) reported that 50% of the Hmong children with lead poisioning were in areas where soil lead levels were between 500 and 1000 micrograms per gram (ug/g), and 40% of the children suffering from lead poisioning lived in areas where soil lead levels exceeded 1000 ug/g. In urban areas, lead pollution in soil has come from many different sources. The sources include lead paint, lead batteries and automobile exhaust. Olson and Skogerbee (1975) found the following lead compounds in soils where the primary source of pollution was from automobiles: lead sulfate, lead oxide, lead dioxide, lead sulfide, and metallic lead. The primary form of lead found was lead sulfate. Lead sulfate, lead tetraoxide, white lead, and other forms of lead have been used in the manufacture of paints for houses. At present, two remediation techniques, solidification and Bureau of Mines fluosilicic acid leaching, are available for lead-contaminated sites. The objective of the present investigation at the Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory (RREL), Edison, was to try to solubilize the lead species by appropriate reagents and then recover the contaminants by precipitation as lead sulfate, using environmentally acceptable methods. The apparatus used for mixing was a LabMaster mixer, with variable speed and high-shear impeller. Previous work had used nitric acid for dissolving metallic lead. Owing to the environmental concerns, it was decided to use acetic acid in the presence of oxygen. The theoretical justification for this approach is the favorable redox potential for the reaction between metallic lead, acetic acid, and gaseous oxygen

  16. Bioremediation of crude oil contaminated tea plantation soil using ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Crude oil contamination of soil is a major concern for tea industry in Assam, India. Crude oil is a persistent organic contaminant which alters soil physical and biochemical characteristics and makes tea plants more susceptible against crude oil contamination. Therefore, two native bacterial strains designated as AS 03 and ...

  17. Feasilbility of phytoextraction to remediate cadmium and zinc contaminated soils

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Koopmans, G.F.; Romkens, P.F.A.M.; Fokkema, M.J.; Song, J.; Luo, Y.M.; Japenga, J.; Zhao, F.J.

    2008-01-01

    A Cd and Zn contaminated soil was mixed and equilibrated with an uncontaminated, but otherwise similar soil to establish a gradient in soil contamination levels. Growth of Thlaspi caerulescens (Ganges ecotype) significantly decreased the metal concentrations in soil solution. Plant uptake of Cd and

  18. Feasibility of phytoextraction to remediate cadmium and zinc contaminated soils

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Koopmans, G.F.; Romkens, P.F.A.M.; Fokkema, M.J.; Song, J.; Luo, Y.; Japenga, J.; Zhao, F.J.

    2008-01-01

    A Cd and Zn contaminated soil was mixed and equilibrated with an uncontaminated, but otherwise similar soil to establish a gradient in soil contamination levels. Growth of Thlaspi caerulescens (Ganges ecotype) significantly decreased the metal concentrations in soil solution. Plant uptake of Cd and

  19. Soil sealing degree as factor influencing urban soil contamination with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mendyk Łukasz

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available The objective of the study was to determine role of soil sealing degree as the factor influencing soil contamination with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs. The study area included four sampling sites located within the administrative boundaries of the Toruń city, Poland. Sampling procedure involved preparing soil pits representing three examples of soil sealing at each site: non-sealed soil as a control one (I and two degrees of soil sealing: semi-pervious surface (II and totally impervious surface (III. Together with basic properties defined with standard procedures (particle size distribution, pH, LOI, content of carbonates content of selected PAHs was determined by dichloromethane extraction using gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection (GC-MS. Obtained results show that urban soils in the city of Toruń are contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Soil sealing degree has a strong influence on the soil contamination with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Totally sealed soils are better preserved from atmospheric pollution including PAHs. Combustion of grass/wood/coal was the main source of determined PAHs content in examined soils.

  20. Soil mixing of stratified contaminated sands.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Tabba, A; Ayotamuno, M J; Martin, R J

    2000-02-01

    Validation of soil mixing for the treatment of contaminated ground is needed in a wide range of site conditions to widen the application of the technology and to understand the mechanisms involved. Since very limited work has been carried out in heterogeneous ground conditions, this paper investigates the effectiveness of soil mixing in stratified sands using laboratory-scale augers. This enabled a low cost investigation of factors such as grout type and form, auger design, installation procedure, mixing mode, curing period, thickness of soil layers and natural moisture content on the unconfined compressive strength, leachability and leachate pH of the soil-grout mixes. The results showed that the auger design plays a very important part in the mixing process in heterogeneous sands. The variability of the properties measured in the stratified soils and the measurable variations caused by the various factors considered, highlighted the importance of duplicating appropriate in situ conditions, the usefulness of laboratory-scale modelling of in situ conditions and the importance of modelling soil and contaminant heterogeneities at the treatability study stage.

  1. Bioremediation of diesel fuel contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Troy, M.A.; Jerger, D.E.

    1992-01-01

    Bioremediation techniques were successfully employed in the cost-effective cleanup of approximately 8400 gallons of diesel fuel which had been accidentally discharged at a warehouse in New Jersey. Surrounding soils were contaminated with the diesel fuel at concentrations exceeding 1,470 mg/kg total petroleum hydrocarbons as measured by infrared spectroscopy (TPH-IR, EPA method 418.1, modified for soils). This paper reports on treatment of the contaminated soils through enhanced biological land treatment which was chosen for the soil remediation pursuant to a New Jersey Pollutant Discharge Elimination System - Discharge to Ground Water (NJPDES-DGW) permit. Biological land treatment of diesel fuel focuses on the breakdown of the hydrocarbon fractions by indigenous aerobic microorganisms in the layers of soil where oxygen is made available. Metabolism by these microorganisms can ultimately reduce the hydrocarbons to innocuous end products. The purpose of biological land treatment was to reduce the concentration of the petroleum hydrocarbon constituents of the diesel fuel in the soil to 100 ppm total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH)

  2. Release behavior of triazine residues in stabilised contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ying, G.G.; Kookana, R.S.; Mallavarpu, M.

    2005-01-01

    This paper reports the release behavior of two triazines (atrazine and simazine) in stabilised soils from a pesticide-contaminated site in South Australia. The soils were contaminated with a range of pesticides, especially with triazine herbicides. With multiple extractions of each soil sample with deionised water (eight in total), 15% of atrazine and 4% of simazine residues were recovered, resulting in very high concentrations of the two herbicides in leachate. The presence of small fractions of surfactants was found to further enhance the release of the residues. Methanol content up to 10% did not substantially influence the concentration of simazine and atrazine released. The study demonstrated that while the stabilisation of contaminated soil with particulate activated carbon (5%) and cement mix (15%) was effective in locking the residues of some pesticides, it failed to immobilise triazine herbicides residues completely. Given the higher water solubility of these herbicides than other compounds more effective strategies to immobilise their residues is needed. - Stabilisation of contaminated soil with a mix of activated carbon and cement may fail to immobilise some contaminants like triazines

  3. Bioavailability assessment of contaminants in soils via respiration and nitrification tests

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hund-Rinke, Kerstin; Simon, Markus

    2008-01-01

    For the assessment of contaminated soils ecotoxicological tests are used to estimate the bioavailability of contaminants in soil samples. Terrestrial tests reveal the habitat function of soils, and parameters applied in tests involving microorganisms include respiration activity and potential ammonium oxidation. For such tests, the threshold values needed to assess the results have already been established in guidelines ISO 17155 and ISO 15685. In this paper, we discuss about the respiration activity and potential ammonium oxidation results obtained from a wide variety of soils with different physico-chemical properties and levels of contamination. These results show that microbial respiration and potential ammonium oxidation have different sensitivities to various classes of contaminants. We demonstrated that both organic and inorganic contaminants influence potential ammonium oxidation, whereas microbial respiration is predominantly affected by biodegradable organic contaminants. These differences might be useful for more detailed assessments of soil contamination, leading to different recommended actions depending on which parameter is affected. - The paper provides a further criterion for a more detailed assessment of soil contamination, leading to different recommended actions depending on which parameter is affected

  4. Bioavailability assessment of contaminants in soils via respiration and nitrification tests

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hund-Rinke, Kerstin [Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Auf dem Aberg 1, 57392 Schmallenberg (Germany)], E-mail: kerstin.hund-rinke@ime.fraunhofer.de; Simon, Markus [Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Auf dem Aberg 1, 57392 Schmallenberg (Germany)], E-mail: markus.simon@ime.fraunhofer.de

    2008-05-15

    For the assessment of contaminated soils ecotoxicological tests are used to estimate the bioavailability of contaminants in soil samples. Terrestrial tests reveal the habitat function of soils, and parameters applied in tests involving microorganisms include respiration activity and potential ammonium oxidation. For such tests, the threshold values needed to assess the results have already been established in guidelines ISO 17155 and ISO 15685. In this paper, we discuss about the respiration activity and potential ammonium oxidation results obtained from a wide variety of soils with different physico-chemical properties and levels of contamination. These results show that microbial respiration and potential ammonium oxidation have different sensitivities to various classes of contaminants. We demonstrated that both organic and inorganic contaminants influence potential ammonium oxidation, whereas microbial respiration is predominantly affected by biodegradable organic contaminants. These differences might be useful for more detailed assessments of soil contamination, leading to different recommended actions depending on which parameter is affected. - The paper provides a further criterion for a more detailed assessment of soil contamination, leading to different recommended actions depending on which parameter is affected.

  5. SoilCAM: soil contamination: advanced integrated characterisation and time-lapse monitoring

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    French, H.K.; Zee, van der S.E.A.T.M.; Meju, M.

    2009-01-01

    The SoilCAM project is aimed at improving current methods for monitoring contaminant distribution and biodegradation in the subsurface. Currently proven methods, based on invasive sampling of soil, soil water and gaseous phase, are unable to provide sufficiently accurate data with high enough

  6. Urban community gardeners' knowledge and perceptions of soil contaminant risks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Brent F; Poulsen, Melissa N; Margulies, Jared D; Dix, Katie L; Palmer, Anne M; Nachman, Keeve E

    2014-01-01

    Although urban community gardening can offer health, social, environmental, and economic benefits, these benefits must be weighed against the potential health risks stemming from exposure to contaminants such as heavy metals and organic chemicals that may be present in urban soils. Individuals who garden at or eat food grown in contaminated urban garden sites may be at risk of exposure to such contaminants. Gardeners may be unaware of these risks and how to manage them. We used a mixed quantitative/qualitative research approach to characterize urban community gardeners' knowledge and perceptions of risks related to soil contaminant exposure. We conducted surveys with 70 gardeners from 15 community gardens in Baltimore, Maryland, and semi-structured interviews with 18 key informants knowledgeable about community gardening and soil contamination in Baltimore. We identified a range of factors, challenges, and needs related to Baltimore community gardeners' perceptions of risk related to soil contamination, including low levels of concern and inconsistent levels of knowledge about heavy metal and organic chemical contaminants, barriers to investigating a garden site's history and conducting soil tests, limited knowledge of best practices for reducing exposure, and a need for clear and concise information on how best to prevent and manage soil contamination. Key informants discussed various strategies for developing and disseminating educational materials to gardeners. For some challenges, such as barriers to conducting site history and soil tests, some informants recommended city-wide interventions that bypass the need for gardener knowledge altogether.

  7. Urban community gardeners' knowledge and perceptions of soil contaminant risks.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brent F Kim

    Full Text Available Although urban community gardening can offer health, social, environmental, and economic benefits, these benefits must be weighed against the potential health risks stemming from exposure to contaminants such as heavy metals and organic chemicals that may be present in urban soils. Individuals who garden at or eat food grown in contaminated urban garden sites may be at risk of exposure to such contaminants. Gardeners may be unaware of these risks and how to manage them. We used a mixed quantitative/qualitative research approach to characterize urban community gardeners' knowledge and perceptions of risks related to soil contaminant exposure. We conducted surveys with 70 gardeners from 15 community gardens in Baltimore, Maryland, and semi-structured interviews with 18 key informants knowledgeable about community gardening and soil contamination in Baltimore. We identified a range of factors, challenges, and needs related to Baltimore community gardeners' perceptions of risk related to soil contamination, including low levels of concern and inconsistent levels of knowledge about heavy metal and organic chemical contaminants, barriers to investigating a garden site's history and conducting soil tests, limited knowledge of best practices for reducing exposure, and a need for clear and concise information on how best to prevent and manage soil contamination. Key informants discussed various strategies for developing and disseminating educational materials to gardeners. For some challenges, such as barriers to conducting site history and soil tests, some informants recommended city-wide interventions that bypass the need for gardener knowledge altogether.

  8. Effect of soil texture on phytoremediation of arsenic-contaminated soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pallud, C. E.; Matzen, S. L.; Olson, A.

    2015-12-01

    Soil arsenic (As) contamination is a global problem, resulting in part from anthropogenic activities, including the use of arsenical pesticides and treated wood, mining, and irrigated agriculture. Phytoextraction using the hyperaccumulating fern Pteris vittata is a promising new technology to remediate soils with shallow arsenic contamination with minimal site disturbance. However, many challenges still lie ahead for a global application of phytoremediation. For example, remediation times using P. vittata are on the order of decades. In addition, most research on As phytoextraction with P. vittata has examined As removal from sandy soils, where As is more available, with little research focusing on As removal from clayey soils, where As is less available. The objective of this study is to determine the effects of soil texture and soil fertilization on As extraction by P. vittata, to optimize remediation efficiency and decrease remediation time under complex field conditions. A field study was established 2.5 years ago in an abandoned railroad grade contaminated with As (average 85.5 mg kg-1) with texture varying from sandy loam to silty clay loam. Organic N, inorganic N, organic P, inorganic P, and compost were applied to separate sub-plots; control ferns were grown in untreated soil. In a parallel greenhouse experiment, ferns were grown in sandy loam soil extracted from the field (180 mg As kg-1), with similar treatments as those used at the field site, plus a high phosphate treatment and treatments with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. In the field study, fern mortality was 24% higher in clayey soil than in sandy soil due to waterlogging, while As was primarily associated with sandy soil. Results from the sandy loam soil indicate that soil treatments did not significantly increase As phytoextraction, which was lower in phosphate-treated ferns than in control ferns, both in the field and greenhouse study. Under greenhouse conditions, ferns treated with organic N were

  9. Bio-mechanical removing of contaminated soils: a field experiment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jouve, A.; Maubert, H.; Schulte, E.

    1992-01-01

    If, in spite of safety precautions, a major nuclear accident would occur, countermeasures should be taken to attenuate the impact of radioactive deposits. The European RESSAC program (REhabilitation of Soils and Surfaces after an ACcident) aims at studying actions for normal life return in contaminated zones. One of them, called the Decontaminating Vegetal Network (D.V.N.) associates the biological action of turfing plants, producing a dense root-network capable to trap the top contaminated soil particles, and the mechanical efficiency of a turf harvester which can remove only 1 cm of soil. This performance, not associated with other techniques of soil removal such as scrapers or bulldozers, leads to minimize the waste production. The D.V.N is a vegetal cover spread over the contaminated soil, using the hydro-seeding technique. The growing plants are forming a pleasant lawn which may have a positive impact on the public opinion compared to techniques using bitumen mixtures to cover the soil. Field experiments involving labelling solutions of stable molybdenum salts simulating the contamination of the soil have shown that this technique can be applied as well on homogeneous cultivated soil surfaces as on roughly ploughed soils. 4 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs

  10. Plant uptake of radiocesium from contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pipiska, M.; Lesny, J.; Hornik, M.; Augustin, J.

    2004-01-01

    Phytoextraction field experiments were conducted on soil contaminated with radiocesium to determine the capacity of autochthonous grasses and weeds to accumulate 137 Cs. The aim of the study was to evaluate the potential of spontaneously growing vegetation as a tool for decontamination of non-agricultural contaminated land. As a test field, the closed monitored area of the radioactive wastewater treatment plant of the Nuclear Power Plant in Jaslovskie Bohunice, Slovakia was used. contamination was irregularly distributed from the level of background to spots with maximal activity up to 900 Bq/g soil. Sequential extraction analysis of soil samples showed the following extractability of radiocesium (as percent of total): water 2 = 0.3-1.1%; 1M CH 3 COONa = 0.3-0.9%; 0.04 M NH 4 Cl (in 25% CH 3 COOH) = 0.9-1.4% and 30% H 2 O 2 - 0.02 M HNO 3 = 4.5-9.0%.Specific radioactivity of the most efficiently bioaccumulating plant species did not exceed 4.0 BqKg -1 (dry weight biomass). These correspond to the soil-to-plant transfer factor (TF) values up to 44.4x10 -4 BqKg -1 crop, d.w.)/(BqKg -1 soil d.w). Aggregated transfer factor (T ag ) of the average sample of the whole crop harvested from defined area was 0.5x10 -5 (Bqkg -1 d.w. crop)/(Bqm -2 soil). It can be concluded that low mobility of radiocesium in analysed soil type, confirmed by sequential extraction analyses, is the main hindrance for practical application for autochthonous plants as a phytoremediation tool for aged contaminated area of non-cultivated sites. Plant cover can efficiently serve only as a soil surface-stabilising layer, mitigating the migration of radiocesium into the surrounding environment. (author)

  11. Electrokinetic In Situ Treatment of Metal-Contaminated Soil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quinn, Jacqueline; Clausen, Christian A., III; Geiger, Cherie; Reinhart, Debra

    2004-01-01

    An electrokinetic technique has been developed as a means of in situ remediation of soils, sludges, and sediments that are contaminated with heavy metals. Examples of common metal contaminants that can be removed by this technique include cadmium, chromium, zinc, lead, mercury, and radionuclides. Some organic contaminants can also be removed by this technique. In the electrokinetic technique, a low-intensity direct current is applied between electrodes that have been implanted in the ground on each side of a contaminated soil mass. The electric current causes electro-osmosis and migration of ions, thereby moving aqueous-phase subsurface contaminants from one electrode to the other. The half reaction at the anode yields H+, thereby generating an acid front that travels from the anode toward the cathode. As this acid front passes through a given location, the local increase in acidity increases the solubility of cations that were previously adsorbed on soil particles. Ions are transported towards one electrode or the other which one depending on their respective electric charges. Upon arrival at the electrodes, the ionic contaminants can be allowed to become deposited on the electrodes or can be extracted to a recovery system. Surfactants and other reagents can be introduced at the electrodes to enhance rates of removal of contaminants. Placements of electrodes and concentrations and rates of pumping of reagents can be adjusted to maximize efficiency. The basic concept of electrokinetic treatment of soil is not new. What is new here are some of the details of application and the utilization of this technique as an alternative to other techniques (e.g., flushing or bioremediation) that are not suitable for treating soils of low hydraulic conductivity. Another novel aspect is the use of this technique as a less expensive alternative to excavation: The cost advantage over excavation is especially large in settings in which contaminated soil lies near and/or under

  12. Chelate-assisted phytoextraction of lead from contaminated soils

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cooper, E.M.; Sims, J.T.; Cunningham, S.D.; Huang, J.W.; Berti, W.R.

    1999-12-01

    Phytoextraction, a remediation strategy for lead (Pb)-contaminated soils that removes soil Pb through plant uptake and harvest, may be enhanced by use of synthetic chelates. The authors evaluated Pb desorption from four contaminated soils by seven chelates (CDTA, DTPA, EDDHA, EFTA, HEDTA, HEIDA, and NTA) at three rates. The three most effective chelates (CDTA, DTPA, and HEDTA) were used in greenhouse studies with an uncontaminated soil and a Pb-contaminated soil to determine the effect of chelate type and rate on growth, Pb uptake, and plant elemental composition. Lead desorption varied with chelate and soil and increased with chelate rate, averaging 948 mg Pb kg{sup {minus}1} at the 20 mmol kg{sup {minus}1} rate vs. 28 mg Pb kg{sup {minus}1} by the control. The general ranking of chelate effectiveness, based on total Pb desorbed, was HEDTA > CDTA > DTPA > EGTA > HEIDA > EDDHA {approximately} NTA. Plant uptake of Pb from the contaminated soil was enhanced by CDTA, DTPA, and HEDTA, but with even the most effective treatment (corn, high CDTA rate), the amount of Pb extracted by plants was rather low. Lead extractable by the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) was increased from 9 mg L{sup {minus}1} in the control to from 47 to 174 mg L{sup {minus}1} in soils treated with 20 mmol kg{sup {minus}1} CDTA or DTPA and chelates generally caused a shift in Pb from resistant to more soluble chemical fractions.

  13. Effective dielectric mixture model for characterization of diesel contaminated soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al-Mattarneh, H.M.A.

    2007-01-01

    Human exposure to contaminated soil by diesel isomers can have serious health consequences like neurological diseases or cancer. The potential of dielectric measuring techniques for electromagnetic characterization of contaminated soils was investigated in this paper. The purpose of the research was to develop an empirical dielectric mixture model for soil hydrocarbon contamination application. The paper described the basic theory and elaborated in dielectric mixture theory. The analytical and empirical models were explained in simple algebraic formulas. The experimental study was then described with reference to materials, properties and experimental results. The results of the analytical models were also mathematically explained. The proposed semi-empirical model was also presented. According to the result of the electromagnetic properties of dry soil contaminated with diesel, the diesel presence had no significant effect on the electromagnetic properties of dry soil. It was concluded that diesel had no contribution to the soil electrical conductivity, which confirmed the nonconductive character of diesel. The results of diesel-contaminated soil at saturation condition indicated that both dielectric constant and loss factors of soil were decreased with increasing diesel content. 15 refs., 2 tabs., 9 figs

  14. Bioremediation in soil contaminated with hydrocarbons in Colombia.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María Alejandra Trujillo Toro

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available This study analyzes bioremediation processes of hydrocarbon contaminated soils in Colombia as a sustainable alternative to the deterioration of environmental quality by hydrocarbon spillage. According to national and international environmental law, all waste contaminated with hydrocarbons is considered dangerous waste, and therefore it cannot be released in the ground, water or be incinerated. Such legislation has motivated companies around the world to implement treatment processes for contaminated soils. Within Colombia, oil companies have been implementing the bioremediation of hydrocarbon contaminated soils in order to manage the waste coming from activities of oil drilling, refinement, transport and distribution.These practices must be considered viable for their ease of implementation, their low overhead costs, and for the benefits they provide towards environmental quality. Among the positive impacts that these practices have generated, it may consider the following: a solution for the problem of hydrocarbon contaminated soils, alternatives for the ultimate disposal of said waste without affecting ground, water or air resources, the low cost of the operation, and the technical experience of sustainable development which can continue to be implemented in companies dealing with dangerous waste.

  15. Progress of research and utilization of soil amendments in phytoremediation of radioactive contamination soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guo Yangrui; Song Gang; Chen Yongheng

    2012-01-01

    With the increasing of soil pollution and degradation, it becomes more important to research and apply soil amendments in agriculture. This paper reviewed different kinds of soil amendments and their impacts on phytostabilization and phytoextraction techniques, and summarized the application of soil amendments in the radio-contaminated soils as well as their effects on the phytoremediation. The main repair mechanisms of the soil amendments are involved in adsorption, ion exchange, chelation, and complexation. The potential applications in the phytoremediation on radio-contaminated soils, as well as the main repair mechanisms and the existing problems were discussed. (authors)

  16. Vermiremediation of soils contaminated with mixture of petroleum ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    In this paper, vermiremediation, a biological technique was utilized in order to clean-up soil contaminated with gasoline, diesel and spent engine oil using an earthworm - Eisenia fetida. The contaminated soils were analyzed for the total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) level every 24 hours over a period of 120 hours using ...

  17. Optimization of surfactant-aided remediation of industrially contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Joshi, M.M.; Lee, S.

    1996-01-01

    Soil matrices contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) abound at the sites of coke-oven gas plants, refineries, and many other major chemical industries. The removal of PAHs from soil using pure water, via soil washing (ex situ) or soil flushing (in situ), is quite ineffective due to their low solubility and hydrophobicity. However, addition of suitable surfactant(s) has been shown to increase the removal efficiency several fold. For the present work, the removal of PAHs occurring in industrially contaminated soil was studied. The objective was to use a nonionic surfactant solution for in situ soil flushing and to evaluate the optimal range of process parameters that can significantly increase the removal efficiency. The process parameters chosen were surfactant concentration, ratio of washing solution volume to soil weight, and temperature of washing solution. These parameters were found to have a significant effect on PAH removal from the contaminated soil and an optimal range was determined for each parameter under given washing conditions

  18. Heavy metal contamination of soil and sediment in Zambia

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    USER

    Key words: Heavy metal, contamination, mining, soil, sediment. INTRODUCTION ... drinking water and inhaling air or soil contaminated by mining activities and the ..... indicates that copper waste discharged into the upper reaches of the Kafue ...

  19. Soil contamination of plant surfaces from grazing and rainfall interactions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hinton, T.G.; Stoll, J.M.; Tobler, L.

    1995-01-01

    Contaminants often attach to soil particles, and their subsequent environmental transport is largely determined by processes that govern soil movement. We examined the influence of grazing intensity on soil contamination of pastures. Four different grazing densities of sheep were tested against an ungrazed control plot. Scandium concentrations were determined by neutron activation analysis and was used as a tracer of soil adhesion on vegetation. Soil loadings ( g soil kg -1 dry plant) increased 60% when grazing intensity was increased by a factor of four (p 0.003). Rain and wind removed soil from vegetation in the ungrazed control plots, but when grazing sheep were present, an increase in rain from 0.3 to 9.7 mm caused a 130% increase in soil contamination. Multiple regression was used to develop an equation that predicts soil loadings as a function of grazing density, rainfall and wind speed (p = 0.0001, r 2 = 0.78). The model predicts that if grazing management were to be used as a tool to reduce contaminant intake from inadvertent consumption of resuspended soil by grazing animals, grazing densities would have to be reduced 2.5 times to reduce soil loadings by 50%. (author)

  20. Accelerated remediation of pesticide-contaminated soil with zerovalent iron

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shea, P.J. [University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583-0915 (United States)]. E-mail: pshea@unl.edu; Machacek, T.A. [University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583-0915 (United States); Comfort, S.D. [University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583-0915 (United States)

    2004-11-01

    High pesticide concentrations in soil from spills or discharges can result in point-source contamination of ground and surface waters. Cost-effective technologies are needed for on-site treatment that meet clean-up goals and restore soil function. Remediation is particularly challenging when a mixture of pesticides is present. Zerovalent iron (Fe{sup 0}) has been shown to promote reductive dechlorination and nitro group reduction of a wide range of contaminants in soil and water. We employed Fe{sup 0} for on-site treatment of soil containing >1000 mg metolachlor, >55 mg alachlor, >64 mg atrazine, >35 mg pendimethalin, and >10 mg chlorpyrifos kg{sup -1}. While concentrations were highly variable within the windrowed soil, treatment with 5% (w/w) Fe{sup 0} resulted in >60% destruction of the five pesticides within 90 d and increased to >90% when 2% (w/w) Al{sub 2}(SO{sub 4}){sub 3} was added to the Fe{sup 0}. GC/MS analysis confirmed dechlorination of metolachlor and alachlor during treatment. Our observations support the use of Fe{sup 0} for ex situ treatment of pesticide-contaminated soil. - Capsule: Zerovalent iron promotes pesticide degradation in highly contaminated soil.

  1. Some aspects of remediation of contaminated soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bech, Jaume; Korobova, Elena; Abreu, Manuela; Bini, Claudio; Chon, Hyo-Taek; Pérez-Sirvent, Carmen; Roca, Núria

    2014-05-01

    Soils are essential components of the environment, a limited precious and fragile resource, the quality of which should be preserved. The concentration, chemical form and distribution of potential harmful elements in soils depends on parent rocks, weathering, soil type and soil use. However, their concentration can be altered by mismanagement of industrial and mining activities, energy generation, traffic increase, overuse of agrochemicals, sewage sludge and waste disposal, causing contamination, environmental problems and health concerns. Heavy metals, some metalloids and radionuclides are persistent in the environment. This persistence hampers the cost/efficiency of remediation technologies. The choice of the most appropriate soil remediation techniques depends of many factors and essentially of the specific site. This contribution aims to offer an overview of the main remediation methods in contaminated soils. There are two main groups of technologies: the first group dealing with containment and confinement, minimizing their toxicity, mobility and bioavailability. Containment measures include covering, sealing, encapsulation and immobilization and stabilization. The second group, remediation with decontamination, is based on the remotion, clean up and/or destruction of contaminants. This group includes mechanical procedures, physical separations, chemical technologies such as soil washing with leaching or precipitation of harmful elements, soil flushing, thermal treatments and electrokinetic technologies. There are also two approaches of biological nature: bioremediation and phytoremediation. Case studies from Chile, Ecuador, Italy, Korea, Peru, Portugal, Russia and Spain, will be discussed in accordance with the time available.

  2. Allowable residual contamination levels of radionuclides in soil from pathway analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nyquist, J.E.; Baes, C.F. III

    1987-01-01

    The Remedial Action Program (RAP) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory will include well drilling, facility upgrades, and other waste management operations likely to involve soils contaminated with radionuclides. A preliminary protocol and generalized criteria for handling contaminated soils is needed to coordinate and plan RAP activities, but there exists only limited information on contaminate nature and distribution at ORNL RAP sites. Furthermore, projections of long-term decommissioning and closure options for these sites are preliminary. They have adapted a pathway analysis model, DECOM, to quantify risks to human health from radionuclides in soil and used it to outline preliminary criteria for determining the fate of contaminated soil produced during RAP activities. They assumed that the site could be available for unrestricted use immediately upon decontamination. The pathways considered are consumption of food grown on the contaminated soil, including direct ingestion of soil from poorly washed vegetables, direct radiation from the ground surface, inhalation of resuspended radioactive soil, and drinking water from a well drilled through or near the contaminated soil. We will discuss the assumptions and simplifications implicit in DECOM, the site-specific data required, and the results of initial calculations for the Oak Ridge Reservation

  3. Uptake of Organic Contaminants from Soil into Vegetables and Fruits

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Trapp, Stefan; Legind, Charlotte Nielsen

    2011-01-01

    Contaminants may enter vegetables and fruits by several pathways: by uptake with soil pore water, by diffusion from soil or air, by deposition of soil or airborne particles, or by direct application. The contaminant-specific and plantspecific properties that determine the importance of these path......Contaminants may enter vegetables and fruits by several pathways: by uptake with soil pore water, by diffusion from soil or air, by deposition of soil or airborne particles, or by direct application. The contaminant-specific and plantspecific properties that determine the importance...... of these pathways are described in this chapter. A variety of models have been developed, specific for crop types and with steady-state or dynamic solutions. Model simulations can identify sensitive properties and relevant processes. Persistent, polar (log KOW ... particles, or from air. Volatile contaminants have a low potential for accumulation because they quickly escape to air. Experimental data are listed that support these model predictions, but underline also the high variability of accumulation under field conditions. Plant uptake predictions are uncertain...

  4. Natural revegetation of hydrocarbon-contaminated soil in semi-arid grasslands

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bizecki Robson, D.; Knight, J. D.; Farrell, R. E.; Germida, J. J.

    2004-01-01

    Phytoremediation, or the use of plants to degrade and contain soil contaminants is considered a cost-effective decontaminant for sites contaminated by spills in the oil and gas producing areas of Western Canada. The objective of this study was to determine if contamination by hydrocarbons changes soil properties, species composition, and species abundance when compared with uncontaminated plots, and to identify species and functional groups unique to contaminated sites that may be further screened for their hydrocarbon-degrading ability. In pursuit of these objectives the effect of contamination on coverage, litter and bare ground was examined, differences in species composition between contaminated and uncontaminated sites were assessed, and the ability to fix nitrogen, and form mycorrhiza, life form, pollination mode, seed dispersal and reproduction mode of each species was determined. Results showed less vegetation and litter cover in contaminated plots, and significantly higher soil carbon to nitrogen ratios. Species diversity was also lower on contaminated sites, although species richness was not significantly different. Self-pollinated species were significantly more common on contaminated sites. Five grasses and three forbs were identified as tolerant of hydrocarbon-contaminated soils, with two grasses -- Agropyron smithii, and Agropyron trachycaulum -- being the most promising for reclamation. The low vegetation cover on contaminated plots is attributed to high pH and carbon to nitrogen ratios, and low nitrogen and phosphorus that results from soil disturbance. High electrical conductivity is also considered to adversely affect vegetation and litter cover on contaminated sites. 54 refs., 3 tabs., 1 fig

  5. Natural revegetation of hydrocarbon-contaminated soil in semi-arid grasslands

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bizecki Robson, D.; Knight, J. D.; Farrell, R. E.; Germida, J. J. [University of Saskatchewan, Dept. of Soil Science, Saskatoon, SK (Canada)

    2004-01-01

    Phytoremediation, or the use of plants to degrade and contain soil contaminants is considered a cost-effective decontaminant for sites contaminated by spills in the oil and gas producing areas of Western Canada. The objective of this study was to determine if contamination by hydrocarbons changes soil properties, species composition, and species abundance when compared with uncontaminated plots, and to identify species and functional groups unique to contaminated sites that may be further screened for their hydrocarbon-degrading ability. In pursuit of these objectives the effect of contamination on coverage, litter and bare ground was examined, differences in species composition between contaminated and uncontaminated sites were assessed, and the ability to fix nitrogen, and form mycorrhiza, life form, pollination mode, seed dispersal and reproduction mode of each species was determined. Results showed less vegetation and litter cover in contaminated plots, and significantly higher soil carbon to nitrogen ratios. Species diversity was also lower on contaminated sites, although species richness was not significantly different. Self-pollinated species were significantly more common on contaminated sites. Five grasses and three forbs were identified as tolerant of hydrocarbon-contaminated soils, with two grasses -- Agropyron smithii, and Agropyron trachycaulum -- being the most promising for reclamation. The low vegetation cover on contaminated plots is attributed to high pH and carbon to nitrogen ratios, and low nitrogen and phosphorus that results from soil disturbance. High electrical conductivity is also considered to adversely affect vegetation and litter cover on contaminated sites. 54 refs., 3 tabs., 1 fig.

  6. Heavy-metal contamination of soils in Saxony/Germany by foundry fumes and low-cost rapid analyses of contaminated soils by XRF

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mucke, D.

    2012-04-01

    Heavy-metal contamination of soils in Saxony/Germany by foundry fumes and low-cost rapid analysis of contaminated soils by XRF Dieter Mucke, Rolf Kumann, Sebastian Baldauf GEOMONTAN Gesellschaft für Geologie und Bergbau mbH&Co.KG, Muldentalstrasse 56, 09603 Rothenfurth, Saxony/Germany For hundreds of years in the Ore Mountains between Bohemia and Saxony silver and other ores are produced and smelted. Sulphide- and sulpharsenide-ores needed to be roasted first. In doing so the sulphide sulphur was oxidised under formation of sulphur dioxide SO2 and arsenide conversed into elemental arsenic and arsenide trioxide As2O3 respectively. Also the metals lead, cadmium and zinc are components of hut smokes, in the field of nickel foundries also nickel. The contents of soils basically reflect the geogenic conditions, which are caused by decomposition- and relocation-effects of the mineralisations, in the area of foundries also with influences by with the hut smokes anthropogenic mobilised elements. The Saxonian Agency for Environment and Geology drafted in 1992 a Soil Investigation Program with the aim of investigation of the contamination of Saxonian soils with arsenic and toxic heavy metals. In order of this Agency GEOMONTAN investigated 1164 measuring points in the grid 4 * 4 km.soil profiles and extracted soil samples for analysis. In the result of the laboratory examinations the Agency edited the "Soil atlas of the Free State of Saxony". 27 elements, pH and PAK are shown in detailed maps and allow in whole Saxony the first assessment of the contamination of soils with arsenic and toxic heavy metals. Each of the investigated soil profiles represent an area of 16 km2. Already by the different use of the districts (agricultural, industrial, urban) restricts representative values. GEOMONTAN in the meantime used at the exploration of a copper deposit in Brandenburg/Germany with approx. 50,000 single tests at drill cores a very fast low-cost method: the X Ray fluorescence

  7. Treatment of NORM contaminated soil from the oilfields.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdellah, W M; Al-Masri, M S

    2014-03-01

    Uncontrolled disposal of oilfield produced water in the surrounding environment could lead to soil contamination by naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM). Large volumes of soil become highly contaminated with radium isotopes ((226)Ra and (228)Ra). In the present work, laboratory experiments have been conducted to reduce the activity concentration of (226)Ra in soil. Two techniques were used, namely mechanical separation and chemical treatment. Screening of contaminated soil using vibratory sieve shaker was performed to evaluate the feasibility of particle size separation. The fractions obtained were ranged from less than 38 μm to higher than 300 μm. The results show that (226)Ra activity concentrations vary widely from fraction to fraction. On the other hand, leaching of (226)Ra from soil by aqueous solutions (distilled water, mineral acids, alkaline medias and selective solvents) has been performed. In most cases, relatively low concentrations of radium were transferred to solutions, which indicates that only small portions of radium are present on the surface of soil particles (around 4.6%), while most radium located within soil particles; only concentrated nitric acid was most effective where 50% of (226)Ra was removed to aqueous phase. However, mechanical method was found to be easy and effective, taking into account safety procedures to be followed during the implementation of the blending and homogenization. Chemical extraction methods were found to be less effective. The results obtained in this study can be utilized to approach the final option for disposal of NORM contaminated soil in the oilfields. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Quicklime-induced changes of soil properties: Implications for enhanced remediation of volatile chlorinated hydrocarbon contaminated soils via mechanical soil aeration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Yan; Dong, Binbin; He, Xiaosong; Shi, Yi; Xu, Mingyue; He, Xuwen; Du, Xiaoming; Li, Fasheng

    2017-04-01

    Mechanical soil aeration is used for soil remediation at sites contaminated by volatile organic compounds. However, the effectiveness of the method is limited by low soil temperature, high soil moisture, and high soil viscosity. Combined with mechanical soil aeration, quicklime has a practical application value related to reinforcement remediation and to its action in the remediation of soil contaminated with volatile organic compounds. In this study, the target pollutant was trichloroethylene, which is a volatile chlorinated hydrocarbon pollutant commonly found in contaminated soils. A restoration experiment was carried out, using a set of mechanical soil-aeration simulation tests, by adding quicklime (mass ratios of 3, 10, and 20%) to the contaminated soil. The results clearly indicate that quicklime changed the physical properties of the soil, which affected the environmental behaviour of trichloroethylene in the soil. The addition of CaO increased soil temperature and reduced soil moisture to improve the mass transfer of trichloroethylene. In addition, it improved the macroporous cumulative pore volume and average pore size, which increased soil permeability. As soil pH increased, the clay mineral content in the soils decreased, the cation exchange capacity and the redox potential decreased, and the removal of trichloroethylene from the soil was enhanced to a certain extent. After the addition of quicklime, the functional group COO of soil organic matter could interact with calcium ions, which increased soil polarity and promoted the removal of trichloroethylene. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Restoration of contaminated soils; Restauracion de suelos contaminados

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Miranda J, Jose Eduardo

    2009-07-01

    A great variety of techniques are used for the restoration of contaminated soils. The contamination is present by both organic and inorganic pollutants. Environmental conditions and soil characteristics should take into account in order to implement a remedial technique. The bioremediation technologies are showed as help to remove a variety of soil contaminants. (author) [Spanish] Una gran variedad de tecnicas son utilizadas para la restauracion de suelos contaminados. La contaminacion se presenta tanto por contaminantes organicos como inorganicos. Las condiciones ambientales y caracteristicas del suelo se deben de tomar en cuenta para poder implementar una tecnica remediadora. Las tecnologias de biorremediacion son mostradas como ayuda para remover una gran variedad de contaminantes del suelo. (autor)

  10. Electromigration of Contaminated Soil by Electro-Bioremediation Technique

    Science.gov (United States)

    Azhar, A. T. S.; Nabila, A. T. A.; Nurshuhaila, M. S.; Shaylinda, M. Z. N.; Azim, M. A. M.

    2016-07-01

    Soil contamination with heavy metals poses major environmental and human health problems. This problem needs an efficient method and affordable technological solution such as electro-bioremediation technique. The electro-bioremediation technique used in this study is the combination of bacteria and electrokinetic process. The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of Pseudomonas putida bacteria as a biodegradation agent to remediate contaminated soil. 5 kg of kaolin soil was spiked with 5 g of zinc oxide. During this process, the anode reservoir was filled with Pseudomonas putida while the cathode was filled with distilled water for 5 days at 50 V of electrical gradient. The X-Ray Fluorescent (XRF) test indicated that there was a significant reduction of zinc concentration for the soil near the anode with 89% percentage removal. The bacteria count is high near the anode which is 1.3x107 cfu/gww whereas the bacteria count at the middle and near the cathode was 5.0x106 cfu/gww and 8.0x106 cfu/gww respectively. The migration of ions to the opposite charge of electrodes during the electrokinetic process resulted from the reduction of zinc. The results obtained proved that the electro-bioremediation reduced the level of contaminants in the soil sample. Thus, the electro-bioremediation technique has the potential to be used in the treatment of contaminated soil.

  11. Evaluation the Phytoremediation of Oil-contaminated Soils Around Isfahan Oil Refinery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Farida Iraji-Asiabadi

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Petroleum compounds are pollutants that most commonly occur in soils around oil refineries and that often find their ways into groundwater resources. Phytoremediation is a cost-effective alternative to physicochemical methods for oil-contaminated soil remediation, where feasible. In this study, a greenhouse experiment was conducted to evaluate the phytoremediation of oil-contaminated soils around Isfahan Oil Refinery. Four different plants (namely, sorghum, barley, agropyron, and festuca were initially evaluated in terms of their germinability in both contaminated and control (non-contaminated soils. Sorghum and barley (recording the highest germinability values were chosen as the species for use in the phytoremediation experiments. Shoot and root dry weights, total and oil-degrading bacteria counts, microbial activity, and total concentrations of petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs were determined at harvest 120 days after planting. A significant difference was observed in the bacterial counts (total and oil-degrading bacteria between the planted soils and the control. In contaminated soils, a higher microbial activity was observed in the rhizosphere of the sorghum soil than in that of barley. TPHs concentration decreased by 52%‒64% after 120 days in contaminated soil in which sorghum and barley had been cultivated. This represented an improvement of 30% compared to the contaminated soil without plants. Based on the results obtained, sorghum and barley may be recommended for the removal of petro-contaminants in areas close to Isfahan Oil Refinery. Nevertheless, caution must be taken as such cultivated lands may need to be protected against grazing animals.

  12. Selective flotation for the removal of radionuclides from contaminated soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miller, J.D.; Yu, Q.; Lu, Y.Q.

    1995-01-01

    Low-level radioactive contaminated soils (10--500 pci/gm) created by defense-related activities at certain Superfund sites, such as Nevada Test Site (NTS), is a current environmental concern. Many of these contaminated sites may require appropriate cleanup and restoration, which could cost billions of dollars and put tremendous pressure on limited financial resources. Therefore, the development of a selective flotation process to separate such radionuclides from contaminated soils should be considered. In this study, both a pure depleted UO 2 sample and three synthetic UO 2 /soil mixtures were used to evaluate surface chemistry features and to examine the possibility for the flotation of fine UO 2 particles from selected soils. It was intended that this model system would be a reasonable representation of contaminated soils such as those found the Nevada Test Site which are reported to be contaminated by PuO 2 fallout. The effect of reagent schedule, particle size distribution, and surface charge are discussed with respect to the flotation separation of the UO 2 /soil mixtures. It was found that both commercial fatty acids and reagent grade sodium oleate are effective collectors for UO 2 flotation provided the pH is adjusted to the range of pH 8--9. The bench-scale flotation results successfully demonstrated that froth flotation technology can be used to remove UO 2 from such model contaminated soils with appropriate flotation chemistry conditions which depend on the soil characteristics and other pretreatment procedures

  13. Plant tolerance to diesel minimizes its impact on soil microbial characteristics during rhizoremediation of diesel-contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barrutia, O.; Garbisu, C.; Epelde, L.; Sampedro, M.C.; Goicolea, M.A.; Becerril, J.M.

    2011-01-01

    Soil contamination due to petroleum-derived products is an important environmental problem. We assessed the impacts of diesel oil on plants (Trifolium repens and Lolium perenne) and soil microbial community characteristics within the context of the rhizoremediation of contaminated soils. For this purpose, a diesel fuel spill on a grassland soil was simulated under pot conditions at a dose of 12,000 mg diesel kg -1 DW soil. Thirty days after diesel addition, T. repens (white clover) and L. perenne (perennial ryegrass) were sown in the pots and grown under greenhouse conditions (temperature 25/18 o C day/night, relative humidity 60/80% day/night and a photosynthetic photon flux density of 400 μmol photon m -2 s -1 ) for 5 months. A parallel set of unplanted pots was also included. Concentrations of n-alkanes in soil were determined as an indicator of diesel degradation. Seedling germination, plant growth, maximal photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (F v /F m ), pigment composition and lipophylic antioxidant content were determined to assess the impacts of diesel on the studied plants. Soil microbial community characteristics, such as enzyme and community-level physiological profiles, were also determined and used to calculate the soil quality index (SQI). The presence of plants had a stimulatory effect on soil microbial activity. L. perenne was far more tolerant to diesel contamination than T. repens. Diesel contamination affected soil microbial characteristics, although its impact was less pronounced in the rhizosphere of L. perenne. Rhizoremediation with T. repens and L. perenne resulted in a similar reduction of total n-alkanes concentration. However, values of the soil microbial parameters and the SQI showed that the more tolerant species (L. perenne) was able to better maintain its rhizosphere characteristics when growing in diesel-contaminated soil, suggesting a better soil health. We concluded that plant tolerance is of crucial importance for the

  14. Remediation techniques for heavy metal-contaminated soils: Principles and applicability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Lianwen; Li, Wei; Song, Weiping; Guo, Mingxin

    2018-08-15

    Globally there are over 20millionha of land contaminated by the heavy metal(loid)s As, Cd, Cr, Hg, Pb, Co, Cu, Ni, Zn, and Se, with the present soil concentrations higher than the geo-baseline or regulatory levels. In-situ and ex-situ remediation techniques have been developed to rectify the heavy metal-contaminated sites, including surface capping, encapsulation, landfilling, soil flushing, soil washing, electrokinetic extraction, stabilization, solidification, vitrification, phytoremediation, and bioremediation. These remediation techniques employ containment, extraction/removal, and immobilization mechanisms to reduce the contamination effects through physical, chemical, biological, electrical, and thermal remedy processes. These techniques demonstrate specific advantages, disadvantages, and applicability. In general, in-situ soil remediation is more cost-effective than ex-situ treatment, and contaminant removal/extraction is more favorable than immobilization and containment. Among the available soil remediation techniques, electrokinetic extraction, chemical stabilization, and phytoremediation are at the development stage, while the others have been practiced at full, field scales. Comprehensive assessment indicates that chemical stabilization serves as a temporary soil remediation technique, phytoremediation needs improvement in efficiency, surface capping and landfilling are applicable to small, serious-contamination sites, while solidification and vitrification are the last remediation option. The cost and duration of soil remediation are technique-dependent and site-specific, up to $500ton -1 soil (or $1500m -3 soil or $100m -2 land) and 15years. Treatability studies are crucial to selecting feasible techniques for a soil remediation project, with considerations of the type and degree of contamination, remediation goals, site characteristics, cost effectiveness, implementation time, and public acceptability. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights

  15. Leaching of Contamination from Stabilization/Solidification Remediated Soils of Different Texture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burlakovs, Juris; Kasparinskis, Raimonds; Klavins, Maris

    2012-09-01

    Development of soil and groundwater remediation technologies is a matter of great importance to eliminate historically and currently contaminated sites. Stabilization/solidification (S/S) refers to binding of waste contaminants to a more chemically stable form and thus diminishing leaching of contamination. It can be performed using cement with or without additives in order to stabilize and solidify soil with the contamination in matrix. A series of experiments were done to determine leaching properties of spiked soils of different texture bound with cement. Results of experiments showed, that soil texture (content of sand, silt and clay particles) affects the leaching of heavy metals from stabilized soils.

  16. Degradation of tetraethyllead in leaded gasoline contaminated and uncontaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ou, L.; Jing, W.; Thomas, J.; Mulroy, P.

    1995-01-01

    For over 50 years, since its introduction in 1923 by General Motors, tetraethyllead (TEL) was the major antiknock agent used in leaded gasoline. Since the middle of 1970, use of leaded gasoline in automobiles was gradually phased out. The main objective of this study is to determine the degradation rates and metabolites of TEL in gasoline contaminated and uncontaminated soils. TEL in uncontaminated soils disappeared rapidly. Ionic triethyllead (TREL) was the major organolead metabolite in these soils, with ionic diethyllead (DEL) being the minor product. Nonsterile soils, but not autoclaved soils, had limited capacity to mineralize 14 C-TEL to 14 CO 2 , H 2 0, and Pb 2+ . Unlike TEL in uncontaminated soils, petroleum hydrocarbons protected TEL in leaded gasoline contaminated soils from being degraded. Both disappearance and mineralization rates of TEL in leaded gasoline contaminated soils decreased with the increase in gasoline concentration. It appears that TEL in leaded gasoline contaminated soils is relatively stable until the level of petroleum hydrocarbons falls below a critical value. TEL is then rapidly degraded. Hydrocarbon degrading microorganisms may be involved, to some extent, in the degradation of TEL

  17. Levels of concern for radioactive contaminations in soil according to soil protection standards

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gellermann, R.; Barkowski, D.; Machtolf, M.

    2016-01-01

    In the paper the question is examined whether the established soil protection standards for carcinogenic substances are also applicable to the assessment of radioactive soil contamination. Referring to the methods applied in soil protection for evaluation of dose-effectrelations and estimations of carcinogenic risks as well as the calculation methods for test values in soil protection ''levels of concern'' for soil contamination by artificial radionuclides are derived. The values obtained are significantly larger than the values for unrestricted clearance of ground according to the German Radiation Protection Ordinance (StrlSchV). The thesis that soil is protected according to environmental standards provided that radiation protection requirements are met needs further checks but can be probably confirmed if the radiation protection requirements are clearly defined.

  18. Enrichment of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in a contaminated soil after rehabilitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lopes Leal, Patrícia; Varón-López, Maryeimy; Gonçalves de Oliveira Prado, Isabelle; Valentim Dos Santos, Jessé; Fonsêca Sousa Soares, Cláudio Roberto; Siqueira, José Oswaldo; de Souza Moreira, Fatima Maria

    Spore counts, species composition and richness of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and soil glomalin contents were evaluated in a soil contaminated with Zn, Cu, Cd and Pb after rehabilitation by partial replacement of the contaminated soil with non-contaminated soil, and by Eucalyptus camaldulensis planting with and without Brachiaria decumbens sowing. These rehabilitation procedures were compared with soils from contaminated non-rehabilitated area and non-contaminated adjacent soils. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi communities attributes were assessed by direct field sampling, trap culture technique, and by glomalin contents estimate. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi was markedly favored by rehabilitation, and a total of 15 arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi morphotypes were detected in the studied area. Species from the Glomus and Acaulospora genera were the most common mycorrhizal fungi. Number of spores was increased by as much as 300-fold, and species richness almost doubled in areas rehabilitated by planting Eucalyptus in rows and sowing B. decumbens in inter-rows. Contents of heavy metals in the soil were negatively correlated with both species richness and glomalin contents. Introduction of B. decumbens together with Eucalyptus causes enrichment of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi species and a more balanced community of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi spores in contaminated soil. Copyright © 2016 Sociedade Brasileira de Microbiologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  19. Clean-up criteria for remediation of contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nguyen, H.D.; Wilson, J.R.; Sato, Chikashi

    1997-01-01

    'How clean is clean?' is a question commonly raised in the remediation of contaminated soils. To help with the answer, criteria are proposed to serve as guidelines for remedial actions and to define a clean-up level such that the remaining contaminant residuals in the soil will not violate the Drinking Water Standards (DWS). The equations for computing those criteria are developed from the principle of conservation of mass and are functions of the maximum concentration level in the water (MCL) and the sorption coefficient. A multiplier, ranging from 10 to 1000, is also factored into the soil standard equation to reflect the effectiveness of various remediation techniques. Maximum allowable concentration in the soil (MSCL) is presented for several contaminants which are being regulated at the present time. Future modifications are recommended for better estimates of the MSCLs as additional transport mechanisms are incorporated to account for other potentially dominant effects

  20. Managing long-term polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon contaminated soils: a risk-based approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duan, Luchun; Naidu, Ravi; Thavamani, Palanisami; Meaklim, Jean; Megharaj, Mallavarapu

    2015-06-01

    Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a family of contaminants that consist of two or more aromatic rings fused together. Soils contaminated with PAHs pose significant risk to human and ecological health. Over the last 50 years, significant research has been directed towards the cleanup of PAH-contaminated soils to background level. However, this achieved only limited success especially with high molecular weight compounds. Notably, during the last 5-10 years, the approach to remediate PAH-contaminated soils has changed considerably. A risk-based prioritization of remediation interventions has become a valuable step in the management of contaminated sites. The hydrophobicity of PAHs underlines that their phase distribution in soil is strongly influenced by factors such as soil properties and ageing of PAHs within the soil. A risk-based approach recognizes that exposure and environmental effects of PAHs are not directly related to the commonly measured total chemical concentration. Thus, a bioavailability-based assessment using a combination of chemical analysis with toxicological assays and nonexhaustive extraction technique would serve as a valuable tool in risk-based approach for remediation of PAH-contaminated soils. In this paper, the fate and availability of PAHs in contaminated soils and their relevance to risk-based management of long-term contaminated soils are reviewed. This review may serve as guidance for the use of site-specific risk-based management methods.

  1. Soil microbial effects of smelter induced heavy metal contamination

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nordgren, A

    1986-01-01

    The soil concentrations of Cu and Zn at the secondary smelter were 20 00 mu g/g dry soil. Close to the primary smelter the soil was contaminated with more than ten elements including Pb, Zn, Cu and As at levels ranging between 6000 and 1000 mu g/g dry soil. The correlations between the concentrations of the metals were high at both smelters. Soil respiration rate decreased by about 75% close to both smelters. Total and fluorescein diacetate stained mycelial lengths decrease with increasing heavy metal pollution at the secondary but not at the primary smelter. The fungal community structure was strongly affected by the contamination. General common in coniferous forest soils such as Penicillium and Oidiodendron virtually vanished, while less frequent species like Paecilomyces farinosus and Geomyces pannorum dominated the site close to the smelter. Colony forming units of a number of functional groups of bacteria were found to be very sensitive to metal contamination. The urease activity of the soil was inhibited. Multivariate statistical analyses showed that the metal contamination was the major environmental influence on the microbiotain the soils studied. A study of about 200 decomposition curves resulting from glutamic acid additions to the different soils produced four microbially related parameters: basal respiration rate, initial respiration rate after the addition of the glutamic acid, specific respiration rate during the exponential increase of the respiration rate and the lag time before the exponential phase. With 53 refs.

  2. Waste management of actinide contaminated soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Navratil, J.D.; Thompson, G.H.; Kochen, R.L.

    1978-01-01

    Waste management processes have been developed to reduce the volume of Rocky Flats soil contaminated with plutonium and americium and to prepare the contaminated fraction for terminal storage. The primary process consists of wet-screening. The secondary process uses attrition scrubbing and wet screening with additives. The tertiary process involves volume reduction of the contaminated fraction by calcination, or fixation by conversion to glass. The results of laboratory scale testing of the processes are described

  3. Microwave thermal remediation of crude oil contaminated soil enhanced by carbon fiber.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Dawei; Zhang, Yaobin; Quan, Xie; Zhao, Yazhi

    2009-01-01

    Thermal remediation of the soil contaminated with crude oil using microwave heating enhanced by carbon fiber (CF) was explored. The contaminated soil was treated with 2.45 GHz microwave, and CF was added to improve the conversion of microwave energy into thermal energy to heat the soil. During microwave heating, the oil contaminant was removed from the soil matrix and recovered by a condensation system of ice-salt bath. The experimental results indicated that CF could efficiently enhance the microwave heating of soil even with relatively low-dose. With 0.1 wt.% CF, the soil could be heated to approximately 700 degrees C within 4 min using 800 W of microwave irradiation. Correspondingly, the contaminated soil could be highly cleaned up in a short time. Investigation of oil recovery showed that, during the remediation process, oil contaminant in the soil could be efficiently recovered without causing significant secondary pollution.

  4. In situ vadose zone remediation of petroleum-contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Greacen, J.R.; Finkel, D.J.

    1991-01-01

    This paper discusses a pilot-scale system treating vadose zone soils contaminated with petroleum products constructed and operated at a former petroleum bulk storage terminal in New England. A site investigation following decommissioning activities identified more than 100,000 yds of soil at the site contaminated by both No. 2 fuel oil and gasoline. Soil cleanup criteria of 50 ppm TPH and 0.25 ppm BTEX were established. A pilot-scale treatment unit with dimensions of 125 ft x 125 ft x 6 ft was constructed to evaluate the potential for in situ treatment of vadose zone soils. Contaminant levels in pilot cell soils ranged from 0 to 5,250 ppm TPH and 0.0 to 4.2 ppm BTEX. Two soil treatment methods n the pilot system were implemented; venting to treat the lighter petroleum fractions and bioremediation to treat the nonvolatile petroleum constituents. Seven soil gas probes were installed to monitor pressure and soil gas vapor concentrations in the subsurface. Changes in soil gas oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations were used as an indirect measure of enhanced bioremediation of pilot cell soils. After operating the system for a period of 2.5 months, soil BTEX concentrations were reduced to concentrations below the remediation criteria for the site

  5. Remediation of Cd-contaminated soil around metal sulfide mines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Xinzhe; Hu, Xuefeng; Kang, Zhanjun; Luo, Fan

    2017-04-01

    The mines of metal sulfides are widely distributed in the southwestern part of Zhejiang Province, Southeast China. The activities of mining, however, often lead to the severe pollution of heavy metals in soils, especially Cd contamination. According to our field investigations, the spatial distribution of Cd-contaminated soils is highly consistent with the presence of metal sulfide mines in the areas, further proving that the mining activities are responsible for Cd accumulation in the soils. To study the remediation of Cd-contaminated soils, a paddy field nearby large sulfide mines, with soil pH 6 and Cd more than 1.56 mg kg-1, five times higher than the national recommended threshold, was selected. Plastic boards were deeply inserted into soil to separate the field and make experimental plots, with each plot being 4 m×4 m. Six treatments, TK01˜TK06, were designed to study the effects of different experimental materials on remediating Cd-contaminated soils. The treatment of TK01 was the addition of 100 kg zeolites to the plot; TK02, 100 kg apatites; TK03, 100 kg humid manure; TK04, 50 kg zeolites + 50 kg apatites; TK05, 50 kg zeolites + 50 kg humid manure; TK06 was blank control (CK). One month after the treatments, soil samples at the plots were collected to study the possible change of chemical forms of Cd in the soils. The results indicated that these treatments reduced the content of available Cd in the soils effectively, by a decreasing sequence of TK04 (33%) > TK02 (25%) > TK01 (23%) > TK05 (22%) > TK03 (15%), on the basis of CK. Correspondingly, the treatments also reduced the content of Cd in rice grains significantly, by a similar decreasing sequence of TK04 (83%) > TK02 (77%) > TK05 (63%) > TK01 (47%) > TK03 (27%). The content of Cd in the rice grains was 0.071 mg kg-1, 0.094 mg kg-1, 0.159 mg kg-1, 0.22 mg kg-1 and 0.306 mg kg-1, respectively, compared with CK, 0.418 mg kg-1. This experiment suggested that the reduction of available Cd in the soils is

  6. Application of Ultrasonic for Decontamination of Contaminated Soil - 13142

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vasilyev, A.P.; Lebedev, N.M.; Savkin, A.E.

    2013-01-01

    The trials of soil decontamination were carried out with the help of a pilot ultrasonic installation in different modes. The installation included a decontamination bath equipped with ultrasonic sources, a precipitator for solution purification from small particles (less than 80 micrometer), sorption filter for solution purification from radionuclides washing out from soil, a tank for decontamination solution, a pump for decontamination solution supply. The trials were carried out on artificially contaminated sand with specific activity of 4.5 10 5 Bk/kg and really contaminated soil from Russian Scientific Center 'Kurchatovsky Institute' (RSC'KI') with specific activity of 2.9 10 4 Bk/kg. It was established that application of ultrasonic intensify the process of soil reagent decontamination and increase its efficiency. The decontamination factor for the artificially contaminated soil was ∼200 and for soil from RSC'KI' ∼30. The flow-sheet diagram has been developed for the new installation as well as determined the main technological characteristics of the equipment. (authors)

  7. Using biochar for remediation of soils contaminated with heavy metals and organic pollutants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xiaokai; Wang, Hailong; He, Lizhi; Lu, Kouping; Sarmah, Ajit; Li, Jianwu; Bolan, Nanthi S; Pei, Jianchuan; Huang, Huagang

    2013-12-01

    Soil contamination with heavy metals and organic pollutants has increasingly become a serious global environmental issue in recent years. Considerable efforts have been made to remediate contaminated soils. Biochar has a large surface area, and high capacity to adsorb heavy metals and organic pollutants. Biochar can potentially be used to reduce the bioavailability and leachability of heavy metals and organic pollutants in soils through adsorption and other physicochemical reactions. Biochar is typically an alkaline material which can increase soil pH and contribute to stabilization of heavy metals. Application of biochar for remediation of contaminated soils may provide a new solution to the soil pollution problem. This paper provides an overview on the impact of biochar on the environmental fate and mobility of heavy metals and organic pollutants in contaminated soils and its implication for remediation of contaminated soils. Further research directions are identified to ensure a safe and sustainable use of biochar as a soil amendment for remediation of contaminated soils.

  8. Quantifying Diffuse Contamination: Method and Application to Pb in Soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fabian, Karl; Reimann, Clemens; de Caritat, Patrice

    2017-06-20

    A new method for detecting and quantifying diffuse contamination at the continental to regional scale is based on the analysis of cumulative distribution functions (CDFs). It uses cumulative probability (CP) plots for spatially representative data sets, preferably containing >1000 determinations. Simulations demonstrate how different types of contamination influence elemental CDFs of different sample media. It is found that diffuse contamination is characterized by a distinctive shift of the low-concentration end of the distribution of the studied element in its CP plot. Diffuse contamination can be detected and quantified via either (1) comparing the distribution of the contaminating element to that of an element with a geochemically comparable behavior but no contamination source (e.g., Pb vs Rb), or (2) comparing the top soil distribution of an element to the distribution of the same element in subsoil samples from the same area, taking soil forming processes into consideration. Both procedures are demonstrated for geochemical soil data sets from Europe, Australia, and the U.S.A. Several different data sets from Europe deliver comparable results at different scales. Diffuse Pb contamination in surface soil is estimated to be contamination sources and can be used to efficiently monitor diffuse contamination at the continental to regional scale.

  9. Air separation of heavy metal contaminants from soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nelson, M.E.; Harper, M.J.; Buckon, A.D.

    1995-01-01

    Several heavy metal separation techniques are currently being developed for soil remediation at various Department of Defense and Department of Energy (DOE) Facilities. The majority of these techniques involve a wet process using water, pH modifiers or other compounds. The US Naval Academy (USNA) has developed a dry process for heavy metal separation. The process uses air classification technology to concentrate the metal contaminant into a fraction of the soil. The advantages of this dry process are that it creates no contaminated byproduct and uses commercially available technology. The USNA process is based on using a Gayco-Reliance air classifier. Tests have been conducted with the system at the Naval Academy and the University of Nevada-Reno (UNR). The USNA tests used soil from the Nevada Test Site mixed with bismuth at a concentration of 500--1,000 ppm. The UNR tests used soil from four DOE sites mixed with uranium oxides and plutonium at an activity level of 100--700 pCi per gram. Concentration of activities and volume reduction percentages are presented for the various soils and contaminants tested

  10. Phytoremediation of soil contaminated with low concentrations of radionuclides

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Entry, J A; Vance, N C; Hamilton, M A; Zabowski, D; Watrud, L S; Adriano, D C [Auburn University, Auburn, AL (United States). Dept. of Agronomy and Soils

    1996-03-01

    Ecsosytems throughout the world have been contaminated with radionuclides by above-ground nuclear testing, nuclear reactor accidents and nuclear power generation. Radioisotopes characteristics of nuclear fission, such as {sup 137}Cs and {sup 90}Sr, that are released into the environment can become more concentrated as they move up the food chain often becoming human health hazards. Natural environmental processes will redistribute long lived radionuclides that are released into the environment among soil, plants and wildlife. Numerous studies have shown that {sup 137}Cs and {sup 90}Sr are not removed from the top 0.4 metres of soil even under high rainfall, and migration rate from the top few centimetres of soil is slow. The top 0.4 meters of the soil is where plant roots actively accumulate elements. Since plants are known to take up and accumulate {sup 137}Cs and {sup 90}Sr, removal of these radionuclides from contaminated soils by plants could provide a reliable and economical method of remediation. One approach is to use fast growing plants inoculated with mycorrhizal fungi combined with soil organic amendments to maximize the plant accumulation and removal of radionuclides from contaminated soils, followed by harvest of above-ground portion of the plants. High temperature combustion would be used to oxidize plant material concentrating {sup 137}Cs and {sup 90}Sr in ash for disposal. When areas of land have been contaminated with radionuclides are large, using energy intensive engineering solutions to mediate huge volumes of soil is not feasible or economical. Plants are proposed as a viable and cost effective method to remove radionuclides from the soils that have been contaminated by nuclear testing and nuclear reactor accidents. 40 refs.

  11. Microbial interactions with organic contaminants in soil: Definitions, processes and measurement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Semple, Kirk T.; Doick, Kieron J.; Wick, Lukas Y.; Harms, Hauke

    2007-01-01

    There has been and continues to be considerable scientific interest in predicting bioremediation rates and endpoints. This requires the development of chemical techniques capable of reliably predicting the bioavailability of organic compounds to catabolically active soil microbes. A major issue in understanding the link between chemical extraction and bioavailability is the problem of definition; there are numerous definitions, of varying degrees of complexity and relevance, to the interaction between organic contaminants and microorganisms in soil. The aim of this review is to consider the bioavailability as a descriptor for the rate and extent of biodegradation and, in an applied sense, bioremediation of organic contaminants in soil. To address this, the review will (i) consider and clarify the numerous definitions of bioavailability and discuss the usefulness of the term 'bioaccessibility'; (ii) relate definition to the microbiological and chemical measurement of organic contaminants' bioavailability in soil, and (iii) explore the mechanisms employed by soil microorganisms to attack organic contaminants in soil. - Understanding organic contaminant's behaviour in soil is key to chemically predicting biodegradation

  12. Feasibility Process for Remediation of the Crude Oil Contaminated Soil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keum, H.; Choi, H.; Heo, H.; Lee, S.; Kang, G.

    2015-12-01

    More than 600 oil wells were destroyed in Kuwait by Iraqi in 1991. During the war, over 300 oil lakes with depth of up to 2m at more than 500 different locations which has been over 49km2. Therefore, approximately 22 million m3was crude oil contaminated. As exposure of more than 20 years under atmospheric conditions of Kuwait, the crude oil has volatile hydrocarbons and covered heavy oily sludge under the crude oil lake. One of crude oil contaminated soil which located Burgan Oilfield area was collected by Kuwait Oil Company and got by H-plus Company. This contaminated soil has about 42% crude oil and could not biodegraded itself due to the extremely high toxicity. This contaminated soil was separated by 2mm sieve for removal oil sludge ball. Total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) was analysis by GC FID and initial TPH concentration was average 48,783 mg/kg. Ten grams of the contaminated soil replaced in two micro reactors with 20mL of bio surfactant produce microorganism. Reactor 1 was added 0.1g powder hemoglobin and other reactor was not added hemoglobin at time 0 day. Those reactors shake 120 rpm on the shaker for 7 days and CO2 produced about 150mg/L per day. After 7 days under the slurry systems, the rest days operated by hemoglobin as primary carbon source for enhanced biodegradation. The crude oil contaminated soil was degraded from 48,783mg/kg to 20,234mg/kg by slurry process and final TPH concentration degraded 11,324mg/kg for 21days. Therefore, highly contaminated soil by crude oil will be combined bio slurry process and biodegradation process with hemoglobin as bio catalytic source. Keywords: crude-oil contaminated soil, bio slurry, biodegradation, hemoglobin ACKOWLEDGEMENTS This project was supported by the Korea Ministry of Environment (MOE) GAIA Program

  13. Experimental increase in availability of a PAH complex organic contamination from an aged contaminated soil: Consequences on biodegradation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cébron, Aurélie; Faure, Pierre; Lorgeoux, Catherine; Ouvrard, Stéphanie; Leyval, Corinne

    2013-01-01

    Although high PAH content and detection of PAH-degraders, the PAH biodegradation is limited in aged-contaminated soils due to low PAH availability (i.e., 1%). Here, we tried to experimentally increase the soil PAH availability by keeping both soil properties and contamination composition. Organic extract was first removed and then re-incorporated in the raw soil as fresh contaminants. Though drastic, this procedure only allowed a 6-time increase in the PAH availability suggesting that the organic constituents more than ageing were responsible for low availability. In the re-contaminated soil, the mineralization rate was twice more important, the proportion of 5–6 cycles PAH was higher indicating a preferential degradation of lower molecular weight PAH. The extraction treatment induced bacterial and fungal community structures modifications, Pseudomonas and Fusarium solani species were favoured, and the relative quantity of fungi increased. In re-contaminated soil the percentage of PAH-dioxygenase gene increased, with 10 times more Gram negative representatives. -- Highlights: ► Re-incorporation of soil organic extract increased 6-times the PAH availability. ► Complexity of organic contamination is the main driver of PAH availability. ► Biodegradation of PAH with less than 5-cycles increased with increasing PAH availability. ► Pseudomonas and Fusarium species are favoured when PAH availability increased. -- More than ageing, the complexity of organic contamination is the main driver of PAH availability

  14. Treatment of heavy metal contaminated soils by in situ vitrification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hansen, J.E.

    1991-01-01

    Contaminated soil site remediation objectives call for the destruction, removal, and/or immobilization of contaminant species. Destruction is applicable to hazardous compounds (e.g., hazardous organics such as PCBs; hazardous inorganics such as cyanide); however, it is not applicable to hazardous elements such as the heavy metals. Removal and/or immobilization are typical objectives for heavy metal contaminants present in soil. Many technologies have been developed specifically to meet these needs. One such technology is In Situ Vitrification (ISV), an innovative mobile, onsite, in situ solids remediation technology that has been available on a commercial basis for about two years. ISV holds potential for the safe and permanent treatment/remediation of previously disposed or current process solids waste (e.g., soil, sludge, sediment, tailings) contaminated with hazardous chemical and/or radioactive materials. This paper focuses on the application of ISV to heavy metal-contaminated soils

  15. Biological Activity Assessment in Mexican Tropical Soils with Different Hydrocarbon Contamination Histories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riveroll-Larios, Jessica; Escalante-Espinosa, Erika; Fócil-Monterrubio, Reyna L; Díaz-Ramírez, Ildefonso J

    The use of soil health indicators linked to microbial activities, such as key enzymes and respirometric profiles, helps assess the natural attenuation potential of soils contaminated with hydrocarbons. In this study, the intrinsic physicochemical characteristics, biological activity and biodegradation potential were recorded for two soils with different contamination histories (>5 years and soil samples. Soil suspensions were tested as microbial inocula in biodegradation potential assays using contaminated perlite as an inert support. The basal respiratory rate of the recently contaminated soil was 15-38 mg C-CO 2  kg -1 h -1 , while the weathered soil presented a greater basal mineralisation capacity of 55-70 mg C-CO 2 kg -1 h -1 . The basal levels of lipase and dehydrogenase were significantly greater than those recorded in non-contaminated soils (551 ± 21 μg pNP g -1 ). Regarding the biodegradation potential assessment, the lipase (1000-3000 μg pNP g -1 of perlite) and dehydrogenase (~3000 μg INF g -1 of perlite) activities in the inoculum of the recently contaminated soil were greater than those recorded in the inoculum of the weathered soil. This was correlated with a high mineralisation rate (~30 mg C-CO 2 kg -1 h -1 ) in the recently contaminated soil and a reduction in hydrocarbon concentration (~30 %). The combination of an inert support and enzymatic and respirometric analyses made it possible to detect the different biodegradation capacities of the studied inocula and the natural attenuation potential of a recently contaminated soil at high hydrocarbon concentrations.

  16. Evaluation of in situ remediation methods in soils contaminated with organic pollutants

    OpenAIRE

    Simpanen, Suvi

    2016-01-01

    Soil contamination is a result of human activities that allow hazardous substances to accumulate in soil and thereby to increase the risk to the environment or to human health. There is an estimate of over 2.5 million contaminated sites in Europe and nearly 24 000 of these are in Finland. The most common soil contaminants are oil hydrocarbons and metals. The main anthropogenic activities that contribute to soil contamination include fuel distribution and storage, industrial activity, waste tr...

  17. Reducing contaminated soil rehabilitation costs - review of portable XRF performance on Australian soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bowden-Smith, J.

    2001-01-01

    Mine owners and managers are often shocked by the financial costs involved in remediating metal contaminated soils, especially those associated with the closure of base metal mines. Lack of due consideration during planning, inappropriate operational controls for water and dust emissions, little monitoring data and new contaminated land legislation coupled with traditional owners seeking mining leases to be remediated to low (even background) levels are reasons for multi-million dollar cost blow-outs. At some base metal operations, emissions have travelled outside the mine lease impacting on neighbouring pastoral land and in some cases contaminating near-by communities. Traditional sampling and laboratory analysis costs have restricted the collection of data to adequately define the problem resulting in poor management of metal-contaminated soil. A portable analytical tool that provides on-site geochemistry could assist in identifying issues early, allowing for improved management practices and lower overall clean-up costs. This paper reviews independent evaluation studies for soil contaminated by heavy metal with XRF, using a new portable technology developed in the USA by the NITON Corporation

  18. Electrodialytic Remediation of Pb Contaminated Soil - Effects of Soil Properties and Pb Distribution

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Anne Juul; Jensen, Pernille Erland

    1999-01-01

    The aim of this work was to investigate the effects of soil properties and Pb distribution on the electrodialytic remediation of Pb contaminated soil. Two naturally Pb contaminated soils were compared with respect to total Pb content, Pb distribution, pH, carbonate content, clay content and organic...... matter, and an electrodialytic remediation experiment was made on each soil.It was concluded that soil pH was the most important factor limiting the mobilisation of Pb. In one of the remediation experiments it was possible to mobilise and reduce the amount of Pb significantly, whereas in the other only...... a small amount of the initial Pb was mobilised at similar experimental conditions. A high buffering capacity of one of the soils, which was partly due to a high carbonate content, led to a bad remediation result....

  19. Soil contamination of toxic metals from zinc carbon batteries inadequate disposal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gazano, Vanessa Santos Oliveira

    2006-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to determine the concentration of Zn, Mn, Pb, Cd, Cu, Cr, and Ni in an oxisol column contaminated with zinc-carbon batteries. Two control and two contaminated columns, and batteries alone were leached for a periods of six months and one year with aqueous solution of HNO3 and H2SO4 (1:1, pH 4,0) to simulate rainwater. The metal concentrations in effluent and soil were measured by means of ICP-OES technique. Results from the contaminated column showed enhanced concentrations in both effluent and soil (mainly zinc, manganese and lead). In addition, the total amount of metals in effluent and soil showed similar sequence order as observed for batteries alone (Zn > Mn > Pb > Cr > Cu > Ni > Cd) indicating that batteries can be considered the main source of contamination. We also observed migration of Zn and Mn from the top to the lower layers of the soil columns. The study gives further evidence that batteries can significantly contaminate the soil with metals like Zn, Mn and Pb, and maybe Cd too. This soil contamination combined with the enhanced concentrations found in the effluent can point out a probable groundwater contamination. (author)

  20. Evaluation of copper and lead immobilization in contaminated soil ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The effectiveness of natural clay, calcium phosphate, poultry manure and rice husks as cheap and ecologically non-invasive amendments for immobilizing Cu and Pb in contaminated soil was assessed. A moderately contaminated soil was sampled from a cultivated field in the vicinity of an active waste dump, characterized ...

  1. A laboratory test of NOM-assisted remediation of arsenic and copper contaminated soils

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Signe Bonde; Jensen, Julie Katrine; Borggaard, Ole K.

    2015-01-01

    Soils contaminated by arsenic (As) and copper (Cu) must be remediated because As and Cu are non-degradable and toxic. On moderately contaminated soils, As and Cu may be removed by in-situ plant uptake (phytoremediation), whereas strongly contaminated soils must be removed and cleaned by soil...... at neutral pH to enhance in-situ phytoremediation of moderately contaminated soils. Citrate (and NTA) cannot be suggested for enhancement of on-site phytoremediation because of high mobilization rates caused by these extractants, which through leaching and runoff may lead to contamination of recipient waters...

  2. Effect of crude oil contamination on the engineering behavior of clay soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rehman, H.; Abdoljaowad, S.N.

    2005-01-01

    Humans are, unintentionally or intentionally contaminating soil from different sources. The contaminated soil are not only a challenge for the environmentalists but also for geotechnical engineers. When contaminated by crude oil, the soil is subjected to a change in its engineering properties. The soil, which is mostly affected by its environment, is clay, being active electro-chemically. So, a comprehensive laboratory-testing program was performed to compare the engineering properties of an uncontaminated and a contaminated clay. Laboratory tests included all basic and advanced geotechnical tests along with Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Crude oil was chosen as the contaminant. The clay was taken from the Al-Qatif area of the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia. The selected soil is considered to be highly expansive in nature. The comparison between uncontaminated and crude oil contaminated clay showed that there would be a significant change in the engineering behavior of the clay if it were contaminated by crude oil. The contaminated clay behaves more like sand, owing to the formation of agglomerates. The coarse-grained soil-like behavior was observed in the strength of the oil-contaminated clay. The contamination has affected the plasticity and the cation exchange capacity of the investigated clay. The swelling pressure of the contaminated clay is 1/3 of that of the uncontaminated clay while the swelling is almost the same. (author)

  3. Regional hydrocarbon contaminated soil recycling facility standards

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Warren, R.

    1992-01-01

    In an effort to protect the environment from uncontrolled releases of petroleum products, the Canadian Petroleum Products Institute member companies have initiated environmental upgrading programs for their underground fuel storage systems in British Columbia. These programs have been restricted in recent years as a result of environmental regulations targeting contaminated soil, which is generated when underground storage tanks are upgraded to current standards. The soil requiring treatment is typically sand backfill containing a nominal value of petroleum product. These soils can be treated in an engineered basin using bioremediation technology to reduce the level of contamination. Depending on the degree of treatment, the soil can be recycled as backfill or reused as landfill cover. An overview is presented of the basin treatment process and design. Natural bioremediation is enhanced with nutrients, water and oxygen addition. 4 figs

  4. Chemical oxidation of cable insulating oil contaminated soil

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jinlan Xu,; Pancras, T.; Grotenhuis, J.T.C.

    2011-01-01

    Leaking cable insulating oil is a common source of soil contamination of high-voltage underground electricity cables in many European countries. In situ remediation of these contaminations is very difficult, due to the nature of the contamination and the high concentrations present. Chemical

  5. Feasibility of phytoextraction to remediate cadmium and zinc contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koopmans, G.F.; Roemkens, P.F.A.M.; Fokkema, M.J.; Song, J.; Luo, Y.M.; Japenga, J.; Zhao, F.J.

    2008-01-01

    A Cd and Zn contaminated soil was mixed and equilibrated with an uncontaminated, but otherwise similar soil to establish a gradient in soil contamination levels. Growth of Thlaspi caerulescens (Ganges ecotype) significantly decreased the metal concentrations in soil solution. Plant uptake of Cd and Zn exceeded the decrease of the soluble metal concentrations by several orders of magnitude. Hence, desorption of metals must have occurred to maintain the soil solution concentrations. A coupled regression model was developed to describe the transfer of metals from soil to solution and plant shoots. This model was applied to estimate the phytoextraction duration required to decrease the soil Cd concentration from 10 to 0.5 mg kg -1 . A biomass production of 1 and 5 t dm ha -1 yr -1 yields a duration of 42 and 11 yr, respectively. Successful phytoextraction operations based on T. caerulescens require an increased biomass production. - An experimental method is presented to be used to estimate the phytoextraction duration of a metal contaminated soil

  6. Recent developments for in situ treatment of metal contaminated soils

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1997-03-01

    Metals contamination is a common problem at hazardous waste sites. This report assists the remedy selection process by providing information on four in situ technologies for treating soil contaminated with metals. The four approaches are electrokinetic remediation, phytoremediation, soil flushing, and solidification/stabilization. Electrokinetic remediation separates contaminants from soil through selective migration upon application of an electric current. Phytoremediation is an emerging technology that uses plants to isolate or stabilize contaminants. Soil flushing techniques promote mobility and migration of metals by solubilizing contaminants so that they can be recovered. Two types of in situ solidification/stabilization (S/S) techniques are discussed, one based on addition of reagents and the other based on the use of energy. The report discusses different techniques currently in practice or under development, identifies vendors and summarizes performance data, and discusses technology attributes that should be considered during early screening of potential remedies. 8 refs., 9 figs., 9 tabs., 2 apps.

  7. Stabilization of contaminated soils by in situ vitrification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Timmerman, C.L.

    1984-01-01

    In Situ Vitrification is an emerging technology developed by Pacific Northwest Laboratory for potential in-place immobilization of radioactive wastes. The contaminated soil is stabilized and converted to an inert glass form. This conversion is accomplished by inserting electrodes in the soil and establishing an electric current between the electrodes. The electrical energy causes a joule heating effect that melts the soil during processing. Any contaminants released from the melt are collected and routed to an off-gas treatment system. A stable and durable glass block is produced which chemically and physically encapsulates any residual waste components. In situ vitrification has been developed for the potential application to radioactive wastes, specifically, contaminated soil sites; however, it could possibly be applied to hazardous chemical and buried munitions waste sites. The technology has been developed and demonstrated to date through a series of 21 engineering-scale tests [producing 50 to 1000 kg (100 to 2000 lb) blocks] and seven pilot-scale tests [producing 9000 kg (20,000 lb) blocks], the most recent of which illustrated treatment of actual radioactively contaminated soil. Testing with some organic materials has shown relatively complete thermal destruction and incineration. Further experiments have documented the insensitivity of in situ vitrification to soil characteristics such as fusion temperature, specific heat, thermal conductivity, electrical resistivity, and moisture content. Soil inclusions such as metals, cements, ceramics, and combustibles normally present only minor process limitations. Costs for hazardous waste applications are estimated to be less than $175/m 3 ($5.00/ft 3 ) of material vitrified. For many applications, in situ vitrification can provide a cost-effective alternative to other disposal options. 13 references, 4 figures, 1 table

  8. Transformers as a potential for soil contamination

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. Stojić

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to investigate the presence of PCBs and heavy metals in the surrounding soil and also in the soil of the receiving pit located below the PCB contaminated transformer. Concentrations of PCBs in our samples are ranged from 0,308 to 0,872 mg/kg of absolutely dry soil.

  9. Effects of different remediation treatments on crude oil contaminated saline soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Yong-Chao; Guo, Shu-Hai; Wang, Jia-Ning; Li, Dan; Wang, Hui; Zeng, De-Hui

    2014-12-01

    Remediation of the petroleum contaminated soil is essential to maintain the sustainable development of soil ecosystem. Bioremediation using microorganisms and plants is a promising method for the degradation of crude oil contaminants. The effects of different remediation treatments, including nitrogen addition, Suaeda salsa planting, and arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) fungi inoculation individually or combined, on crude oil contaminated saline soil were assessed using a microcosm experiment. The results showed that different remediation treatments significantly affected the physicochemical properties, oil contaminant degradation and bacterial community structure of the oil contaminated saline soil. Nitrogen addition stimulated the degradation of total petroleum hydrocarbon significantly at the initial 30d of remediation. Coupling of different remediation techniques was more effective in degrading crude oil contaminants. Applications of nitrogen, AM fungi and their combination enhanced the phytoremediation efficiency of S. salsa significantly. The main bacterial community composition in the crude oil contaminated saline soil shifted with the remediation processes. γ-Proteobacteria, β-Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria were the pioneer oil-degraders at the initial stage, and Firmicutes were considered to be able to degrade the recalcitrant components at the later stage. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Hydrocarbon degradation potential in reference soils and soils contaminated with jet fuel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, R.F.; Hoeppel, R.

    1991-01-01

    Petroleum degradation in surface and subsurface soils is affected by such factors as moisture content, pH, soil type, soil organics, temperature, and oxygen concentrations. In this paper, the authors determine the degradation rates of 14 C-labeled hydrocarbons added to soils collected from a contaminated surface site, contaminated subsurface sites, and a clean reference site. The radiolabeled hydrocarbons used include benzene, toluene, naphthalene, 1-methynaphthalene, phenanthrene, fluorene, anthracene, chrysene, and hexadecane. Microbial degradation rates were based on determination of mineralization rates (production of 14 CO 2 ) of hydrocarbons that were added to soil samples. Since water was added and oxygen was not limiting, the hydrocarbon rates determined are likely to be higher than those occurring in situ. Using radiolabeled hydrocarbons, information can be provided on differences in the degradation rates of various petroleum compounds in different types of soils at a site, on possible production of petroleum metabolites in the soil, and on the importance of anaerobic petroleum degradation and the effects of nutrient, water, and surfactant addition on biodegradation rates

  11. Remediation of soil contaminated with pesticides by treatment with gamma radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Santos, Janilson Silva

    2009-01-01

    The discharge of empty plastic packaging of pesticides can be an environmental concern mainly by soil contamination. Nowadays, Brazil figures in third place among the leading world pesticide markets. An understanding of the processes that affect the transport and fate of pesticides is crucial to assess their potential for contamination of soil and groundwater, and to develop efficient and cost-effective site management and soil remediation strategies. Due to its impact on soil remediation has made sorption a major topic of research on soil-pesticide interactions. The main objective of this study is the evaluation of the pesticides transferring from contaminated mixture of commercial polymeric packing of high-density polyethylene, HDPE, used in agriculture to soil and their removal by gamma irradiation. Two soil samples of argyles compositions and media composition were exposed to a mixture of commercial polymeric packing contaminated with the pesticides methomyl, dimethoate, carbofuran, methidathion, triazine, thiophos, atrazine, ametryne, endosulfan, chloropyrifos, thriazophos and trifluralin. The pesticides leaching from packaging to soil was homogeneous considering a experimental research. The radiation treatment presented high efficiency on removal pesticides from both soil, but it depends on the physical-chemical characteristics of the contaminated soil. The higher efficiency was obtained in soils with higher organic material and humidity. The higher efficiency was obtained for the medium texture soil, with 20 kGy all present pesticides were removed in all layers. In the case of argyles texture soil, it was necessary a 30 kGy to remove the totality of present pesticides. (author)

  12. Integrating Electrokinetic and Bioremediation Process for Treating Oil Contaminated Low Permeability Soil

    OpenAIRE

    Surya Ramadan Bimastyaji; Jatnika Effendi Agus; Helmy Qomarudin

    2018-01-01

    Traditional oil mining activities always ignores environmental regulation which may cause contamination in soil and environment. Crude oil contamination in low-permeability soil complicates recovery process because it requires substantial energy for excavating and crushing the soil. Electrokinetic technology can be used as an alternative technology to treat contaminated soil and improve bioremediation process (biostimulation) through transfer of ions and nutrient that support microorganism gr...

  13. Evaluation of Agricultural Use of Vicia sativa L. in Mercury Contaminated Soils; Evaluacion del Uso Agricola de Vicia sativa L. en Suelos Contaminados con Mercurio

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Andres, A.; Millan, R.; Esteban, E.

    2010-03-08

    This study is framed in the project Recuperation de suelos contaminados por mercurio: recomendaciones de uso de suelos y plantas en la comarca minera de Almaden (REUSA), funded by Spanish Ministry of Education and Science. Moreover, this article is the result of the work carried out by Andres Andres for his Bachelors dissertation. Soils from the Almaden mining district are contaminated with high mercury concentrations, due to the extraction activities of that metal through the years. After the end of mining exploitation, which was the main source of wealth in the region, alternative uses of soils are needed in order to promote the socio-economic development of the studied area. The project here intends to evaluate the viability of the common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) crop in a substrate under similar conditions to the ones observed in the Almaden soils, by studying the mercury absorption capacity of the above mentioned species. (Author) 20 refs.

  14. Effects of biosurfactant production by indigenous soil microorganisms on bioremediation of a co-contaminated soil in batch experiments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jalali, F.; Mulligan, C.N. [Concordia Univ., Centre for Building Studies, Montreal, PQ (Canada). Dept. of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering

    2007-07-01

    The challenge of remediating soils that are contaminated with both hydrocarbon compounds and metals was discussed, with particular reference to an in-situ bioremediation technique that was developed in the 1970s to deal with contaminated soils. The technique involves a two-stage process where water with added oxygen and nutrients is applied onto and injected into a contaminated area to stimulate the indigenous microbial populations in the soil. In addition to using organic pollutants as their carbon source, microorganisms can facilitate the removal of metals from the soil matrix and attenuate the toxicity of certain metals. Extraction wells placed downstream of the contaminated soils are used to remove and treat the water to eliminate any mobilized contaminants. This paper presented the results of batch experiments that evaluated the feasibility of biosurfactant production for the purpose of bioremediating a soil contaminated with aged petroleum hydrocarbons and heavy metals. The first phase of the study examined the growth of the native microbial population and the biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons, the production of biosurfactant and the mobilization of the total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and metals into the aqueous phase. Biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons was observed in both soil and soil amended with nitrogen and phosphorous. However, the nutrient-amended soil had higher biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons, where 36 per cent of TPH was degraded by the end of the 50 day experiment, compared to 15 per cent for the non-amended soils. The concentration of biosurfactants in the same period increased 3 times their critical micelle concentration. It was concluded that biosurfactant production enhances the bioremediation of co-contaminated soils. 36 refs., 1 tab., 8 figs.

  15. Application of Ultrasonic for Decontamination of Contaminated Soil - 13142

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vasilyev, A.P. [JRC ' NIKIET' , Moscow (Russian Federation); Lebedev, N.M. [LLC ' Aleksandra-Plus' , Vologda (Russian Federation); Savkin, A.E. [SUE SIA ' Radon' , Moscow (Russian Federation)

    2013-07-01

    The trials of soil decontamination were carried out with the help of a pilot ultrasonic installation in different modes. The installation included a decontamination bath equipped with ultrasonic sources, a precipitator for solution purification from small particles (less than 80 micrometer), sorption filter for solution purification from radionuclides washing out from soil, a tank for decontamination solution, a pump for decontamination solution supply. The trials were carried out on artificially contaminated sand with specific activity of 4.5 10{sup 5} Bk/kg and really contaminated soil from Russian Scientific Center 'Kurchatovsky Institute' (RSC'KI') with specific activity of 2.9 10{sup 4} Bk/kg. It was established that application of ultrasonic intensify the process of soil reagent decontamination and increase its efficiency. The decontamination factor for the artificially contaminated soil was ∼200 and for soil from RSC'KI' ∼30. The flow-sheet diagram has been developed for the new installation as well as determined the main technological characteristics of the equipment. (authors)

  16. Removal of petroleum-derived hydrocarbons from contaminated soils by solvent extraction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ladanowski, C.; Petti, L.

    1993-01-01

    Laboratory studies were conducted using hexane for the removal of light crude oil from contaminated sand, peat, and clay soils. The bench-scale process tested consists of three major steps: solvent washing, settling/decantation/filtration of extract, and solvent recycle. The results indicate that the use of solvent extraction for cleanup of oil-contaminated soils is an effective technology at the bench-scale level. Using a 1,000 g batch system, extremely high oil removal efficiencies were obtained from contaminated sand (up to 98.9%) and peat soil (up to 83.9%). The final oil contaminant concentration for sand varied between 0.06% and 0.39%, while that for peat soil varied between 1.52% and 5.21%. The guidelines for the decommissioning and cleanup of sites in Ontario for oil and grease (1 wt %) were met in all instances for the treated sand. Hexane recovery from diesel-contaminated sand and peat soil experiments was ca 81% and 67% respectively. 4 refs., 6 figs., 10 tabs

  17. Distribution and Source Identification of Pb Contamination in industrial soil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ko, M. S.

    2017-12-01

    INTRODUCTION Lead (Pb) is toxic element that induce neurotoxic effect to human, because competition of Pb and Ca in nerve system. Lead is classified as a chalophile element and galena (PbS) is the major mineral. Although the Pb is not an abundant element in nature, various anthropogenic source has been enhanced Pb enrichment in the environment after the Industrial Revolution. The representative anthropogenic sources are batteries, paint, mining, smelting, and combustion of fossil fuel. Isotope analysis widely used to identify the Pb contamination source. The Pb has four stable isotopes that are 208Pb, 207Pb, 206Pb, and 204Pb in natural. The Pb is stable isotope and the ratios maintain during physical and chemical fractionation. Therefore, variations of Pb isotope abundance and relative ratios could imply the certain Pb contamination source. In this study, distributions and isotope ratios of Pb in industrial soil were used to identify the Pb contamination source and dispersion pathways. MATERIALS AND METHODS Soil samples were collected at depth 0­-6 m from an industrial area in Korea. The collected soil samples were dried and sieved under 2 mm. Soil pH, aqua-regia digestion and TCLP carried out using sieved soil sample. The isotope analysis was carried out to determine the abundance of Pb isotope. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The study area was developed land for promotion of industrial facilities. The study area was forest in 1980, and the satellite image show the alterations of land use with time. The variations of land use imply the possibilities of bringing in external contaminated soil. The Pb concentrations in core samples revealed higher in lower soil compare with top soil. Especially, 4 m soil sample show highest Pb concentrations that are approximately 1500 mg/kg. This result indicated that certain Pb source existed at 4 m depth. CONCLUSIONS This study investigated the distribution and source identification of Pb in industrial soil. The land use and Pb

  18. Radionuclide contaminated micromycetes in the soil the thirty kilometer zone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhdanova, N.N.; Vasilevskaya, A.I.; Redchits, T.I.; Gavrilov, V.I.; Lashko, T.N.; Luchkov, P.N.; Shcherbachenko, A.M.; AN Ukrainskoj SSR, Kiev

    1992-01-01

    From 1986 year the ecological monitoring of the soil microscopic fungi exist under conditions of the radioactive contamination in the thirty kilometer zone of the Chernobyl' NPP is conducted. As mycological isotope soil analysis the limiting factor in the ecological situation need consider the radionuclide contamination of the soils. It is shown, that the amount of fungus germs decreased by 200 times in 1986 year and increased sharp to 1989-90 years. During the first years after the accident, in the most contaminated soils dark-pigmented fungi predominated. It is due to a deep reorganization of the soil micromycete associations. Correlations is revealed in the interrelations among various species of fungi, isolated from the soils, differed in the radioactivity. Among 12 species of fungi (from 6 genuses of micromycetes) isotope accumulation is noted. There are Sr-90 and Cs-137, most widespread in the soil after the accident. 18 refs.; 8 figs

  19. Bioremediation of oil%contaminated soil

    OpenAIRE

    Marchenko1, M.; Shuktueva, M.; Vinokurov, V.; Krasnopolskaya, L.

    2011-01-01

    Stocks of crude oil remains at a high level, does not stop the construction of new pipelines, increasing the output and at the same time the transportation of oil. At the same time, it gives rise to accidents resulting in oil and oil products fall in different ecosystems: the atmosphere, soil, waters. This paper provides an overview of the mechanical, physical, chemical, and biological methods for the elimination of oil-contaminated soils. Create optimal conditions for growth and development ...

  20. In situ vitrification: Test results for a contaminated soil-melting process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buelt, J.L.; Timmerman, C.L.; Westsik, J.H. Jr.

    1989-10-01

    In situ vitrification (ISV) is being developed at Pacific Northwest Laboratory for the Department of Energy to stabilize soils and sludges that are contaminated with radioactive and hazardous chemical wastes. ISV is a process that immobilizes contaminated soil in place by converting it to a durable glass and crystalline product similar to obsidian and basalt. In June 1987, a large-scale test of the process was completed at a transuranic-contaminated soil site. The test constituted the first full-scale demonstration of ISV at an actual site. This paper summarizes the results of that test and describes the potential adaptation of the process to radioactive and hazardous chemical waste-contaminated soils. 15 refs., 9 figs., 3 tabs

  1. Soil contamination standards for protection of personnel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rittmann, P.D.

    1998-01-01

    The objective of this report is to recommend soil contamination levels that will ensure that radionuclide intakes by unprotected workers are likely to give internal doses below selected dose limits during the working year. The three internal dose limits are 1, 100, and 500 mrem per year. In addition, photon, beta, and alpha instrument readings are estimated for these soil concentration limits. Two exposure pathways are considered: the first is inhalation of resuspended dust and the second is ingestion of trace amounts of soil. In addition, radioactive decay and ingrowth of progeny during the year of exposure is included. External dose from the soil contamination is not included because monitoring and control of external exposures is carried out independently from internal exposures, which are the focus of this report. The methods used are similar to those used by Carbaugh and Bihl (1993) to set bioassay criteria for such workers

  2. Soil contamination standards for protection of personnel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rittmann, P.D.

    1998-04-16

    The objective of this report is to recommend soil contamination levels that will ensure that radionuclide intakes by unprotected workers are likely to give internal doses below selected dose limits during the working year. The three internal dose limits are 1, 100, and 500 mrem per year. In addition, photon, beta, and alpha instrument readings are estimated for these soil concentration limits. Two exposure pathways are considered: the first is inhalation of resuspended dust and the second is ingestion of trace amounts of soil. In addition, radioactive decay and ingrowth of progeny during the year of exposure is included. External dose from the soil contamination is not included because monitoring and control of external exposures is carried out independently from internal exposures, which are the focus of this report. The methods used are similar to those used by Carbaugh and Bihl (1993) to set bioassay criteria for such workers.

  3. Bioventing of gasoline-contaminated soil under varied laboratory conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hallman, M.; Shewfelt, K.; Lee, H.; Zytner, R.G.

    2002-01-01

    Bioventing is becoming a popular in situ soil remediation technology for the treatment of hydrocarbon-contaminated soil. Bioventing relies on enhancing the growth of indigenous microorganisms, which can mineralize the contaminant in the presence of sufficient nutrients. Although bioventing is currently being used as a remediation technology, there are some important questions that remain to be answered in order to optimize the process. These questions include the optimum soil moisture content, type and amount of nutrients necessary, and the best means of producing these conditions in the field. To address these questions, two distinct phases of experiments were conducted. The first experimental phase was designed to determine the optimum moisture content, C:N ratio and form of nitrogen supply for this soil. Using approximately 200g of contaminated soil in each of a series of sealed respirometers, microbial degradation of gasoline under bioventing conditions was quantified for C:N ratios of 5, 10 and 20:1, using varying mixtures of NH 4 + - and NO 3 - -N. The results of the studies indicated that the optimum soil moisture content was 15 wt%, with a C:N ratio of 10:1, using a 100% ammonium application. Using the results of the first phase, a second phase of laboratory research was initiated. Five mesoscale reactors have been developed to simulate the bioventing process that takes place in the field. These reactors are filled with approximately 4kg of gasoline-contaminated soil. The initial results are favourable. (author)

  4. Cadmium and zinc in plants and soil solutions from contaminated soils

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lorenz, S.E.; Hamon, R.E.; Holm, P.E.

    1997-01-01

    In an experiment using ten heavy metal-contaminated soils from six European countries, soil solution was sampled by water displacement before and after the growth of radish. Concentrations of Cd, Zn and other elements in solution (K, Ca, Mg, Mn) generally decreased during plant growth, probably...

  5. Toxicity assessment for petroleum-contaminated soil using terrestrial invertebrates and plant bioassays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hentati, Olfa; Lachhab, Radhia; Ayadi, Mariem; Ksibi, Mohamed

    2013-04-01

    The assessment of soil quality after a chemical or oil spill and/or remediation effort may be measured by evaluating the toxicity of soil organisms. To enhance our understanding of the soil quality resulting from laboratory and oil field spill remediation, we assessed toxicity levels by using earthworms and springtails testing and plant growth experiments. Total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH)-contaminated soil samples were collected from an oilfield in Sfax, Tunisia. Two types of bioassays were performed. The first assessed the toxicity of spiked crude oil (API gravity 32) in Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development artificial soil. The second evaluated the habitat function through the avoidance responses of earthworms and springtails and the ability of Avena sativa to grow in TPH-contaminated soils diluted with farmland soil. The EC50 of petroleum-contaminated soil for earthworms was 644 mg of TPH/kg of soil at 14 days, with 67 % of the earthworms dying after 14 days when the TPH content reached 1,000 mg/kg. The average germination rate, calculated 8 days after sowing, varied between 64 and 74 % in low contaminated soils and less than 50 % in highly contaminated soils.

  6. Contaminant and other elements in soil (CCQM-K127)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rocio Arvizu Torres, M.; Manzano, J. Velina Lara; Valle Moya, Edith; Horvat, Milena; Jaćimović, Radojko; Zuliani, Tea; Vreča, Polona; Acosta, Osvaldo; Bennet, John; Snell, James; Almeida, Marcelo D.; de Sena, Rodrigo C.; Dutra, Emily S.; Yang, Lu; Li, Haifeng

    2017-01-01

    Non-contaminated soils contain trace and major elements at levels representing geochemical background of the region. The main sources of elements as contaminants/pollutants in soils are mining and smelting activities, fossil fuel combustion, agricultural practices, industrial activities and waste disposal. Contaminated/polluted sites are of great concern and represent serious environmental, health and economic problems. Characterization and identification of contaminated land is the first step in risk assessment and remediation activities. It is well known that soil is a complex matrix with huge variation locally and worldwide. According to the IAWG's five year plan, it is recommended to have a key comparison under the measurement service category of soils and sediments for the year 2015. Currently 13 NMI has claimed calibration and measurement capabilities (CMCs) in category 13 (sediments, soils, ores, and particulates): 29 CMCs in soil and 96 CMCs in sediments. In this regard this is a follow-up comparison in the category 13; wherein three key comparisons have been carried out during the years 2000 (CCQM-K13), 2003 (CCQM-K28) and 2004 (CCQM-K44). Since it is important to update the capabilities of NMIs in this category. CENAM and JSI proposed a key comparison in this category and a pilot study in parallel. The proposed study was agreed by IAWG members, where two soils samples were used in both CCQM-K127 representing a non-contaminated soil with low contents of elements (arsenic, cadmium, iron, lead and manganese), and a contaminated soil with much higher content of selected elements (arsenic, cadmium, iron and lead). This broadens the scope and a degree of complexity of earlier measurements in this field. National metrology institutes (NMIs)/designate institutes (DIs) should, therefore, demonstrate their measurement capabilities of trace and major elements in a wide concentration ranges, representing background/reference sites as well as highly contaminated soils

  7. Preliminary Experimental Analysis of Soil Stabilizers for Contamination Control

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lagos, L.; Varona, J.; Zidan, A.; Gudavalli, R.; Wu, Kuang-His

    2006-01-01

    A major focus of Department of Energy's (DOE's) environmental management mission at the Hanford site involves characterizing and remediating contaminated soil and groundwater; stabilizing contaminated soil; remediating disposal sites; decontaminating and decommissioning structures, and demolishing former plutonium production process buildings, nuclear reactors, and separation plants; maintaining inactive waste sites; transitioning facilities into the surveillance and maintenance program; and mitigating effects to biological and cultural resources from site development and environmental cleanup and restoration activities. For example, a total of 470,914 metric tons of contaminated soil from 100 Areas remediation activities were disposed at the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility (ERDF) during 2004. The Applied Research Center (ARC) at Florida International University (FIU) is supporting the Hanford's site remediation program by analyzing the effectiveness of several soil stabilizers (fixatives) for contamination control during excavation activities. The study is focusing on determining the effects of varying soil conditions, temperature, humidity and wind velocity on the effectiveness of the candidate stabilizers. The test matrix consists of a soil penetration-depth study, wind tunnel experiments for determination of threshold velocity, and temperature and moisture-controlled drying/curing experiments. These three set of experiments are designed to verify performance metrics, as well as provide insight into what fundamental forces are altered by the use of the stabilizer. This paper only presents the preliminary results obtained during wind tunnel experiments using dry Hanford soil samples (with 2.7% moisture by weight). These dry soil samples were exposed to varying wind speeds from 2.22 m/sec to 8.88 m/sec. Furthermore, airborne particulate data was collected for the dry Hanford soil experiments using an aerosol analyzer instrument. (authors)

  8. Release of polyaromatic hydrocarbons from coal tar contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Priddy, N.D.; Lee, L.S.

    1996-01-01

    A variety of process wastes generated from manufactured gas production (MGP) have contaminated soils and groundwater at production and disposal sites. Coal tar, consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons present as a nonaqueous phase liquid, makes up a large portion of MGP wastes. Of the compounds in coal tar, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are the major constituents of environmental concern due to their potential mutagenic and carcinogenic hazards. Characterization of the release of PAHs from the waste-soil matrix is essential to quantifying long-term environmental impacts in soils and groundwater. Currently, conservative estimates for the release of PAHs to the groundwater are made assuming equilibrium conditions and using relationships derived from artificially contaminated soils. Preliminary work suggests that aged coal tar contaminated soils have much lower rates of desorption and a greater affinity for retaining organic contaminants. To obtain better estimates of desorption rates, the release of PAHs from a coal tar soil was investigated using a flow-interruption, miscible displacement technique. Methanol/water solutions were employed to enhance PAH concentrations above limits of detection. For each methanol/water solution employed, a series of flow interrupts of varying times was invoked. Release rates from each methanol/water solution were estimated from the increase in concentration with duration of flow interruption. Aqueous-phase release rates were then estimated by extrapolation using a log-linear cosolvency model

  9. Bioremediation of cadmium- and zinc-contaminated soil using Rhodobacter sphaeroides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Weihua; Li, Xiaomin; Song, Jingxiang; Jiang, Wei; Liu, Yingying; Fan, Wenhong

    2018-04-01

    Bioremediation using microorganisms is a promising technique to remediate soil contaminated with heavy metals. In this study, Rhodobacter sphaeroides was used to bioremediate soils contaminated with cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn). The study found that the treatment reduced the overall bioavailable fractions (e.g., exchangeable and carbonate bound phases) of Cd and Zn. More stable fractions (e.g., Fe-Mn oxide, organic bound, and residual phases (only for Zn)) increased after bioremediation. A wheat seedling experiment revealed that the phytoavailability of Cd was reduced after bioremediation using R. sphaeroides. After bioremediation, the exchangeable phases of Cd and Zn in soil were reduced by as much as 30.7% and 100.0%, respectively; the Cd levels in wheat leaf and root were reduced by as much as 62.3% and 47.2%, respectively. However, when the soils were contaminated with very high levels of Cd and Zn (Cd 54.97-65.33 mg kg -1 ; Zn 813.4-964.8 mg kg -1 ), bioremediation effects were not clear. The study also found that R. sphaeroides bioremediation in soil can enhance the Zn/Cd ratio in the harvested wheat leaf and root overall. This indicates potentially favorable application in agronomic practice and biofortification. Although remediation efficiency in highly contaminated soil was not significant, R. sphaeroides may be potentially and practically applied to the bioremediation of soils co-contaminated by Cd and Zn. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Remediation aspect of microbial changes of plant rhizosphere in mercury contaminated soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sas-Nowosielska, Aleksandra; Galimska-Stypa, Regina; Kucharski, Rafał; Zielonka, Urszula; Małkowski, Eugeniusz; Gray, Laymon

    2008-02-01

    Phytoremediation, an approach that uses plants to remediate contaminated soil through degradation, stabilization or accumulation, may provide an efficient solution to some mercury contamination problems. This paper presents growth chamber experiments that tested the ability of plant species to stabilize mercury in soil. Several indigenous herbaceous species and Salix viminalis were grown in soil collected from a mercury-contaminated site in southern Poland. The uptake and distribution of mercury by these plants were investigated, and the growth and vitality of the plants through a part of one vegetative cycle were assessed. The highest concentrations of mercury were found at the roots, but translocation to the aerial part also occurred. Most of the plant species tested displayed good growth on mercury contaminated soil and sustained a rich microbial population in the rhizosphere. The microbial populations of root-free soil and rhizosphere soil from all species were also examined. An inverse correlation between the number of sulfur amino acid decomposing bacteria and root mercury content was observed. These results indicate the potential for using some species of plants to treat mercury contaminated soil through stabilization rather than extraction. The present investigation proposes a practical cost-effective temporary solution for phytostabilization of soil with moderate mercury contamination as well as the basis for plant selection.

  11. Remediation of Oil-Contaminated Soil in Greenland

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fritt-Rasmussen, Janne; Jensen, Pernille Erland

    2013-01-01

    This paper present the recent research conducted at the Arctic Technology Centre, where different solutions for remediation of excavated oil contaminated soil in Greenlandic towns were tested. In the first work, soil polluted by light oil was treated with two different nutrient sources (substrate...

  12. Feasibility of phytoextraction to remediate cadmium and zinc contaminated soils

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Koopmans, G.F. [Department of Soil Quality, Wageningen University, Wageningen University and Research Centre (WUR), P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen (Netherlands)], E-mail: gerwin.koopmans@wur.nl; Roemkens, P.F.A.M.; Fokkema, M.J. [Alterra, WUR, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen (Netherlands); Song, J.; Luo, Y.M. [Soil and Environmental Bioremediation Research Centre, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008 (China); Japenga, J. [Alterra, WUR, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen (Netherlands); Zhao, F.J. [Soil Science Department, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Herts AL5 2JQ (United Kingdom)

    2008-12-15

    A Cd and Zn contaminated soil was mixed and equilibrated with an uncontaminated, but otherwise similar soil to establish a gradient in soil contamination levels. Growth of Thlaspi caerulescens (Ganges ecotype) significantly decreased the metal concentrations in soil solution. Plant uptake of Cd and Zn exceeded the decrease of the soluble metal concentrations by several orders of magnitude. Hence, desorption of metals must have occurred to maintain the soil solution concentrations. A coupled regression model was developed to describe the transfer of metals from soil to solution and plant shoots. This model was applied to estimate the phytoextraction duration required to decrease the soil Cd concentration from 10 to 0.5 mg kg{sup -1}. A biomass production of 1 and 5 t dm ha{sup -1} yr{sup -1} yields a duration of 42 and 11 yr, respectively. Successful phytoextraction operations based on T. caerulescens require an increased biomass production. - An experimental method is presented to be used to estimate the phytoextraction duration of a metal contaminated soil.

  13. Isolation of Mercury-Resistant Fungi from Mercury-Contaminated Agricultural Soil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Reginawanti Hindersah

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Illegal gold mining and the resulting gold mine tailing ponds on Buru Island in Maluku, Indonesia have increased Mercury (Hg levels in agricultural soil and caused massive environmental damage. High levels of Hg in soil lowers plant productivity and threatens the equilibrium of the food web. One possible method of handling Hg-contaminated soils is through bioremediation, which could eliminate Hg from the rhizosphere (root zone. In this study, indigenous fungi isolated from Hg-contaminated soil exhibited Hg-resistance in vitro. Soil samples were collected from the rhizosphere of pioneer plants which grew naturally in areas contaminated with gold mine tailing. The fungi’s capacity for Hg-resistance was confirmed by their better growth in chloramphenicol-boosted potato dextrose agar media which contained various HgCl2 concentrations. Four isolates exhibited resistance of up to 25 mg kg−1 of Hg, and in an experiment with young Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. test plants, two fungi species (including Aspergillus were demonstrated to increase the soil’s availability of Hg. The results suggest that Hg-resistant indigenous fungi can mobilize mercury in the soil and serve as potential bioremediation agents for contaminated agricultural land.

  14. Studies on soil contamination due to used motor oil and its remediation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singh, S.K.; John, S.; Srivastava, R.K.

    2009-01-01

    Used motor oil (UMO) contains lead, chromium, cadmium, naphthalene, chlorinated hydrocarbons and sulphur. Although UMO can be recycled if safely and properly collected, in many cases it is poured into open drains or thrown into the trash where it can contaminate the subsurface soil and ground water. A study was conducted to evaluate the changes in behaviour of soils due to interaction with UMO followed by its remediation. Different types of soils classified as clay with low plasticity, clay with high plasticity, and poorly graded sand were used for the study. Used motor oil was the contaminant and sodium dedecyl sulphate (SDS) was used as the surfactant for decontamination. In order to compare the geotechnical properties before and after contamination, laboratory studies were conducted on uncontaminated soil samples as well as on soil samples simulated to varying degrees of contamination. The contaminants in the soil matrix were held either by chemical adsorption or entrained within the pore space surrounding the soil grains. The study showed that the sensitivity of soil to the contaminants depends not only on the local environment, but also on the mineral structure, particle size, bonding and ion exchange capacity. It was observed that the original geotechnical properties of soils could be almost restored upon decontamination with SDS washing at an optimum dosage. 31 refs., 7 tabs., 3 figs

  15. Analysis of predictors related to soil contamination in recreational areas of Romania.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gagiu, C; Pica, E M; Querol, X; Botezan, C S

    2015-12-01

    Soil contamination in recreational areas can considerably affect children's health, as they are the segment of the population most sensitive to anthropogenic contamination. Soil contamination in recreational areas is influenced by a number of factors such as type and age of the recreational area, nearby traffic intensity, proximity to industrial areas, presence of vegetation, level of usage, treated wood structures, and the extent of maintenance operations carried out in the area. These can most often be observed during a simple site visit. The purpose of the present research is to analyze to which extent the presence of these factors can trigger an alarm signal, highlighting soil contamination in urban recreational areas. In this regard, soil contamination was scaled using the integrated pollution index applied on nine distinctive contaminants (As, Cu, Cd, Zn, Pb, Hg, Co, Ni, Mg) identified using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Multiple linear regression analysis was performed in order to assess predictors of soil contamination. The research was carried out in a number of 88 recreational areas, parks, and playgrounds from 19 Romanian cities, revealing the fact that proximity to industrial areas and intensive traffic had statistically significant effects on soil contamination. Furthermore, it was observed that in 78 out of the 88 analyzed locations, the concentrations of contaminants exceeded the guidelines established through national legislation, thus confirming the presumption that high concentrations of contaminants exist in the parks and playgrounds of Romania.

  16. Human exposure to soil contaminants in subarctic Ontario, Canada

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ellen Stephanie Reyes

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Background: Chemical contaminants in the Canadian subarctic present a health risk with exposures primarily occurring via the food consumption. Objective: Characterization of soil contaminants is needed in northern Canada due to increased gardening and agricultural food security initiatives and the presence of known point sources of pollution. Design: A field study was conducted in the western James Bay Region of Ontario, Canada, to examine the concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its metabolites (ΣDDT, other organochlorines, and metals/metalloids in potentially contaminated agriculture sites. Methods: Exposure pathways were assessed by comparing the estimated daily intake to acceptable daily intake values. Ninety soil samples were collected at random (grid sampling from 3 plots (A, B, and C in Fort Albany (on the mainland, subarctic Ontario, Canada. The contaminated-soil samples were analysed by gas chromatography with an electron capture detector or inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. Results: The range of ΣDDT in 90 soil samples was below the limit of detection to 4.19 mg/kg. From the 3 soil plots analysed, Plot A had the highest ΣDDT mean concentration of 1.12 mg/kg, followed by Plot B and Plot C which had 0.09 and 0.01 mg/kg, respectively. Concentrations of other organic contaminants and metals in the soil samples were below the limit of detection or found in low concentrations in all plots and did not present a human health risk. Conclusions: Exposure analyses showed that the human risk was below regulatory thresholds. However, the ΣDDT concentration in Plot A exceeded soil guidelines set out by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment of 0.7 mg/kg, and thus the land should not be used for agricultural or recreational purposes. Both Plots B and C were below threshold limits, and this land can be used for agricultural purposes.

  17. Immobilization of radioactive strontium in contaminated soils by phosphate treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, K.H.; Ammons, J.T.

    1990-01-01

    The feasibility of in situ phosphate- and metal- (calcium, aluminum, and iron) solution treatment for 90 Sr immobilization was investigated. Batch and column experiments were performed to find optimum conditions for coprecipitation of 90 Sr with Ca-, Al-, and Fe-phosphate compounds in contaminated soils. Separate columns were packed with artificially 85 Sr-contaminated acid soil as well as 90 Sr-contaminated soil from the Oak Ridge Reservation. After metal-phosphate treatment, the columns were then leached successively with either tapwater or 0.001 M CaCl 2 solution. Most of the 85 Sr coprecipitated with the metal phosphate compounds. Immobilization of 85 Sr and 90 Sr was affected by such factors as solution pH, metal and phosphate concentration, metal-to-phosphate ratio, and soil characteristics. Equilibration time after treatments also affected 85 Sr immobilization. Many technology aspects still need to be investigated before field applications are feasible, but these experiments indicate that phosphate-based in situ immobilization should prevent groundwater contamination and will be useful as a treatment technology for 90 Sr-contaminated sites. 15 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab

  18. Microemulsion-enhanced remediation of soils contaminated with organochlorine pesticides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yanlin; Wong, Jonathan W C; Zhao, Zhenyong; Selvam, Ammaiyappan

    2011-12-01

    Soil contaminated by organic pollutants, especially chlorinated aromatic compounds such as DDT (1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane), is an environmental concern because of the strong sorption of organochlorine pesticide onto the soil matrix and persistence in the environment. The remediation of organochlorine pesticide contaminated soils through microemulsion is an innovative technology to expedite this process. The remediation efficiency was evaluated by batch experiments through studying the desorption of DDT and hexachlorocyclohexane (y-HCH) and sorption of microemulsion composed of Triton X-100, 1-pentanol and linseed oil in the soil-surfactant-water suspension system. The reduction of desorption efficiency caused by the sorption loss of microemulsion components onto the soil could be corrected by the appropriate adjustment of C/S (Cosurfactant/Surfactant) and O/S (Oil/Surfactant) ratio. The C/S and O/S ratios of 1:2 and 3:20 were suitable to desorb DDT and gamma-HCH from the studied soils because of the lower sorption of Triton X-100 onto the soil. Inorganic salts added in microemulsion increased the pesticides desorption efficiency of pesticides and calcium chloride has a stronger ability to enhance the desorption of DDT than sodium chloride. From the remediation perspective, the balance of surfactant or cosurfactant sorbed to soil and desorption efficiency should be taken into consideration to enhance the remediation of soils contaminated by organochlorine pesticides.

  19. Ecotoxicological hazard assessment of hydrocarbon contaminated soils: A case study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roy, Y.; Pauwels, S.J.; Chasse, R.

    1994-01-01

    The Ecotoxicological Hazard Assessment (EHA) developed by the Quebec Ministry of Environment and Wildlife was used as part of the management scheme of contaminated soils from a former refinery. The study consists of assessing five types of soils (reference, heavily contaminated, slightly contaminated, thermally-treated, and biotreated) to determine their relative intrinsic hazard. During the exploratory activities a series of ten assessment endpoints where identified to support this typical EHA. During SOURCE characterization, the physicochemical make-up of the soils is described and the presence and concentrations of priority pollutants is determined. During FATE characterization, the potential for bioconcentration, mobility, and persistence of pollutants is determined. During EFFECTS characterization, the soils and their leachates are tested using standard terrestrial and aquatic bioassays. The data from the toxicological and analytical testing program are evaluated semi-quantitatively on the basis of a scoring system developed by consensus. The discussion will highlight how data are used within an EHA to streamline the decision-making process regarding the follow-up cleanup and disposal of contaminated soils

  20. Assisted bioremediation tests on three natural soils contaminated with benzene

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Manuela Carvalho

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Bioremediation is an attractive and useful method of remediation of soils contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons because it is simple to maintain, applicable in large areas, is economic and enables an effective destruction of the contaminant. Usually, the autochthone microorganisms have no ability to degrade these compounds, and otherwise, the contaminated sites have inappropriate environmental conditions for microorganism’s development. These problems can be overcome by assisted bioremediation (bioaugmentation and/or biostimulation. In this study the assisted bioremediation capacity on the rehabilitation of three natural sub-soils (granite, limestone and schist contaminated with benzene was evaluated. Two different types of assisted bioremediation were used: without and with ventilation (bioventing. The bioaugmentation was held by inoculating the soil with a consortium of microorganisms collected from the protection area of crude oil storage tanks in a refinery. In unventilated trials, biostimulation was accomplished by the addition of a nutrient mineral media, while in bioventing oxygen was also added. The tests were carried out at controlled temperature of 25 ºC in stainless steel columns where the moist soil contaminated with benzene (200 mg per kg of soil occupied about 40% of the column’s volume. The processes were daily monitored in discontinued mode. Benzene concentration in the gas phase was quantified by gas chromatography (GC-FID, oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations were monitored by respirometry. The results revealed that the three contaminated soils were remediated using both technologies, nevertheless, the bioventing showed faster rates. With this work it was proved that respirometric analysis is an appropriate instrument for monitoring the biological activity.

  1. Operating and life-cycle costs for uranium-contaminated soil treatment technologies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Douthat, D.M.; Armstrong, A.Q.

    1995-09-01

    The development of a nuclear industry in the US required mining, milling, and fabricating a large variety of uranium products. One of these products was purified uranium metal which was used in the Savannah River and Hanford Site reactors. Most of this feed material was produced at the US Department of Energy (DOE) facility formerly called the Feed Materials Production Center at Fernald, Ohio. During operation of this facility, soils became contaminated with uranium from a variety of sources. To avoid disposal of these soils in low-level radioactive waste burial sites, increasing emphasis has been placed on the remediating soils contaminated with uranium and other radionuclides. To address remediation and management of uranium-contaminated soils at sites owned by DOE, the DOE Office of Technology Development (OTD) evaluates and compares the versatility, efficiency, and economics of various technologies that may be combined into systems designed to characterize and remediate uranium-contaminated soils. Each technology must be able to (1) characterize the uranium in soil, (2) decontaminate or remove uranium from soil, (3) treat or dispose of resulting waste streams, (4) meet necessary state and federal regulations, and (5) meet performance assessment objectives. The role of the performance assessment objectives is to provide the information necessary to conduct evaluations of the technologies. These performance assessments provide the basis for selecting the optimum system for remediation of large areas contaminated with uranium. One of the performance assessment tasks is to address the economics of full-scale implementation of soil treatment technologies. The cost of treating contaminated soil is one of the criteria used in the decision-making process for selecting remedial alternatives

  2. Review of soil contamination guidance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mueller, M.A.; Kennedy, W.E. Jr.; Soldat, J.K.

    1981-08-01

    A review of existing and proposed radioactive soil contamination standards and guidance was conducted for United Nuclear Corporation (UNC), Office of Surplus Facilities Management. Information was obtained from both government agencies and other sources during a literature survey. The more applicable standards were reviewed, evaluated, and summarized. Information pertaining to soil contamination for both facility operation and facility decommissioning was obtained from a variety of sources. These sources included: the Code of Federal Regulations, regulatory guides, the Federal Register, topical reports written by various government agencies, topical reports written by national laboratories, and publications from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). It was difficult to directly compare the standards and guidance obtained from these sources since each was intended for a specific situation and different units or bases were used. However, most of the information reviewed was consistent with the philosophy of maintaining exposures at levels as low as reasonably achievable

  3. Impact of long-term diesel contamination on soil microbial community structure

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sutton, Nora; Maphosa, Farai; Morillo, Jose

    2013-01-01

    Microbial community composition and diversity at a diesel-contaminated railway site were investigated by pyrosequencing of bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA gene fragments to understand the interrelationships among microbial community composition, pollution level, and soil geochemical and physical...... properties. To this end, 26 soil samples from four matrix types with various geochemical characteristics and contaminant concentrations were investigated. The presence of diesel contamination significantly impacted microbial community composition and diversity, regardless of the soil matrix type. Clean...... observed in contaminated samples. Redundancy analysis indicated that increased relative abundances of the phyla Chloroflexi, Firmicutes, and Euryarchaeota correlated with the presence of contamination. Shifts in the chemical composition of diesel constituents across the site and the abundance of specific...

  4. Immobilization of Lead from Pb-Contaminated Soil Amended with Peat Moss

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seul-Ji Lee

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Immobilization of lead (Pb using soil amendments can reduce Pb toxicity and bioavailability in soil. This study evaluated Pb immobilization in a Pb-contaminated soil by using peat moss through various tests. The Pb-contaminated soil (2000 mg Pb·kg−1 was amended with 1%, 5%, and 10% of peat moss to immobilize Pb in the soil. The immobilization properties of Pb in the contaminated soil were evaluated by a column leaching experiment, a microcosm test, and a batch incubation test. Peat moss significantly reduced the Pb leaching in all of the experiments and more effectively reduced mobility and toxicity of Pb in the column leaching and microcosm tests than bioavailability in the batch incubation test. The immobilized lead from the soils amended with 1%, 5%, and 10% of peat moss was 37.9%, 87.1%, and 95.4% from the column leaching test, 18.5%, 90.9%, and 96.4% from the microcosm test, and 2.0%, 36.9%, and 57.9% from the NH4NO3 extraction method, respectively, indicating that peat moss can be effectively used for the remediation of Pb-contaminated soil.

  5. Defense Waste Management Plan for buried transuranic-contaminated waste, transuranic-contaminated soil, and difficult-to-certify transuranic waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1987-06-01

    GAO recommended that DOE provide specific plans for permanent disposal of buried TRU-contaminated waste, TRU-contaminated soil, and difficult-to-certify TRU waste; cost estimates for permanent disposal of all TRU waste, including the options for the buried TRU-contaminated waste, TRU-contaminated soil, and difficult-to-certify TRU waste; and specific discussions of environmental and safety issues for the permanent disposal of TRU waste. Purpose of this document is to respond to the GAO recommendations by providing plans and cost estimates for the long-term isolation of the buried TRU-contaminated waste, TRU-contaminated soil, and difficult-to-certify TRU waste. This report also provides cost estimates for processing and certifying stored and newly generated TRU waste, decontaminating and decommissioning TRU waste processing facilities, and interim operations

  6. Purification of oil-contaminated soils from heavy metals using plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zamanova, A.

    2014-01-01

    Full text : Purification of local areas of oil-contaminated soils with contamination degree of 5-8 percent using plant resistant to salinity and high temperature and rehabilitation of these soils is the most urgent task for Apsheron Peninsula which is the main territory of oil onshore in Azerbaijan. This method is environmentally compatible and economically viable against other methods. Despite the fact that in this area it has been carried out numerous scientific researches, for each level of contamination, for each specific soil type, for each specific climatic conditions and the group of plants requires more and more researches

  7. Low-concentration tailing and subsequent quicklime-enhanced remediation of volatile chlorinated hydrocarbon-contaminated soils by mechanical soil aeration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Yan; Du, Xiaoming; Shi, Yi; Xu, Zhu; Fang, Jidun; Li, Zheng; Li, Fasheng

    2015-02-01

    Mechanical soil aeration has long been regarded as an effective ex-situ remediation technique and as suitable for remediation of large-scale sites contaminated by volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at low cost. However, it has been reported that the removal efficiency of VOCs from soil is relatively low in the late stages of remediation, in association with tailing. Tailing may extend the remediation time required; moreover, it typically results in the presence of contaminants residues at levels far exceeding regulations. In this context, the present study aimed to discuss the tailing that occurs during the process of remediation of soils contaminated artificially with volatile chlorinated hydrocarbons (VCHs) and to assess possible quicklime-enhanced removal mechanisms. The results revealed the following conclusions. First, temperature and aeration rate can be important controls on both the timing of appearance of tailing and the levels of residual contaminants. Furthermore, the addition of quicklime to soil during tailing can reduce the residual concentrations rapidly to below the remedial target values required for site remediation. Finally, mechanical soil aeration can be enhanced using quicklime, which can improve the volatilization of VCHs via increasing soil temperature, reducing soil moisture, and enhancing soil permeability. Our findings give a basic understanding to the elimination of the tailing in the application of mechanical soil aeration, particularly for VOCs-contaminated soils. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Environmental projects. Volume 14: Removal of contaminated soil and debris

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kushner, Len

    1992-01-01

    Numerous diverse activities at the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex (GDSCC) are carried out in support of six parabolic dish antennas. Some of these activities can result in possible spills or leakages of hazardous materials and wastes stored both above ground in steel drums and below ground in underground storage tanks (UST's). These possible leaks or spills, along with the past practice of burial of solid debris and waste in trenches and pits, could cause local subsurface contamination of the soil. In 1987, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), retained Engineering-Science, Inc. (E-S), Pasadena, California, to identify the specific local areas within the GDSCC with subsurface soil contamination. The E-S study determined that some of the soils at the Apollo Site and the Mars Site were contaminated with hydrocarbons, while soil at a nonhazardous waste dumpsite at the Mojave Base site was contaminated with copper. This volume is a JPL-expanded version of the PE209 E-S report, and it also reports that all subsurface contaminated soils at the GDSCC were excavated, removed, and disposed of in an environmentally acceptable way, and the excavations were backfilled and covered in accordance with accepted Federal, State, and local environmental rules and regulations.

  9. Bioremediation of diesel oil-contaminated soil by composting with biowaste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gestel, Kristin van; Mergaert, Joris; Swings, Jean; Coosemans, Jozef; Ryckeboer, Jaak

    2003-01-01

    Composting of biowaste and diesel contaminated-soil is an efficient bioremediation method, with mature compost as a usable end product. - Soil spiked with diesel oil was mixed with biowaste (vegetable, fruit and garden waste) at a 1:10 ratio (fresh weight) and composted in a monitored composting bin system for 12 weeks. Pure biowaste was composted in parallel. In order to discern the temperature effect from the additional biowaste effect on diesel degradation, one recipient with contaminated soil was hold at room temperature, while another was kept at the actual composting temperature. Measurements of composting parameters together with enumerations and identifications of microorganisms demonstrate that the addition of the contaminated soil had a minor impact on the composting process. The first-order rate constant of diesel degradation in the biowaste mixture was four times higher than in the soil at room temperature, and 1.2 times higher than in the soil at composting temperature

  10. Remediation of contaminated soils by biotechnology with nanomaterials: bio-behavior, applications, and perspectives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gong, Xiaomin; Huang, Danlian; Liu, Yunguo; Peng, Zhiwei; Zeng, Guangming; Xu, Piao; Cheng, Min; Wang, Rongzhong; Wan, Jia

    2018-05-01

    Soil contamination caused by heavy metals and organic pollutants has drawn world-wide concern. Biotechnology has been applied for many years to the decontamination of soils polluted with organic and inorganic contaminants, and novel nanomaterials (NMs) has attracted much concern due to their high capacity for the removal/stabilization/degradation of pollutants. Recently, developing advanced biotechnology with NMs for the remediation of contaminated soils has become a hot research topic. Some researchers found that bioremediation efficiency of contaminated soils was enhanced by the addition of NMs, while others demonstrated that the toxicity of NMs to the organism negatively influenced the repair capacity of polluted soils. This paper reviews the application of biotechnology and NMs in soil remediation, and further provides a critical view of the effects of NMs on the phytoremediation and micro-remediation of contaminated soils. This review also discusses the future research needs for the combined application of biotechnology and NMs in soil remediation.

  11. A fully continuous supercritical fluid extraction system for contaminated soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ryan, M.; Stiver, W.H.

    2007-01-01

    Brownfield sites are contaminated sites in an urban setting. There are hundreds of thousands of such sites, where contaminants migrate to the atmosphere, seep into groundwater, runoff into surface water and enter the food chain through plant uptake and soil ingestion. The Sydney Tar Ponds alone contain more than a million tonnes of contaminated soils and sediments. Soil vapour extraction, incineration, bioremediation, solvent extraction and land filling are among the remediation techniques that have been developed for brownfield sites over the years. However, no single technology is ideally suited to all cases because of the diversity of contaminants and diversity of site characterization. This paper focused on supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) which is well suited to sites contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and heavy metal. A fully continuous laboratory-scale SFE process for a slurry-based system was designed and constructed to handle the supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO 2 ) and the soil slurry. The system continuously pumps carbon dioxide under supercritical conditions and soil slurry into a counter-current contacting column. The testing soil was Delhi loamy sand, spiked with 10 mg/g of naphthalene. The soil slurry ranged from 0.0028 g dry soil per g slurry to 0.072 g/g. The operating temperature was 43 degrees C and the operating pressure was 7.7 MPa. Near steady state, fully continuous flow was achieved with runs lasting up to 2 hours. The quantifiable recoveries of naphthalene from the soil slurry was demonstrated and the mass transfer coefficients for the system were quantified in order to provide the foundation to advance to a full-scale system and costing analysis. 14 refs., 1 tab., 3 figs

  12. A fully continuous supercritical fluid extraction system for contaminated soil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ryan, M.; Stiver, W.H. [Guelph Univ., ON (Canada). School of Engineering

    2007-04-15

    Brownfield sites are contaminated sites in an urban setting. There are hundreds of thousands of such sites, where contaminants migrate to the atmosphere, seep into groundwater, runoff into surface water and enter the food chain through plant uptake and soil ingestion. The Sydney Tar Ponds alone contain more than a million tonnes of contaminated soils and sediments. Soil vapour extraction, incineration, bioremediation, solvent extraction and land filling are among the remediation techniques that have been developed for brownfield sites over the years. However, no single technology is ideally suited to all cases because of the diversity of contaminants and diversity of site characterization. This paper focused on supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) which is well suited to sites contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and heavy metal. A fully continuous laboratory-scale SFE process for a slurry-based system was designed and constructed to handle the supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO{sub 2}) and the soil slurry. The system continuously pumps carbon dioxide under supercritical conditions and soil slurry into a counter-current contacting column. The testing soil was Delhi loamy sand, spiked with 10 mg/g of naphthalene. The soil slurry ranged from 0.0028 g dry soil per g slurry to 0.072 g/g. The operating temperature was 43 degrees C and the operating pressure was 7.7 MPa. Near steady state, fully continuous flow was achieved with runs lasting up to 2 hours. The quantifiable recoveries of naphthalene from the soil slurry was demonstrated and the mass transfer coefficients for the system were quantified in order to provide the foundation to advance to a full-scale system and costing analysis. 14 refs., 1 tab., 3 figs.

  13. Feasibility testing of in situ vitrification of uranium-contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ikuse, H.; Tsuchino, S.; Tasaka, H.; Timmerman, C.L.

    1989-01-01

    Process feasibility studies using in situ vitrification (ISV) were successfully performed on two different uranium-contaminated wastes. In situ vitrification is a thermal treatment process that converts contaminated soils into durable glass and crystalline form. Of the two different wastes, one waste was uranium mill tailings, while the other was uranium-contaminated soils which had high water contents. Analyses of the data from the two tests are presented

  14. Risks, media and the social amplification of soil contamination

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ouboter, S. [NOK, Networkorganisation for Environmental Quality, Gouda (Netherlands)

    2003-07-01

    Soil experts think of the risks of contaminated sites in terms of adverse effects of toxic substances on human health or environmental quality. In other words, the risk is attributed to the contamination. Social scientists define risk as a situation or event in which something of human value (including humans themselves) has been put at stake and where the outcome is uncertain. Since situations or events are constructions of the human mind, risks are also constructed. A relevant question for a psychologist is to learn how these constructions evolve in the mind of an individual and how this perceived risk influences the individuals' behaviour and well-being. A relevant question for a sociologist is how individuals with their own perceptions, feelings and behaviour interact. Many soil contamination experts experienced that one a site is seen as contaminated by a loathsome source, a chain of adverse reactions can easily put a stigma on that specific location and groups of people associated with that contaminated site. The case of Love Canal is worldwide known as an example of this phenomenon, but many countries have their own national symbol, like Lekkerkerk in the Netherlands. Modern media play an important role in this process. This process is often believed to be irrational and therefore uncontrollable. The question of this workshop is to what level technical soil experts can influence the psychological and social effects of soil contamination, using the social amplification metaphor. (orig.)

  15. Remediation of Soil Contaminated with Uranium using a Biological Method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Hye Min; Kim, Gye Nam; Shon, Dong Bin; Lee, Ki Won; Chung, Un Soo; Moon, Jai Kwon

    2011-01-01

    Bioremediation is a method to cleanup contaminants in soil or ground water with microorganisms. The biological method can reduce the volume of waste solution and the construction cost and operation cost of soil remediation equipment. Bioremediation can be divided into natural attenuation, bioaugmentation, biostimulation. Biostimulation is technology to improve natural purification by adding nutritional substances, supplying oxygen and controlling pH. In this study, penatron, that is a nutritional substances, was mixed with soil. Optimum conditions for mixing ratios of penatron and soil, and the pH of soil was determined through several bioremediation experiments with soil contaminated with uranium. Also, under optimum experiment conditions, the removal efficiencies of soil and concrete according to reaction time were measured for feasibility analysis of soil and concrete bioremediations

  16. Decontamination of hydrocarbon contaminated soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, A.J.

    1991-01-01

    This patent describes the method of treating hydrocarbon contaminated soil. It comprises forming the soil into a flowing particulate stream, forming an aqueous liquid mixture of water and treating substance that reacts with hydrocarbon to form CO 2 and water, dispersing the liquid mixture into the particulate soil stream to wet the particulate, allowing the substance to react with the wetted soil particulate to thereby form CO 2 and water, thereby the resultant soil is beneficially treated, the stream being freely projected to dwell at a level and then fall, and the dispersing includes spraying the liquid mixture into the projected stream at the dwell, the substance consisting of natural bacteria, and at a concentration level in the mixture of between 100 to 3,000 PPM of bacteria to water, the soil forming step including impacting the soil to reduce it to particles less than about 1 inches in cross dimension, and including forming the wetting particulate into a first layer on a surface to allow the substance to react

  17. BIOREMEDIATION OF CONTAMINATED SURFACE SOILS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biological remediation of soils contaminated with organic chemicals is an alternative treatment technology that can often meet the goal of achieving a permanent clean-up remedy at hazardous waste sites, as encouraged by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) for impl...

  18. Electroremediation of PCB contaminated soil combined with iron nanoparticles: Effect of the soil type.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomes, Helena I; Dias-Ferreira, Celia; Ottosen, Lisbeth M; Ribeiro, Alexandra B

    2015-07-01

    Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) are carcinogenic and persistent organic pollutants that accumulate in soils and sediments. Currently, there is no cost-effective and sustainable remediation technology for these contaminants. In this work, a new combination of electrodialytic remediation and zero valent iron particles in a two-compartment cell is tested and compared to a more conventional combination of electrokinetic remediation and nZVI in a three-compartment cell. In the new two-compartment cell, the soil is suspended and stirred simultaneously with the addition of zero valent iron nanoparticles. Remediation experiments are made with two different historically PCB contaminated soils, which differ in both soil composition and contamination source. Soil 1 is a mix of soils with spills of transformer oils, while Soil 2 is a superficial soil from a decommissioned school where PCB were used as windows sealants. Saponin, a natural surfactant, was also tested to increase the PCB desorption from soils and enhance dechlorination. Remediation of Soil 1 (with highest pH, carbonate content, organic matter and PCB concentrations) obtained the maximum 83% and 60% PCB removal with the two-compartment and the three-compartment cell, respectively. The highest removal with Soil 2 were 58% and 45%, in the two-compartment and the three-compartment cell, respectively, in the experiments without direct current. The pH of the soil suspension in the two-compartment treatment appears to be a determining factor for the PCB dechlorination, and this cell allowed a uniform distribution of the nanoparticles in the soil, while there was iron accumulation in the injection reservoir in the three-compartment cell. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Bioremediation of industrially contaminated soil using compost and plant technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taiwo, A M; Gbadebo, A M; Oyedepo, J A; Ojekunle, Z O; Alo, O M; Oyeniran, A A; Onalaja, O J; Ogunjimi, D; Taiwo, O T

    2016-03-05

    Compost technology can be utilized for bioremediation of contaminated soil using the active microorganisms present in the matrix of contaminants. This study examined bioremediation of industrially polluted soil using the compost and plant technology. Soil samples were collected at the vicinity of three industrial locations in Ogun State and a goldmine site in Iperindo, Osun State in March, 2014. The compost used was made from cow dung, water hyacinth and sawdust for a period of twelve weeks. The matured compost was mixed with contaminated soil samples in a five-ratio pot experimental design. The compost and contaminated soil samples were analyzed using the standard procedures for pH, electrical conductivity (EC), organic carbon (OC), total nitrogen (TN), phosphorus, exchangeable cations (Na, K, Ca and Mg) and heavy metals (Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn and Cr). Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus) seeds were also planted for co-remediation of metals. The growth parameters of Kenaf plants were observed weekly for a period of one month. Results showed that during the one-month remediation experiment, treatments with 'compost-only' removed 49 ± 8% Mn, 32 ± 7% Fe, 29 ± 11% Zn, 27 ± 6% Cu and 11 ± 5% Cr from the contaminated soil. On the other hand, treatments with 'compost+plant' remediated 71 ± 8% Mn, 63 ± 3% Fe, 59 ± 11% Zn, 40 ± 6% Cu and 5 ± 4% Cr. Enrichment factor (EF) of metals in the compost was low while that of Cu (EF=7.3) and Zn (EF=8.6) were high in the contaminated soils. Bioaccumulation factor (BF) revealed low metal uptake by Kenaf plant. The growth parameters of Kenaf plant showed steady increments from week 1 to week 4 of planting. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Bioremediation of oil-contaminated soils by composting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Golodyaev, G. P.; Kostenkov, N. M.; Oznobikhin, V. I.

    2009-08-01

    Composting oil-contaminated soils under field conditions with the simultaneous optimization of their physicochemical and agrochemical parameters revealed the high efficiency of the soil purification, including that from benz[a]pyrene. The application of fertilizers and lime favored the intense development of indigenous microcenoses and the effective destruction of the oil. During the 95-day experimental period, the average daily rate of the oil decomposition was 157 mg/kg of soil. After the completion of the process, the soil became ecologically pure.

  1. In Situ Evaluation of Crop Productivity and Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals in Paddy Soils after Remediation of Metal-Contaminated Soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Shin Woong; Chae, Yooeun; Moon, Jongmin; Kim, Dokyung; Cui, Rongxue; An, Gyeonghyeon; Jeong, Seung-Woo; An, Youn-Joo

    2017-02-15

    Soils contaminated with heavy metals have been reused for agricultural, building, and industrial uses following remediation. This study assesses plant growth and bioaccumulation of heavy metals following remediation of industrially contaminated soil. The soil was collected from a field site near a nonferrous smelter and was subjected to laboratory- and field-scale studies. Soil from the contaminated site was remediated by washing with acid or mixed with soil taken from a distant uncontaminated site. The activities of various soil exoenzymes, the rate of plant growth, and the bioaccumulations of six heavy metals were measured to assess the efficacy of these bioremediation techniques. Growth of rice (Oryza sativa) was unaffected in acid-washed soil or the amended soil compared to untreated soil from the contaminated site. The levels of heavy metals in the rice kernels remained within safe limits in treated and untreated soils. Rice, sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), and wheat (Triticum aestivum) cultivated in the same soils in the laboratory showed similar growth rates. Soil exoenzyme activities and crop productivity were not affected by soil treatment in field experiments. In conclusion, treatment of industrially contaminated soil by acid washing or amendment did not adversely affect plant productivity or lead to increased bioaccumulation of heavy metals in rice.

  2. Phyto-remediation of contaminated soils; La phytoremediation des sols contamines

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Morel, J.L. [Ecole Nationale Superieure Agronomie et des Industries Alimentaires, 54 - Vandoeuvre les Nancy (France)

    2002-09-01

    Plants provide new ways for soil remediation. The activity of living roots (absorption, exudation of organic compounds, action on physical soil properties) contribute to decrease the negative effects of pollutants, as they are stabilised or eliminated (extraction or degradation). In the presence of plants, hydrocarbons, a rather ubiquitous group of soil pollutants, are degraded faster than in bare soil. Hydrocarbon degrading bacteria are stimulated by root exudates, which also create favourable conditions for co-metabolism. Also, the fragmentation of aggregates as well as the release of surfactants increase the exposure of organic pollutants to microorganism degradation. The phyto-remediation technology is efficient to reduce the dissemination of pollutants. On historically contaminated soils, effects are generally discrete within a short period of time and may be more effective in the long run. (author)

  3. Effects of Soil Oxygen Conditions and Soil pH on Remediation of DDT-contaminated Soil by Laccase from White Rot Fungi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuechun Zhao

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available High residues of DDT in agricultural soils are of concern because they present serious threats to food security and human health. This article focuses on remediation of DDT-contaminated soil using laccase under different soil oxygen and soil pH conditions. The laboratory experiment results showed significant effects of soil oxygen conditions and soil pH on remediation of DDT-contaminated soil by laccase at the end of a 25-d incubation period. This study found the positive correlation between the concentration of oxygen in soil and the degradation of DDT by laccase. The residue of DDTs in soil under the atmosphere of oxygen decreased by 28.1% compared with the atmosphere of nitrogen at the end of the incubation with laccase. A similar pattern was observed in the remediation of DDT-contaminated soil by laccase under different flooding conditions, the higher the concentrations of oxygen in soil, the lower the residues of four DDT components and DDTs in soils. The residue of DDTs in the nonflooding soil declined by 16.7% compared to the flooded soil at the end of the incubation. The residues of DDTs in soils treated with laccase were lower in the pH range 2.5–4.5.

  4. Aided Phytostabilization of Copper Contaminated Soils with L. Perenne and Mineral Sorbents as Soil Amendments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radziemska, Maja

    2017-09-01

    The present study was designed to assess phytostabilization strategies for the treatment of soil co-contaminated by increasing levels of copper with the application mineral amendments (chalcedonite, zeolite, dolomite). From the results it will be possible to further elucidate the benefits or potential risks derived from the application of different types of mineral amendments in the remediation of a copper contaminated soil. A glasshouse pot experiment was designed to evaluate the potential use of different amendments as immobilizing agents in the aided phytostabilization of Cu-contaminated soil using ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). The content of trace elements in plants and total in soil, were determined using the method of spectrophotometry. All of the investigated element contents in the tested parts of L. perenne were significantly different in the case of applying mineral amendments to the soil, as well as increasing concentrations of copper. The greatest average above-ground biomass was observed for soil amended with chalcedonite. In this experiment, all analyzed metals accumulated predominantly in the roots of the tested plant. In general, applying mineral amendments to soil contributed to decreased levels of copper concentrations.

  5. Remediation of arsenic-contaminated soils and groundwaters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peters, Robert W.; Frank, James R.; Feng, Xiandong

    1998-01-01

    An in situ method for extraction of arsenic contaminants from a soil medium and remediation of the medium including contacting the medium with an extractant solution, directing the solution within and through the medium, and collecting the solution and contaminants. The method can also be used for arsenate and/or arsenite removal.

  6. Assessment of soil-gas, seep, and soil contamination at the North Range Road Landfill, Fort Gordon, Georgia, 2008-2009

    Science.gov (United States)

    Landmeyer, James E.; Falls, W. Fred; Ratliff, W. Hagan; Wellborn, John B.

    2011-01-01

    Soil gas, seeps, and soil were assessed for contaminants at the North Range Road Landfill at Fort Gordon, Georgia, from October 2008 to September 2009. The assessment included delineating organic contaminants present in soil-gas samples beneath the area estimated to be the landfill and in water samples collected from three seeps at the base of the landfill. Inorganic contaminants were determined in three seep samples and in soil samples. This assessment was conducted to provide environmental contamination data to Fort Gordon pursuant to requirements for the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Part B Hazardous Waste Permit process.

  7. Soil slurry reactors for the assessment of contaminant biodegradation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toscano, G.; Colarieti, M. L.; Greco, G.

    2012-04-01

    Slurry reactors are frequently used in the assessment of feasibility of biodegradation in natural soil systems. The rate of contaminant removal is usually quantified by zero- or first-order kinetics decay constants. The significance of such constants for the evaluation of removal rate in the field could be questioned because the slurry reactor is a water-saturated, well-stirred system without resemblance with an unsaturated fixed bed of soil. Nevertheless, a kinetic study with soil slurry reactors can still be useful by means of only slightly more sophisticated kinetic models than zero-/first-order decay. The use of kinetic models taking into account the role of degrading biomass, even in the absence of reliable experimental methods for its quantification, provides further insight into the effect of nutrient additions. A real acceleration of biodegradation processes is obtained only when the degrading biomass is in the growth condition. The apparent change in contaminant removal course can be useful to diagnose biomass growth without direct biomass measurement. Even though molecular biology techniques are effective to assess the presence of potentially degrading microorganism in a "viable-but-nonculturable" state, the attainment of conditions for growth is still important to the development of enhanced remediation techniques. The methodology is illustrated with reference to data gathered for two test sites, Oslo airport Gardermoen in Norway (continuous contamination by aircraft deicing fluids) and the Trecate site in Italy (aged contamination by crude oil spill). This research is part of SoilCAM project (Soil Contamination, Advanced integrated characterisation and time-lapse Monitoring 2008-2012, EU-FP7).

  8. Validated sampling strategy for assessing contaminants in soil stockpiles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lame, Frank; Honders, Ton; Derksen, Giljam; Gadella, Michiel

    2005-01-01

    Dutch legislation on the reuse of soil requires a sampling strategy to determine the degree of contamination. This sampling strategy was developed in three stages. Its main aim is to obtain a single analytical result, representative of the true mean concentration of the soil stockpile. The development process started with an investigation into how sample pre-treatment could be used to obtain representative results from composite samples of heterogeneous soil stockpiles. Combining a large number of random increments allows stockpile heterogeneity to be fully represented in the sample. The resulting pre-treatment method was then combined with a theoretical approach to determine the necessary number of increments per composite sample. At the second stage, the sampling strategy was evaluated using computerised models of contaminant heterogeneity in soil stockpiles. The now theoretically based sampling strategy was implemented by the Netherlands Centre for Soil Treatment in 1995. It was applied to all types of soil stockpiles, ranging from clean to heavily contaminated, over a period of four years. This resulted in a database containing the analytical results of 2570 soil stockpiles. At the final stage these results were used for a thorough validation of the sampling strategy. It was concluded that the model approach has indeed resulted in a sampling strategy that achieves analytical results representative of the mean concentration of soil stockpiles. - A sampling strategy that ensures analytical results representative of the mean concentration in soil stockpiles is presented and validated

  9. Application of carbon nanotubes to immobilize heavy metals in contaminated soils

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Matos, Martim P. S. R.; Correia, António Alberto S., E-mail: aalberto@dec.uc.pt [University of Coimbra, Department of Civil Engineering, CIEPQPF—Chemical Process Engineering and Forest Products Research Centre (Portugal); Rasteiro, Maria G. [University of Coimbra, Department of Chemical Engineering, CIEPQPF (Portugal)

    2017-04-15

    The contamination of soils with heavy metals is a growing concern in modern societies. To avoid the spread of contamination, soil stabilization techniques can be applied mixing materials with the soil in order to partially immobilize heavy metals. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are nanomaterials known for its exceptional properties, like high surface area and adsorption capacity. Due to these unique properties, the potential use of CNTs in heavy metal contaminated water has been studied, with very satisfactory results; however, their application in contaminated soils is practically unexplored. This experimental work is focused on studying the potential of using CNTs in soil remediation, especially to immobilize the heavy metals ions: lead (Pb{sup 2+}), copper (Cu{sup 2+}), nickel (Ni{sup 2+}), and zinc (Zn{sup 2+}), commonly present in contaminated soils. In order to avoid CNT agglomeration, which originates the loss of their beneficial properties, an aqueous suspension of CNTs was prepared using a non-ionic surfactant combined with ultrasonic energy to promote CNTs dispersion. Then, the soil, with and without the addition of CNTs, was subjected to adsorption tests to evaluate the CNT capacity to improve heavy metal immobilization. To validate the adsorption test results, permeability tests were executed, simulating the conditions of a real-case scenario. The results obtained led to the conclusion that the addition of a small amount of dispersed CNTs can successfully increase the adsorption capacity of the soil and consequently improve the immobilization of heavy metals in the soil matrix. The immobilization percentage varies with the different heavy metals under study.

  10. Application of carbon nanotubes to immobilize heavy metals in contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matos, Martim P. S. R.; Correia, António Alberto S.; Rasteiro, Maria G.

    2017-01-01

    The contamination of soils with heavy metals is a growing concern in modern societies. To avoid the spread of contamination, soil stabilization techniques can be applied mixing materials with the soil in order to partially immobilize heavy metals. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are nanomaterials known for its exceptional properties, like high surface area and adsorption capacity. Due to these unique properties, the potential use of CNTs in heavy metal contaminated water has been studied, with very satisfactory results; however, their application in contaminated soils is practically unexplored. This experimental work is focused on studying the potential of using CNTs in soil remediation, especially to immobilize the heavy metals ions: lead (Pb"2"+), copper (Cu"2"+), nickel (Ni"2"+), and zinc (Zn"2"+), commonly present in contaminated soils. In order to avoid CNT agglomeration, which originates the loss of their beneficial properties, an aqueous suspension of CNTs was prepared using a non-ionic surfactant combined with ultrasonic energy to promote CNTs dispersion. Then, the soil, with and without the addition of CNTs, was subjected to adsorption tests to evaluate the CNT capacity to improve heavy metal immobilization. To validate the adsorption test results, permeability tests were executed, simulating the conditions of a real-case scenario. The results obtained led to the conclusion that the addition of a small amount of dispersed CNTs can successfully increase the adsorption capacity of the soil and consequently improve the immobilization of heavy metals in the soil matrix. The immobilization percentage varies with the different heavy metals under study.

  11. Application of carbon nanotubes to immobilize heavy metals in contaminated soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matos, Martim P. S. R.; Correia, António Alberto S.; Rasteiro, Maria G.

    2017-04-01

    The contamination of soils with heavy metals is a growing concern in modern societies. To avoid the spread of contamination, soil stabilization techniques can be applied mixing materials with the soil in order to partially immobilize heavy metals. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are nanomaterials known for its exceptional properties, like high surface area and adsorption capacity. Due to these unique properties, the potential use of CNTs in heavy metal contaminated water has been studied, with very satisfactory results; however, their application in contaminated soils is practically unexplored. This experimental work is focused on studying the potential of using CNTs in soil remediation, especially to immobilize the heavy metals ions: lead (Pb2+), copper (Cu2+), nickel (Ni2+), and zinc (Zn2+), commonly present in contaminated soils. In order to avoid CNT agglomeration, which originates the loss of their beneficial properties, an aqueous suspension of CNTs was prepared using a non-ionic surfactant combined with ultrasonic energy to promote CNTs dispersion. Then, the soil, with and without the addition of CNTs, was subjected to adsorption tests to evaluate the CNT capacity to improve heavy metal immobilization. To validate the adsorption test results, permeability tests were executed, simulating the conditions of a real-case scenario. The results obtained led to the conclusion that the addition of a small amount of dispersed CNTs can successfully increase the adsorption capacity of the soil and consequently improve the immobilization of heavy metals in the soil matrix. The immobilization percentage varies with the different heavy metals under study.

  12. Firm contracts for treatability tests on contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1989-01-01

    Geosafe Corporation, a Pacific Northwest-headquartered hazardous waste remediation company, announced that is has successfully completed treatability testing of contaminated soils under contract with Woodward Clyde Consultants of Denver, Colorado, the prime contractor for a major hazardous waste site in the Western United States. The tests are being conducted at the University of Washington with Geosafe's specially-designed test equipment. The recently concluded testing confirms the ability of Geosafe's patented in situ vitrification (ISV) technology to treat soils containing a variety of organic and inorganic contaminants. ISV, for which Geosafe has worldwide rights, is the only technology available today that will fully comply with the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act. The ability of ISV to treat mixtures of organic, inorganic and radioactive wastes in situ, in a single process, offers distinct advantages over excavation, transportation and incineration. During the ISV process, organic contaminants are pyrolized and the inorganics present are chemically incorporated into the molten soil which, when cooled, resembles naturally-occurring obsidian

  13. Bacterial endophytes enhance phytostabilization in soils contaminated with uranium and lead.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahsan, Muhammad Tayyab; Najam-Ul-Haq, Muhammad; Idrees, Muhammad; Ullah, Inayat; Afzal, Muhammad

    2017-10-03

    The combined use of plants and bacteria is a promising approach for the remediation of polluted soil. In the current study, the potential of bacterial endophytes in partnership with Leptochloa fusca (L.) Kunth was evaluated for the remediation of uranium (U)- and lead (Pb)-contaminated soil. L. fusca was vegetated in contaminated soil and inoculated with three different endophytic bacterial strains, Pantoea stewartii ASI11, Enterobacter sp. HU38, and Microbacterium arborescens HU33, individually as well as in combination. The results showed that the L. fusca can grow in the contaminated soil. Bacterial inoculation improved plant growth and phytoremediation capacity: this manifested in the form of a 22-51% increase in root length, 25-62% increase in shoot height, 10-21% increase in chlorophyll content, and 17-59% more plant biomass in U- and Pb-contaminated soils as compared to plants without bacterial inoculation. Although L. fusca plants showed potential to accumulate U and Pb in their root and shoot on their own, bacterial consortia further enhanced metal uptake capacity by 53-88% for U and 58-97% for Pb. Our results indicate that the combination of L. fusca and endophytic bacterial consortia can effectively be used for the phytostabilization of both U- and Pb-contaminated soils.

  14. Remediation of Diesel Fuel Contaminated Sandy Soil using Ultrasonic Waves

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wulandari P.S.

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Ultrasonic cleaning has been used in industry for some time, but the application of ultrasonic cleaning in contaminated soil is just recently received considerable attention, it is a very new technique, especially in Indonesia. An ultrasonic cleaner works mostly by energy released from the collapse of millions of microscopic cavitations near the dirty surface. This paper investigates the use of ultrasonic wave to enhance remediation of diesel fuel contaminated sandy soil considering the ultrasonic power, soil particle size, soil density, water flow rate, and duration of ultrasonic waves application.

  15. Leaching of Contamination from Stabilization/Solidification Remediated Soils of Different Texture

    OpenAIRE

    Burlakovs, J; Kasparinskis, R; Klavins, M

    2012-01-01

    Development of soil and groundwater remediation technologies is a matter of great importance to eliminate historically and currently contaminated sites. Stabilization/solidification (S/S) refers to binding of waste contaminants to a more chemically stable form and thus diminishing leaching of contamination. It can be performed using cement with or without additives in order to stabilize and solidify soil with the contamination in matrix. A series of experiments were done to determine leaching...

  16. Soil science basis and the effect of oil contamination on chemical properties of soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wagner, A.; Miehlich, G.

    1993-01-01

    The changes in soil chemistry properties due to oil contamination and decontamination are examined. One main point of the work is the determination of the effect of oil on the availability of nutrients in the soil. Nutrients are not only present dissolved in the soil solution, but are for the most part reversibly adsorbed by exchangers on loaded surfaces. The clay minerals, the organic substance and iron and manganese oxide act as exchangers. Knowledge on surface structure and reactions in soils contaminated by oil is to be obtained via examination of the exchange behaviour of different bio-elements. The results supply the basis for the cleaning up technique, the judgement of cleaned materials and their reusability. (orig.) [de

  17. Hydrolytic and ligninolytic enzyme activities in the Pb contaminated soil inoculated with litter-decomposing fungi.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kähkönen, Mika A; Lankinen, Pauliina; Hatakka, Annele

    2008-06-01

    The impact of Pb contamination was tested to five hydrolytic (beta-glucosidase, beta-xylosidase, beta-cellobiosidase, alpha-glucosidase and sulphatase) and two ligninolytic (manganese peroxidase, MnP and laccase) enzyme activities in the humus layer in the forest soil. The ability of eight selected litter-degrading fungi to grow and produce extracellular enzymes in the heavily Pb (40 g Pb of kg ww soil(-1)) contaminated and non-contaminated soil in the non-sterile conditions was also studied. The Pb content in the test soil was close to that of the shooting range at Hälvälä (37 g Pb of kg ww soil(-1)) in Southern Finland. The fungi were Agaricus bisporus, Agrocybe praecox, Gymnopus peronatus, Gymnopilus sapineus, Mycena galericulata, Gymnopilus luteofolius, Stropharia aeruginosa and Stropharia rugosoannulata. The Pb contamination (40 g Pb of kg ww soil(-1)) was deleterious to all five studied hydrolytic enzyme activities after five weeks of incubation. All five hydrolytic enzyme activities were significantly higher in the soil than in the extract of the soil indicating that a considerable part of enzymes were particle bound in the soils. Hydrolytic enzyme activities were higher in the non-contaminated soil than in the Pb contaminated soil. Fungal inocula increased the hydrolytic enzyme activities beta-cellobiosidase and beta-glucosidase in non-contaminated soils. All five hydrolytic enzyme activities were similar with fungi and without fungi in the Pb contaminated soil. This was in line that Pb contamination (40 g Pb of kg ww soil(-1)) depressed the growth of all fungi compared to those grown without Pb in the soil. Laccase and MnP activities were low in both Pb contaminated and non-contaminated soil cultures. MnP activities were higher in soil cultures containing Pb than without Pb. Our results showed that Pb in the shooting ranges decreased fungal growth and microbial functioning in the soil.

  18. Thermal treatment of petroleum contaminated soils - A case study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bubier, T.W.; Bilello. C.M.

    1993-01-01

    Thermal treatment is a cost-effective treatment method for removing chemicals from contaminated soils. However, detailed applicability studies are lacking. The goals of this paper are to (1) present the results of a thermal treatment study and (2) discuss the specific elements which must be evaluated prior to determining whether thermal treatment is a feasible option for a remediation project. Results of data collected during a pilot study involving thermal treatment of petroleum contaminated soils at a Marine Terminal are presented. The pilot study consisted of thermally treating the C8 through C40 + (gasoline, kerosene, diesel, motor oil, bunker fuel, etc.) hydrocarbon contaminated soils at treatment temperatures ranging from 250 degrees Fahrenheit (degree F) up to 550 degrees F. The low-temperature thermal treatment unit consisted of a rotary kiln with a temperature capacity of approximately 600 degrees F, a baghouse, and a catalytic oxidizer. The soil was monitored for concentrations of petroleum hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds before and after treatment. The results of the pilot study were used to determine if thermal treatment technology is a cost-efficient and effective option of remediating the estimated 300,000 tons of petroleum contaminated soil to acceptable cleanup levels. The low-temperature thermal treatment pilot study was effective in desorbing the short chain hydrocarbons (gasoline and diesel) but was not effective in desorbing the long-chain petroleum hydrocarbons, such as motor oils and bunker fuels, from the soil. This was primarily due to the boiling points of motor oil and bunker fuels which were higher than the temperature capacity of the pilot study treatment equipment. Additional factors that influenced the effectiveness of the desorption process included configuration of the treatment equipment, soil moisture content, soil particle size, and type and concentration of petroleum hydrocarbons

  19. Integrating Electrokinetic and Bioremediation Process for Treating Oil Contaminated Low Permeability Soil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramadan, Bimastyaji Surya; Effendi, Agus Jatnika; Helmy, Qomarudin

    2018-02-01

    Traditional oil mining activities always ignores environmental regulation which may cause contamination in soil and environment. Crude oil contamination in low-permeability soil complicates recovery process because it requires substantial energy for excavating and crushing the soil. Electrokinetic technology can be used as an alternative technology to treat contaminated soil and improve bioremediation process (biostimulation) through transfer of ions and nutrient that support microorganism growth. This study was conducted using a combination of electrokinetic and bioremediation processes. Result shows that the application of electrokinetic and bioremediation in low permeability soils can provide hydrocarbon removal efficiency up to 46,3% in 7 days operation. The highest amount of microorganism can be found in 3-days operation, which is 2x108 CFU/ml using surfactant as flushing fluid for solubilizing hydrocarbon molecules. Enhancing bioremediation using electrokinetic process is very potential to recover oil contaminated low permeability soil in the future.

  20. Remediation of lead contaminated soil by biochar-supported nano-hydroxyapatite.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Zhangmei; Fang, Zhanqiang; Zheng, Liuchun; Cheng, Wen; Tsang, Pokeung Eric; Fang, Jianzhang; Zhao, Dongye

    2016-10-01

    In this study, a high efficiency and low cost biochar-supported nano-hydroxyapatite (nHAP@BC) material was used in the remediation of lead (Pb)-contaminated soil. The remediation effect of nHAP@BC on Pb-contaminated soil was evaluated through batch experiments. The stability, bioaccessibility of Pb in the soil and the change in soil characteristics are discussed. Furthermore, the effects of the amendments on the growth of cabbage mustard seedlings and the accumulation of Pb were studied. The results showed that the immobilization rates of Pb in the soil were 71.9% and 56.8%, respectively, after a 28 day remediation using 8% nHAP and nHAP@BC materials, and the unit immobilization amount of nHAP@BC was 5.6 times that of nHAP, indicating that nHAP@BC can greatly reduce the cost of remediation of Pb in soil. After the nHAP@BC remediation, the residual fraction Pb increased by 61.4%, which greatly reduced the bioaccessibility of Pb in the soil. Moreover, nHAP@BC could effectively reduce the accumulation of Pb in plants by 31.4%. Overall, nHAP@BC can effectively remediate Pb-contaminated soil and accelerate the recovery of soil fertility. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Remediation of uranium contaminated water and soil by PIMS approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Raicevic, S.; Raicevic, J.; Smiciklas, I. . E-mail address of corresponding author: raich@beotel.yu; Raicevic, S.)

    2005-01-01

    Contamination of soil by uranium (U) represents a permanent threat for food and water resources. For this reason, remediation is a very important measure for protection of the health of the population living in the vicinity of these contaminated sites. Phosphate- Induced Metal Stabilization (PIMS) represents one of the powerful methods for remediation of soil and water contaminated by U, including depleted uranium (DU). By this approach it is possible to stabilize metals in the form of phosphate phases and other low soluble phases that are stable over geological time. PIMS is based on application of a special form of apatite of biological origin, Apatite II, to clean up metal and radionuclide contamination, in situ or ex situ. This biogenic apatite can be emplaced as a down-gradient permeable reactive barrier, mixed into contaminated soil or waste or used as a disposal liner. Here we will briefly describe the PIMS remediation protocol. (author)

  2. Characterization and Low-Cost Remediation of Soils Contaminated by Timbers in Community Gardens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heiger-Bernays, W; Fraser, A; Burns, V; Diskin, K; Pierotti, D; Merchant-Borna, K; McClean, M; Brabander, D; Hynes, H P

    2009-01-01

    Urban community gardens worldwide provide significant health benefits to those gardening and consuming fresh produce from them. Urban gardens are most often placed in locations and on land in which soil contaminants reflect past practices and often contain elevated levels of metals and organic contaminants. Garden plot dividers made from either railroad ties or chromated copper arsenate (CCA) pressure treated lumber contribute to the soil contamination and provide a continuous source of contaminants. Elevated levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) derived from railroad ties and arsenic from CCA pressure treated lumber are present in the gardens studied. Using a representative garden, we 1) determined the nature and extent of urban community garden soil contaminated with PAHs and arsenic by garden timbers; 2) designed a remediation plan, based on our sampling results, with our community partner guided by public health criteria, local regulation, affordability, and replicability; 3) determined the safety and advisability of adding city compost to Boston community gardens as a soil amendment; and 4) made recommendations for community gardeners regarding healthful gardening practices. This is the first study of its kind that looks at contaminants other than lead in urban garden soil and that evaluates the effect on select soil contaminants of adding city compost to community garden soil.

  3. Biodegradation of PAHs in petroleum-contaminated soil using tamarind leaves as microbial inoculums

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kanchana Juntongjin

    2007-03-01

    Full Text Available Petroleum-contaminated soil contains various hazardous materials such as aromatic hydrocarbons and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs. This study focused on PAHs since they are potentially toxic,mutagenic, and carcinogenic. Bioremediation of PAHs was carried out by adding tamarind leaf inoculums into petroleum-contaminated soil. Tamarind and other leguminous leaves have been reported to containedseveral PAH-degrading microorganisms. To minimize the amount of leaves added, the preparation of tamarind leaf inoculums was developed by incubating tamarind leaves with a sub-sample of contaminated soil for 49 days. After that, the efficiency of tamarind leaf inoculums was tested with two soil samplescollected from a navy dockyard and railway station in Samutprakarn and Bangkok, respectively. These soil samples had different levels of petroleum contamination. Bioaugmentation treatment was carried out bymixing contaminated soil with the inoculum at the ratio of 9:1. For navy dockyard soil, the concentration of phenanthrene was decreased gradually and reached the undetectable concentration within 56 days in theinoculated soil; meanwhile 70-80% of fluoranthene and pyrene were remained at the end of treatment. For railway station soil, which had lower petroleum contamination, PAH degradation was more rapid, forexample, the concentration of phenanthrene was below detection limit after 28 days. Besides PAHs, the amounts of several hydrocarbons were also reduced after treatment. At the same time, numerousphenanthrene-degrading bacteria, which were used as representatives of PAH degraders, could be observed in both inoculated soils. However, higher numbers of bacteria were found in railway station soil, whichcorresponded with the lower amount of PAHs and higher amount of soil nutrients. The results showed that inoculum prepared from tamarind leaves could be used to degrade PAHs as well as clean-up petroleum contaminated soil.

  4. Immobilization of uranium in contaminated soil by natural apatite addition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mrdakovic Popic, Jelena; Stojanovic, Mirjana; Milosevic, Sinisa; Iles, Deana; Zildzovic, Snezana

    2007-01-01

    Available in abstract form only. Full text of publication follows: The goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Serbian natural mineral apatite as soil additive for reducing the migration of uranium from contaminated sediments. In laboratory study we investigated the sorption properties of domestic apatite upon different experimental conditions, such as pH, adsorbent mass, reaction period, concentration of P 2 O 5 in apatite, solid/liquid ratio. In second part of study, we did the quantification of uranium in soil samples, taken from uranium mine site 'Kalna', by sequential extraction method. The same procedure was, also, used for uranium determination in contaminated soil samples after apatite addition, in order to determine the changes in U distribution in soil fraction. The obtained results showed the significant level of immobilization (96.7%) upon certain conditions. Increase of %P 2 O 5 in apatite and process of mechano-chemical activation led to increase of immobilization capacity from 17.50% till 91.64%. The best results for uranium binding were obtained at pH 5.5 and reaction period 60 days (98.04%) The sequential extraction showed the presence of uranium (48.2%) in potentially available soil fractions, but with the apatite addition uranium content in these fractions decreased (30.64%), what is considering environmental aspect significant fact. In situ immobilization of radionuclide using inexpensive sequestering agents, such as apatite, is very adequate for big contaminated areas of soil with low level of contamination. This investigation study on natural apatite from deposit 'Lisina' Serbia was the first one of this type in our country. Key words: apatite, uranium, immobilization, soil, contamination. (authors)

  5. ELECTROKINETIC REMEDIATION STUDY FOR CADMIUM CONTAMINATED SOIL

    OpenAIRE

    P. Bala Ramudu; R. P. Tiwari; R. K. Srivastava

    2007-01-01

    This paper presents the results of an experimental research undertaken to evaluate different purging solutions to enhance the removal of cadmium from spiked contaminated field soil by electrokinetic remediation. Three experiments were conducted when soil was saturated with deionised water and subsequently deionised water, ammonium citrate and sodium citrate were used as purging solutions at anode end. One experiment was conducted when the soil was saturated with ammonium citrate and itself wa...

  6. Experimental Investigation of Phenanthrene Pollutant Removal Efficiency for Contaminated Sandy Soil by Enhanced Soil Washing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saif salah Alquzweeni

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs are environmental concerns that must be removed to acceptable level. This research assesses two agents (Na2EDTA and SDS to remediate contaminated sandy soil, spiked with 500mg/kg phenanthrene. Five sets of experiments (batch are applied to investigate the optimal of five influencing factors on soil remediation: Na2EDTA-SDS concentration, liquid/Solid ratio, stirring speed, pH value of flushing solution and mixing time. The results of batch experiments showed that SDS has high phenanthrene removal efficiency (90%, while Na2EDTA shows no phenanthrene removal. pH has no effect on phenanthrene removal. To study the influence of flow rates on the removal efficiency of contaminants, two column tests with hydraulic gradient of 0.2 and 1.2 conducted by SDS solution. The results illustrate that high phenanthrene removal from soil obtained by 1.2 hydraulic gradient condition. The SDS flushing solution removed approximately 69% and 81% of phenanthrene from soil under low and high hydraulic gradients, respectively. It was concluded that phenanthrene removal depend on surfactant micelles formation. Overall, the study showed that soil flushing removal efficiency for contaminants depends on the flushing agents selectivity and affinity to the contaminants and the condition of hydraulic gradient.

  7. Vitrification testing of soil fines from contaminated Hanford 100 Area and 300 Area soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ludowise, J.D.

    1994-01-01

    The suitability of Hanford soil for vitrification is well known and has been demonstrated extensively in other work. The tests reported here were carried out to confirm the applicability of vitrification to the soil fines (a subset of the Hanford soil potentially different in composition from the bulk soil) and to provide data on the performance of actual, vitrified soil fines. It was determined that the soil fines were generally similar in composition to the bulk Hanford soil, although the fraction 2 O. The vitrified waste (plus additives) occupies only 60% of the volume of the initial untreated waste. Leach testing has shown the glasses made from the soil fines to be very durable relative to natural and man-made glasses and has demonstrated the ability of the vitrified waste to greatly reduce the release of radionuclides to the environment. Viscosity and electrical conductivity measurements indicate that the soil fines will be readily processable, although with levels of additives slightly greater than used in the radioactive melts. These tests demonstrate the applicability of vitrification to the contaminated soil fines and the exceptional performance of the waste form resulting from the vitrification of contaminated Hanford soils

  8. Effect of Soil Aging on the Phytoremediation Potential of Zea mays in Chromium and Benzo[a]Pyrene Contaminated Soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chigbo, Chibuike

    2015-06-01

    This study compared the phytoremediation potential of Zea mays in soil either aged or freshly amended with chromium (Cr) and benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P). Z. mays showed increased shoot biomass in aged soils than in freshly spiked soils. The shoot biomass in contaminated soils increased by over 50% in aged soil when compared to freshly amended soils, and over 29% more Cr was accumulated in the shoot of Z. mays in aged soil than in freshly amended soil. Planting Z. mays in aged soil helped in the dissipation of more than 31% B[a]P than in freshly spiked soil, but in the absence of plants, there seemed to be no difference between the dissipation rates of B[a]P in freshly and aged co-contaminated soil. Z. mays seemed to enhance the simultaneous removal of Cr and B[a]P in aged soil than in freshly spiked soil and hence can be a good plant choice for phytoremediation of co-contaminated soils.

  9. In Situ Vitrification: Recent test results for a contaminated soil melting process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buelt, J.L.; Timmerman, C.L.; Westsik, J.H. Jr.

    1988-06-01

    In Situ Vitrification (ISV) is being developed at Pacific Northwest Laboratory for the Department of Energy and other clients for the stabilization of soils and sludges contaminated with radioactive and hazardous chemical wastes. ISV is a process that immobilizes contaminated soil in place by converting it to a durable glass and crystalline product that is similar to obsidian. In June 1987, a large-scale test of the process was completed at a transuranic- contaminated soil site. This constituted the first full-scale demonstration of the ISV process at an actual site. This paper summarizes the preliminary results of this test and describes the processes' potential adaptation to radioactive and hazardous chemical waste contaminated soils. 10 refs., 10 figs

  10. Bioremediation of soil contaminated with spent and fresh cutting ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Contamination of soil with industrial cutting fluids containing heavy metals and petroleum hydrocarbons has detrimental effects on ecosystems. As such contaminants constitute risk to human health; they can enter the food chain through agricultural products or contaminated drinking water. This growing concern about ...

  11. Deep soil mixing for reagent delivery and contaminant treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Korte, N.; Gardner, F.G.; Cline, S.R.; West, O.R.

    1997-01-01

    Deep soil mixing was evaluated for treating clay soils contaminated with TCE and its byproducts at the Department of Energy's Kansas City Plant. The objective of the project was to evaluate the extent of limitations posed by the stiff, silty-clay soil. Three treatment approaches were tested. The first was vapor stripping. In contrast to previous work, however, laboratory treatability studies indicated that mixing saturated, clay soil was not efficient unless powdered lime was added. Thus, powder injection of lime was attempted in conjunction with the mixing/stripping operation. In separate treatment cells, potassium permanganate solution was mixed with the soil as a means of destroying contaminants in situ. Finally, microbial treatment was studied in a third treatment zone. The clay soil caused operational problems such as breakage of the shroud seal and frequent reagent blowouts. Nevertheless, treatment efficiencies of more than 70% were achieved in the saturated zone with chemical oxidation. Although expensive ($1128/yd 3 ), there are few alternatives for soils of this type

  12. Eco-toxicity and metal contamination of paddy soil in an e-wastes recycling area

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Junhui; Hang Min

    2009-01-01

    Paddy soil samples taken from different sites in an old primitive electronic-waste (e-waste) processing region were examined for eco-toxicity and metal contamination. Using the environmental quality standard for soils (China, Grade II) as reference, soil samples of two sites were weakly contaminated with trace metal, but site G was heavily contaminated with Cd (6.37 mg kg -1 ), and weakly contaminated with Cu (256.36 mg kg -1 ) and Zn (209.85 mg kg -1 ). Zn appeared to be strongly bound in the residual fraction (72.24-77.86%), no matter the soil was metal contaminated or not. However, more than 9% Cd and 16% Cu was present in the non-residual fraction in the metal contaminated soils than in the uncontaminated soil, especially for site G and site F. Compared with that of the control soil, the micronucleus rates of site G and site F soil treatments increased by 2.7-fold and 1.7-fold, respectively. Low germination rates were observed in site C (50%) and site G (50%) soil extraction treated rice seeds. The shortest root length (0.2377 cm) was observed in site G soil treated groups, which is only 37.57% of that of the control soil treated groups. All of the micronucleus ratio of Vicia faba root cells, rice germination rate and root length after treatment of soil extraction indicate the eco-toxicity in site F and G soils although the three indexes are different in sensitivity to soil metal contamination.

  13. Remediation of Nitrobenzene Contaminated Soil by Combining Surfactant Enhanced Soil Washing and Effluent Oxidation with Persulfate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Jingchun; Gao, Weiguo; Qian, Linbo; Han, Lu; Chen, Yun; Chen, Mengfang

    2015-01-01

    The combination of surfactant enhanced soil washing and degradation of nitrobenzene (NB) in effluent with persulfate was investigated to remediate NB contaminated soil. Aqueous solution of sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS, 24.0 mmol L-1) was used at a given mass ratio of solution to soil (20:1) to extract NB contaminated soil (47.3 mg kg-1), resulting in NB desorption removal efficient of 76.8%. The washing effluent was treated in Fe2+/persulfate and Fe2+/H2O2 systems successively. The degradation removal of NB was 97.9%, being much higher than that of SDBS (51.6%) with addition of 40.0 mmol L-1 Fe2+ and 40.0 mmol L-1 persulfate after 15 min reaction. The preferential degradation was related to the lone pair electron of generated SO4•−, which preferably removes electrons from aromatic parts of NB over long alkyl chains of SDBS through hydrogen abstraction reactions. No preferential degradation was observed in •OH based oxidation because of its hydrogen abstraction or addition mechanism. The sustained SDBS could be reused for washing the contaminated soil. The combination of the effective surfactant-enhanced washing and the preferential degradation of NB with Fe2+/persulfate provide a useful option to remediate NB contaminated soil. PMID:26266532

  14. Contaminant bioavailability in soils, sediments, and aquatic environments

    OpenAIRE

    Traina, Samuel J.; Laperche, Valérie

    1999-01-01

    The aqueous concentrations of heavy metals in soils, sediments, and aquatic environments frequently are controlled by the dissolution and precipitation of discrete mineral phases. Contaminant uptake by organisms as well as contaminant transport in natural systems typically occurs through the solution phase. Thus, the thermodynamic solubility of contaminant-containing minerals in these environments can directly influence the chemical reactivity, transport, and ecotoxici...

  15. Bioremediation of copper-contaminated soils by bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cornu, Jean-Yves; Huguenot, David; Jézéquel, Karine; Lollier, Marc; Lebeau, Thierry

    2017-02-01

    Although copper (Cu) is an essential micronutrient for all living organisms, it can be toxic at low concentrations. Its beneficial effects are therefore only observed for a narrow range of concentrations. Anthropogenic activities such as fungicide spraying and mining have resulted in the Cu contamination of environmental compartments (soil, water and sediment) at levels sometimes exceeding the toxicity threshold. This review focuses on the bioremediation of copper-contaminated soils. The mechanisms by which microorganisms, and in particular bacteria, can mobilize or immobilize Cu in soils are described and the corresponding bioremediation strategies-of varying levels of maturity-are addressed: (i) bioleaching as a process for the ex situ recovery of Cu from Cu-bearing solids, (ii) bioimmobilization to limit the in situ leaching of Cu into groundwater and (iii) bioaugmentation-assisted phytoextraction as an innovative process for in situ enhancement of Cu removal from soil. For each application, the specific conditions required to achieve the desired effect and the practical methods for control of the microbial processes were specified.

  16. Humic substances as a washing agent for Cd-contaminated soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meng, Fande; Yuan, Guodong; Wei, Jing; Bi, Dongxue; Ok, Yong Sik; Wang, Hailong

    2017-08-01

    Cost-effective and eco-friendly washing agents are in demand for Cd contaminated soils. Here, we used leonardite-derived humic substances to wash different types of Cd-contaminated soils, namely, a silty loam (Soil 1), a silty clay loam (Soil 2), and a sandy loam (Soil 3). Washing conditions were investigated for their effects on Cd removal efficiency. Cadmium removal was enhanced by a high humic substance concentration, long washing time, near neutral pH, and large solution/soil ratio. Based on the tradeoff between efficiency and cost, an optimum working condition was established as follows: humic substance concentration (3150 mg C/L), solution pH (6.0), washing time (2 h) and a washing solution/soil ratio (5). A single washing removed 0.55 mg Cd/kg from Soil 1 (1.33 mg Cd/kg), 2.32 mg Cd/kg from Soil 2 (6.57 mg Cd/kg), and 1.97 mg Cd/kg from Soil 3 (2.63 mg Cd/kg). Cd in effluents was effectively treated by adding a small dose of calcium hydroxide, reducing its concentration below the discharge limit of 0.1 mg/L in China. Being cost-effective and safe, humic substances have a great potential to replace common washing agents for the remediation of Cd-contaminated soils. Besides being environmentally benign, humic substances can improve soil physical, chemical, and biological properties. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Rapid bioassay for oil-contaminated soil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ashworth, J. [ALS Environmental, Edmonton, AB (Canada); Oosterbroek, L. [HydroQual, Calgary, AB (Canada)

    2010-07-01

    This PowerPoint presentation described a study conducted to develop a rapid bioassay for soils contaminated with oil. The bioassay method was designed for a weight of evidence (WoE) approach and eco-contact guideline derivation protocol. Microtox bioassays were conducted on cyclodextrin extracts of soil quantified by solvent extraction and gas chromatography. The method was demonstrated using straight {beta}-cyclodextrin soil extracts and activated {beta}-cyclodextrin soil extracts. An analysis of the methods showed that the activation step weakens or breaks the cyclodextrin and polycyclic hydrocarbon (PHC) inclusion complex. The released PHC became toxic to the microtox organism. Results from the bioassays were then correlated with earthworm reproduction bioassay results. tabs., figs.

  18. The effect of soil type on the bioremediation of petroleum contaminated soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haghollahi, Ali; Fazaelipoor, Mohammad Hassan; Schaffie, Mahin

    2016-09-15

    In this research the bioremediation of four different types of contaminated soils was monitored as a function of time and moisture content. The soils were categorized as sandy soil containing 100% sand (type I), clay soil containing more than 95% clay (type II), coarse grained soil containing 68% gravel and 32% sand (type III), and coarse grained with high clay content containing 40% gravel, 20% sand, and 40% clay (type IV). The initially clean soils were contaminated with gasoil to the concentration of 100 g/kg, and left on the floor for the evaporation of light hydrocarbons. A full factorial experimental design with soil type (four levels), and moisture content (10 and 20%) as the factors was employed. The soils were inoculated with petroleum degrading microorganisms. Soil samples were taken on days 90, 180, and 270, and the residual total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) was extracted using soxhlet apparatus. The moisture content of the soils was kept almost constant during the process by intermittent addition of water. The results showed that the efficiency of bioremediation was affected significantly by the soil type (Pvalue soil with the initial TPH content of 69.62 g/kg, and the lowest for the clay soil (23.5%) with the initial TPH content of 69.70 g/kg. The effect of moisture content on bioremediation was not statistically significant for the investigated levels. The removal percentage in the clay soil was improved to 57% (within a month) in a separate experiment by more frequent mixing of the soil, indicating low availability of oxygen as a reason for low degradation of hydrocarbons in the clay soil. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Remediation of a heavy metal-contaminated soil by means of agglomeration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polettini, Alessandra; Pomi, Raffaella; Valente, Mattia

    2004-01-01

    The feasibility of treating a heavy metal-contaminated soil by means of a solidification/stabilization treatment consisting of a granulation process is discussed in the present article. The aim of the study was to attain contaminant immobilization within the agglomerated solid matrix. The soil under concern was characterized by varying levels of heavy metal contamination, ranging from 50 to 500 mg kg(-1) dry soil for chromium. from 300 to 2000 mg kg(-1) dry soil for lead and from 270 to 5000 mg kg(-1) dry soil for copper. An artificially contaminated soil with contaminant concentrations corresponding to the upper level of the mentioned ranges was prepared from a sample of uncontaminated soil by means of spiking experiments. Pure soluble species of chromium, copper and lead. namely CrCl3.6H2O, CuCl2.2H2O and Pb(NO3)2, were selected for the spiking experiments, which were arranged according to a 2(3) full factorial design. The solidification/stabilization treatment was based on an agglomeration process making use of hydraulic binders including Portland cement, hydrated lime and sodium methasilicate, which were selected on the basis of preliminary test runs. It was found that after 7 days of curing the applied treatment was able to efficiently immobilize the investigated heavy metals within the hydrated matrix. Good acid neutralization behavior was also observed, indicating improved matrix resistance to acid attack and decreased potential for metal leaching.

  20. Soil pollution in the railway junction Niš (Serbia) and possibility of bioremediation of hydrocarbon-contaminated soil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jovanovic, Larisa; Aleksic, Gorica; Radosavljevic, Milan; Onjia, Antonije

    2015-04-01

    Mineral oil leaking from vehicles or released during accidents is an important source of soil and ground water pollution. In the railway junction Niš (Serbia) total 90 soil samples polluted with mineral oil derivatives were investigated. Field work at the railway Niš sites included the opening of soil profiles and soil sampling. The aim of this work is the determination of petroleum hydrocarbons concentration in the soil samples and the investigation of the bioremediation technique for treatment heavily contaminated soil. For determination of petroleum hydrocarbons in the soil samples method of gas-chromatography was carried out. On the basis of measured concentrations of petroleum hydrocarbons in the soil it can be concluded that: Obtained concentrations of petroleum hydrocarbons in 60% of soil samples exceed the permissible values (5000 mg/kg). The heavily contaminated soils, according the Regulation on the program of systematic monitoring of soil quality indicators for assessing the risk of soil degradation and methodology for development of remediation programs, Annex 3 (Official Gazette of RS, No.88 / 2010), must be treated using some of remediation technologies. Between many types of phytoremediation of soil contaminated with mineral oils and their derivatives, the most suitable are phytovolatalisation and phytostimulation. During phytovolatalisation plants (poplar, willow, aspen, sorgum, and rye) absorb organic pollutants through the root, and then transported them to the leaves where the reduced pollutants are released into the atmosphere. In the case of phytostimulation plants (mulberry, apple, rye, Bermuda) secrete from the roots enzymes that stimulates the growth of bacteria in the soil. The increase in microbial activity in soil promotes the degradation of pollutants. Bioremediation is performed by composting the contaminated soil with addition of composting materials (straw, manure, sawdust, and shavings), moisture components, oligotrophs and

  1. Functioning of metal contaminated garden soil after remediation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jelusic, Masa; Grcman, Helena; Vodnik, Dominik; Suhadolc, Metka; Lestan, Domen

    2013-01-01

    The effect of remediation using three EDTA doses (10, 30, 60 mmol kg −1 ) on soil functioning was assessed using column experiment and Brassica rapa. Soil washing removed up to 77, 29 and 72% of metals from soil contaminated with 1378, 578 and 8.5 mg kg −1 of Pb, Zn and Cd, respectively. Sequential extraction indicated removal from the carbonate soil fraction. Metal oral-accessibility from the stomach phase was reduced by up to 75 and from the small intestine by up to 79% (Pb). Part of metals (up to 0.8% Cd) was lost due to leaching from columns. Remediation reduced toxic metal soil-root transfer by up to 61% but did not prevent metal accumulation in leaves. The fitness of plants grown on EDTA washed soils (gas exchange, fluorescence) was not compromised. Remediation initially reduced the soil DNA content (up to 29%, 30 mmol kg −1 EDTA) and changed the structure of microbial population. -- Highlights: ► Toxic metals contaminated garden soil was remediated in a pilot-scale. ► EDTA washing reduced soil Pb, Zn and Cd content and bioavailability. ► Remediated soil preserved the function of plant and microbial substrate. ► Remediation didn't prevent the accumulation of toxic metals in the test plant. -- EDTA soil washing effectively removed toxic metals and reduced their transfer from the soil to plant roots but did not prevent their accumulation in leaves

  2. Chelant extraction and REDOX manipulation for mobilization of heavy metals from contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brewster, M.D.; Peters, R.W.; Miller, G.A.; Patton, T.L.; Martino, L.E.

    1994-01-01

    Was the result of open burning and open detonation of chemical agents and munitions in the Toxic Burning Pits area at J-Field, located in the Edgewood Area of Aberdeen Proving Ground in Harford County, Maryland, soils have been contaminated with heavy metals. Simultaneous extraction is complicated because of the multitude of contaminant forms that exist. This paper uses data from a treatability study performed at Argonne National Laboratory to discuss and compare several treatment methods that were evaluated for remediating metals-contaminated soils. J-Field soils were subjected to a series of treatability experiments designed to determine the feasibility of using soil washing/soil flushing, enhancements to soil washing/soil flushing, solidification/stabilization, and electrokinetics for remediating soils contaminated with metals. Chelating and mobilizing agents evaluated included ammonium acetate, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, citric acid, Citranox, gluconic acid, phosphoric acid, oxalic acid, and nitrilotriacetic acid, in addition to pH-adjusted water. REDOX manipulation can maximize solubilities, increase desorption, and promote removal of heavy metal contaminants. Reducing agents that were studied included sodium borohydride, sodium metabisulfite, and thiourea dioxide. The oxidants studied included hydrogen peroxide, sodium percarbonate, sodium hypochlorite, and potassium permanganate. This paper summaries the results from the physical/chemical characterization, soil washing/soil flushing, and enhancements to soil washing/soil flushing portions of the study

  3. Improvement in soil and sorghum health following the application of polyacrylate polymers to a Cd-contaminated soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guiwei, Q.; Varennes, A. de; Martins, L.L.; Mourato, M.P.; Cardoso, A.I.; Mota, A.M.; Pinto, A.P.; Goncalves, M.L.

    2010-01-01

    Contamination of soils with cadmium (Cd) is a serious global issue due to its high mobility and toxicity. We investigated the application of insoluble polyacrylate polymers to improve soil and plant health. Sorghum was grown in a Cd-contaminated sandy soil. Polyacrylate polymers at 0.2% (w/w) were added to half of the soil. Control soil without plants was also included in the experiment. Growth of sorghum was stimulated in the polymer-amended soil. The concentration of Cd in the shoots, and the activities of catalase and ascorbate peroxidase decreased in plants from polymer-amended soil compared with unamended control. The amount of CaCl 2 -extractable Cd in the polymer-amended soil was 55% of that in the unamended soil. The Cd extracted in sorghum shoots was 0.19 mg per plant grown on soil without polymer and 0.41 mg per plant grown on polymer-amended soil. The total amount of Cd removed from each pot corresponded to 1.5 and more than 6% of soil CaCl 2 -extractable Cd in unamended and polymer-amended soil, respectively. The activities of soil acid phosphatase, β-glucosidase, urease, protease and cellulase were greatest in polymer-amended soil with sorghum. In conclusion, the application of polyacrylate polymers to reduce the bioavailable Cd pool seems a promising method to enhance productivity and health of plants grown on Cd-contaminated soils.

  4. Integrating Electrokinetic and Bioremediation Process for Treating Oil Contaminated Low Permeability Soil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Surya Ramadan Bimastyaji

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Traditional oil mining activities always ignores environmental regulation which may cause contamination in soil and environment. Crude oil contamination in low-permeability soil complicates recovery process because it requires substantial energy for excavating and crushing the soil. Electrokinetic technology can be used as an alternative technology to treat contaminated soil and improve bioremediation process (biostimulation through transfer of ions and nutrient that support microorganism growth. This study was conducted using a combination of electrokinetic and bioremediation processes. Result shows that the application of electrokinetic and bioremediation in low permeability soils can provide hydrocarbon removal efficiency up to 46,3% in 7 days operation. The highest amount of microorganism can be found in 3-days operation, which is 2x108 CFU/ml using surfactant as flushing fluid for solubilizing hydrocarbon molecules. Enhancing bioremediation using electrokinetic process is very potential to recover oil contaminated low permeability soil in the future.

  5. A critical assessment of asphalt batching as a viable remedial option for hydrocarbon contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elliott, E.J.; Brashears, D.F.

    1991-01-01

    Hot mix asphalt production equipment has been successfully utilized in the remediation of soils contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons. This paper reports that there are two major ways in which this equipment can be used to remediate the petroleum contaminated soils; by incorporating the contaminated soil in the hot mix asphalt product or by using the equipment to clean the soil thermally of the contaminant, leaving a clean soil material. Both of these processes have limitations encompassing technical, political, and certainly liability problems. The remediation of contaminated soil in hot mix asphalt facilities is primarily a physical phenomenon relying on laws of heat and mass transfer. Although chemical changes do occur, the primary function of the process is to cause a physical separation of the contaminant from the soils

  6. Cadmium accumulation and growth responses of a poplar (Populus deltoids x Populus nigra) in cadmium contaminated purple soil and alluvial soil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wu Fuzhong [Faculty of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, 625014, Ya' an (China); Yang Wanqin, E-mail: scyangwq@163.com [Faculty of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, 625014, Ya' an (China); Zhang Jian; Zhou Liqiang [Faculty of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, 625014, Ya' an (China)

    2010-05-15

    To characterize the phytoextraction efficiency of a hybrid poplar (Populus deltoids x Populus nigra) in cadmium contaminated purple soil and alluvial soil, a pot experiment in field was carried out in Sichuan basin, western China. After one growing period, the poplar accumulated the highest of 541.98 {+-} 19.22 and 576.75 {+-} 40.55 {mu}g cadmium per plant with 110.77 {+-} 12.68 and 202.54 {+-} 19.12 g dry mass in these contaminated purple soil and alluvial soil, respectively. Higher phytoextraction efficiency with higher cadmium concentration in tissues was observed in poplar growing in purple soil than that in alluvial soil at relative lower soil cadmium concentration. The poplar growing in alluvial soil had relative higher tolerance ability with lower reduction rates of morphological and growth characters than that in purple soil, suggesting that the poplar growing in alluvial soil might display the higher phytoextraction ability when cadmium contamination level increased. Even so, the poplars exhibited obvious cadmium transport from root to shoot in both soils regardless of cadmium contamination levels. It implies that this examined poplar can extract more cadmium than some hyperaccumulators. The results indicated that metal phytoextraction using the poplar can be applied to clean up soils moderately contaminated by cadmium in these purple soil and alluvial soil.

  7. Nondestructive analysis of plutonium contaminated soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, H.E.; Taylor, L.H.

    1977-01-01

    Plutonium contaminated soil is currently being removed from a covered liquid waste disposal trench near the Pu Processing facility on the Hanford Project. This soil with the plutonium is being mined using remote techniques and equipment. The mined soil is being packaged for placement into retrievable storage, pending possible recovery. To meet the requirements of criticality safety and materials accountability, a nondestructive analysis program has been developed to determine the quantity of plutonium in each packing-storage container. This paper describes the total measurement program: equipment systems, calibration techniques, matrix assumption, instrument control program and a review of laboratory operating experience

  8. The application of bioassays as indicators of petroleum-contaminated soil remediation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Płaza, Grazyna; Nałecz-Jawecki, Grzegorz; Ulfig, Krzysztof; Brigmon, Robin L

    2005-04-01

    Bioremediation has proven successful in numerous applications to petroleum contaminated soils. However, questions remain as to the efficiency of bioremediation in lowering long-term soil toxicity. In the present study, the bioassays Spirotox, Microtox, Ostracodtoxkit F, umu-test with S-9 activation, and plant assays were applied, and compared to evaluate bioremediation processes in heavily petroleum contaminated soils. Six higher plant species (Secale cereale L., Lactuca sativa L., Zea mays L., Lepidium sativum L., Triticum vulgare L., Brassica oleracea L.) were used for bioassay tests based on seed germination and root elongation. The ecotoxicological analyses were made in DMSO/H2O and DCM/DMSO soil extracts. Soils were tested from two biopiles at the Czechowice oil refinery, Poland, that have been subjected to different bioremediation applications. In biopile 1 the active or engineered bioremediation process lasted four years, while biopile 2 was treated passively or non-engineered for eight months. The test species demonstrated varying sensitivity to soils from both biopiles. The effects on test organisms exposed to biopile 2 soils were several times higher compared to those in biopile 1 soils, which correlated with the soil contaminants concentration. Soil hydrocarbon concentrations indeed decreased an average of 81% in biopile 1, whereas in biopile 2 TPH/TPOC concentrations only decreased by 30% after eight months of bioremediation. The bioassays were presented to be sensitive indicators of soil quality and can be used to evaluate the quality of bioremediated soil. The study encourages the need to combine the bioassays with chemical monitoring for evaluation of the bioremediation effectiveness and assessing of the contaminated/remediated soils.

  9. Pilot scale aided-phytoremediation of a co-contaminated soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marchand, Charlotte; Mench, Michel; Jani, Yahya; Kaczala, Fabio; Notini, Peter; Hijri, Mohamed; Hogland, William

    2018-03-15

    A pilot scale experiment was conducted to investigate the aided-phytoextraction of metals and the aided-phytodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons (PHC) in a co-contaminated soil. First, this soil was amended with compost (10% w/w) and assembled into piles (Unp-10%C). Then, a phyto-cap of Medicago sativa L. either in monoculture (MS-10%C) or co-cropped with Helianthus annuus L. as companion planting (MSHA-10%C) was sown on the topsoil. Physico-chemical parameters and contaminants in the soil and its leachates were measured at the beginning and the end of the first growth season (after five months). In parallel, residual soil ecotoxicity was assessed using the plant species Lepidium sativum L. and the earthworm Eisenia fetida Savigny, 1826, while the leachate ecotoxicity was assessed using Lemna minor L. After 5months, PH C10-C40, PAH-L, PAH-M PAH-H, Pb and Cu concentrations in the MS-10%C soil were significantly reduced as compared to the Unp-10%C soil. Metal uptake by alfalfa was low but their translocation to shoots was high for Mn, Cr, Co and Zn (transfer factor (TF) >1), except for Cu and Pb. Alfalfa in monoculture reduced electrical conductivity, total organic C and Cu concentration in the leachate while pH and dissolved oxygen increased. Alfalfa co-planting with sunflower did not affect the extraction of inorganic contaminants from the soil, the PAH (M and H) degradation and was less efficient for PH C10-C40 and PAH-L as compared to alfalfa monoculture. The co-planting reduced shoot and root Pb concentrations. The residual soil ecotoxicity after 5months showed a positive effect of co-planting on L. sativum shoot dry weight (DW) yield. However, high contaminant concentrations in soil and leachate still inhibited the L. sativum root DW yield, earthworm development, and L. minor growth rate. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Chelant extraction of heavy metals from contaminated soils

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Peters, R.W. [Energy Systems Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Argonne, IL 60439 (United States)

    1999-04-23

    The current state of the art regarding the use of chelating agents to extract heavy metal contaminants has been addressed. Results are presented for treatability studies conducted as worst-case and representative soils from Aberdeen Proving Ground's J-Field for extraction of copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn). The particle size distribution characteristics of the soils determined from hydrometer tests are approximately 60% sand, 30% silt, and 10% clay. Sequential extractions were performed on the 'as-received' soils (worst case and representative) to determine the speciation of the metal forms. The technique speciates the heavy metal distribution into an easily extractable (exchangeable) form, carbonates, reducible oxides, organically-bound, and residual forms. The results indicated that most of the metals are in forms that are amenable to soil washing (i.e. exchangeable+carbonate+reducible oxides). The metals Cu, Pb, Zn, and Cr have greater than 70% of their distribution in forms amenable to soil washing techniques, while Cd, Mn, and Fe are somewhat less amenable to soil washing using chelant extraction. However, the concentrations of Cd and Mn are low in the contaminated soil. From the batch chelant extraction studies, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), citric acid, and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) were all effective in removing copper, lead, and zinc from the J-Field soils. Due to NTA being a Class II carcinogen, it is not recommended for use in remediating contaminated soils. EDTA and citric acid appear to offer the greatest potential as chelating agents to use in soil washing the Aberdeen Proving Ground soils. The other chelating agents studied (gluconate, oxalate, Citranox, ammonium acetate, and phosphoric acid, along with pH-adjusted water) were generally ineffective in mobilizing the heavy metals from the soils. The chelant solution removes the heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, Fe, Cr, As, and Hg) simultaneously. Using a multiple

  11. Chelant extraction of heavy metals from contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peters, R.W.

    1999-01-01

    The current state of the art regarding the use of chelating agents to extract heavy metal contaminants has been addressed. Results are presented for treatability studies conducted as worst-case and representative soils from Aberdeen Proving Ground's J-Field for extraction of copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn). The particle size distribution characteristics of the soils determined from hydrometer tests are approximately 60% sand, 30% silt, and 10% clay. Sequential extractions were performed on the 'as-received' soils (worst case and representative) to determine the speciation of the metal forms. The technique speciates the heavy metal distribution into an easily extractable (exchangeable) form, carbonates, reducible oxides, organically-bound, and residual forms. The results indicated that most of the metals are in forms that are amenable to soil washing (i.e. exchangeable+carbonate+reducible oxides). The metals Cu, Pb, Zn, and Cr have greater than 70% of their distribution in forms amenable to soil washing techniques, while Cd, Mn, and Fe are somewhat less amenable to soil washing using chelant extraction. However, the concentrations of Cd and Mn are low in the contaminated soil. From the batch chelant extraction studies, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), citric acid, and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) were all effective in removing copper, lead, and zinc from the J-Field soils. Due to NTA being a Class II carcinogen, it is not recommended for use in remediating contaminated soils. EDTA and citric acid appear to offer the greatest potential as chelating agents to use in soil washing the Aberdeen Proving Ground soils. The other chelating agents studied (gluconate, oxalate, Citranox, ammonium acetate, and phosphoric acid, along with pH-adjusted water) were generally ineffective in mobilizing the heavy metals from the soils. The chelant solution removes the heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, Fe, Cr, As, and Hg) simultaneously. Using a multiple-stage batch extraction

  12. Predicting arsenic bioavailability to hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata in arsenic-contaminated soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonzaga, Maria Isidória Silva; Ma, Lena Q; Pacheco, Edson Patto; dos Santos, Wallace Melo

    2012-12-01

    Using chemical extraction to evaluate plant arsenic availability in contaminated soils is important to estimate the time frame for site cleanup during phytoremediation. It is also of great value to assess As mobility in soil and its risk in environmental contamination. In this study, four conventional chemical extraction methods (water, ammonium sulfate, ammonium phosphate, and Mehlich III) and a new root-exudate based method were used to evaluate As extractability and to correlate it with As accumulation in P. vittata growing in five As-contaminated soils under greenhouse condition. The relationship between different soil properties, and As extractability and plant As accumulation was also investigated. Arsenic extractability was 4.6%, 7.0%, 18%, 21%, and 46% for water, ammonium sulfate, organic acids, ammonium phosphate, and Mehlich III, respectively. Root exudate (organic acids) solution was suitable for assessing As bioavailability (81%) in the soils while Mehlich III (31%) overestimated the amount of As taken up by plants. Soil organic matter, P and Mg concentrations were positively correlated to plant As accumulation whereas Ca concentration was negatively correlated. Further investigation is needed on the effect of Ca and Mg on As uptake by P. vittata. Moreover, additional As contaminated soils with different properties should be tested.

  13. PHYTOREMEDIATION OF SOILS CONTAMINATED WITH WOOD PRESERVATIVES: GREENHOUSE AND FIELD EVALUATIONS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phytoremediation was evaluated as a potential treatment for the creosote-contaminated surface soil at the McCormick and Baxter (M&B) Superfund Site in Portland, OR. Soil a the M&B site is contaminated with pentachlorophenol (PCP) and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Eight indivi...

  14. Heavy metal accumulation in earthworms exposed to spatially variable soil contamination

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Marinussen, M.

    1997-01-01

    Ecotoxicity of contaminated soil is commonly tested in standard laboratory tests. Extrapolation of these data to the field scale is complicated due to considerable differences between conditions in laboratory tests and conditions in situ in contaminated soils. In this

  15. Effect of long-term zinc pollution on soil microbial community resistance to repeated contamination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klimek, Beata

    2012-04-01

    The aim of the study was to compare the effects of stress (contamination trials) on the microorganisms in zinc-polluted soil (5,018 mg Zn kg(-1) soil dry weight) and unpolluted soil (141 mg Zn kg(-1) soil dw), measured as soil respiration rate. In the laboratory, soils were subjected to copper contamination (0, 500, 1,500 and 4,500 mg kg(-1) soil dw), and then a bactericide (oxytetracycline) combined with a fungicide (captan) along with glucose (10 mg g(-1) soil dw each) were added. There was a highly significant effect of soil type, copper treatment and oxytetracycline/captan treatment. The initial respiration rate of chronically zinc-polluted soil was higher than that of unpolluted soil, but in the copper treatment it showed a greater decline. Microorganisms in copper-treated soil were more susceptible to oxytetracycline/captan contamination. After the successive soil contamination trials the decline of soil respiration was greater in zinc-polluted soil than in unpolluted soil.

  16. Phytostabilization potential of ornamental plants grown in soil contaminated with cadmium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Peng; Guo, Zhaohui; Cao, Xia; Xiao, Xiyuan; Liu, Yanan; Shi, Lei

    2018-03-21

    In a greenhouse experiment, five ornamental plants, Osmanthus fragrans (OF), Ligustrum vicaryi L. (LV), Cinnamomum camphora (CC), Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum (LC), and Euonymus japonicas cv. Aureo-mar (EJ), were studied for the ability to phytostabilization for Cd-contaminated soil. The results showed that these five ornamental plants can grow normally when the soil Cd content is less than 24.6 mg·kg -1 . Cd was mainly deposited in the roots of OF, LV, LC and EJ which have grown in Cd-contaminated soils, and the maximum Cd contents reached 15.76, 19.09, 20.59 and 32.91 mg·kg -1 , respectively. For CC, Cd was mainly distributed in the shoots and the maximum Cd content in stems and leaves were 12.5 and 10.71 mg·kg -1 , however, the total amount of Cd in stems and leaves was similar with the other ornamental plants. The enzymatic activities in Cd-contaminated soil were benefited from the five tested ornamental plants remediation. Soil urease and sucrase activities were improved, while dehydrogenase activity was depressed. Meanwhile, the soil microbial community was slightly influenced when soil Cd content is less than 24.6 mg·kg -1 under five ornamental plants remediation. The results further suggested that ornamental plants could be promising candidates for phytostabilization of Cd-contaminated soil.

  17. Interactive effects of Cd and PAHs on contaminants removal from co-contaminated soil planted with hyperaccumulator plant Sedum alfredii

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Kai; Huang, Huagang; Li, Tingqiang; Yang, Xiaoe [Zhejiang Univ., Hangzhou (China). MOE Key Lab. of Environment Remediation and Ecosystem Health; Zhu, Zhiqiang [Zhejiang Univ., Hangzhou (China). MOE Key Lab. of Environment Remediation and Ecosystem Health; Hainan Univ., Haikou (China). College of Agriculture; He, Zhenli [Florida Univ., Port Pierce, FL (United States). Inst. of Food and Agricultural Sciences; Alva, Ashok [US Department of Agriculture, Prosser, WA (United States). Agricultural Research Service

    2012-04-15

    Purpose: Soil contamination by multiple organic and inorganic contaminants is common but its remediation by hyperaccumulator plants is rarely reported. The growth of a cadmium (Cd) hyperaccumulator Sedum alfredii and removal of contaminants from Cd and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) co-contaminated soil were reported in this study. Materials and methods: Soil slightly contaminated by Cd (0.92 mg kg{sup -1} DW) was collected from a vegetable field in Hangzhou and was spiked with two levels (0 and 6 mg kg{sup -1} DW) of Cd and three levels (0, 25, and 150 mg kg{sup -1} DW) of phenanthrene (PHE) or pyrene (PYR). A pot experiment was conducted in a greenhouse using S. alfredii with unplanted controls for 60 days. Shoot and root biomass of plants, dehydrogenase activity (DHA), and microbial biomass carbon in the soil were measured. Concentrations of Cd and PAHs in the plant and soil were determined. Results and discussion: Elevated Cd level (6.38 mg kg{sup -1} DW) increased S. alfredii growth. The presence of PAHs decreased the stimulatory effects of Cd on plant biomass and Cd concentrations in shoots in Cd spiked soil, thus decreasing Cd phytoextraction efficiency. Cadmium removal by S. alfredii after 60 days of growth varied from 5.8% to 6.7% and from 5.7% to 9.6%, in Cd unspiked and spiked soils, respectively. Removal rate of PAHs in the soil was similar with or without the plants. Removal rate of PYR decreased at the elevated Cd level in the soil. This appears to be due to a decrease in soil microbial activity. This is confirmed by a decrease in DHA, which is a good indicator of soil microbial activity. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that S. alfredii could effectively extract Cd from Cd-contaminated soils in the presence of PHE or PYR; however, both PAHs exhibited negative effects on phytoextraction of Cd from Cd spiked soil (6.38 mg kg{sup -1} DW). S. alfredii is not suitable for remediation of PAHs. The effects of Cd and PAHs concentrations on the

  18. Copper removal from contaminated soils by soil washing process using camellian-derived saponin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reyes, Arturo; Fernanda Campos, Maria; Videla, Álvaro; Letelier, María Victoria; Fuentes, Bárbara

    2015-04-01

    Antofagasta Region in North of Chile has been the main copper producer district in the world. As a consequence of a lack of mining closure regulation, a large number of abandon small-to-medium size metal-contaminated sites have been identified in the last survey performed by the Chilean Government. Therefore, more research development on sustainable reclamation technologies must be made in this extreme arid-dry zone. The objective of this study is to test the effectiveness of soil remediation by washing contaminated soil using camellian-derived saponin for the mobilization of copper. Soil samples were taken from an abandoned copper mine site located at 30 km North Antofagasta city. They were dried and sieved at 75 µm for physico-chemical characterization. A commercial saponin extracted from camellias seed was used as biosurfactant. The soil used contains 67.4 % sand, 26.3 % silt and 6.3 % clay. The soil is highly saline (electric conductivity, 61 mScm-1), with low organic matter content (0.41%), with pH 7.30, and a high copper concentration (2200 mg Kg-1 soil). According to the sequential extraction procedure of the whole soil, copper species are mainly as exchangeable fraction (608.2 mg Kg-1 soil) and reducible fraction (787.3 mg Kg-1 soil), whereas the oxidizable and residual fractions are around 205.7 and 598.8 mg Kg-1 soil, respectively. Soil particles under 75 µm contain higher copper concentrations (1242 mg Kg-1 soil) than the particle fraction over 75 µm (912 mg Kg-1 soil). All washing assays were conducted in triplicate using a standard batch technique with and without pH adjustment. The testing protocols includes evaluation of four solid to liquid ratio (0.5:50; 1.0:50; 2.0:50, and 5.0:50) and three saponin concentrations (0, 1, and 4 mg L-1). After shaking (24 h, 20±1 °C) and subsequently filtration (0.45 µm), the supernatants were analyzed for copper and pH. The removal efficiencies of copper by saponin solutions were calculated in according to the

  19. Decontamination of Soil Contaminated with Bacillus anthracis ...

    Science.gov (United States)

    Technical Brief This technical summary will provide decontamination personnel rapid access to information on which decontamination approaches are most effective for soils contaminated with B anthracis.

  20. Phytoextraction potential of sunflower and white mustard plants in zinc-contaminated soil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marta Zalewska

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Phytoextraction relies on plants with a high capacity to absorb heavy metals and remove them from the soil. The objective of this study was to analyze the potential of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L. and white mustard (Sinapis alba L. for phytoextraction of Zn-contaminated soil. Research was based on a strict pot experiment conducted in a greenhouse. Seven treatments were established with increasing Zn concentrations: 0, 25, 50, 100, 200, 400, and 600 mg Zn kg-1 air-dry soil. The first tested plant was fodder sunflower. In the following year, white mustard was sown in the same pots. Plants were harvested at the end of the flowering stage. The toxic effect of Zn on sunflower yields occurred at the contamination level of 200 mg Zn kg-1 soil. In the second year of the experiment, a significant decrease in mustard biomass took place in response to 400 mg Zn kg-1 soil. The contamination level of 600 mg Zn kg-1 soil resulted in complete plant death. Plant growth was not inhibited even at high tissue Zn concentrations of 515 mg Zn kg-1 sunflower DM and 422 mg Zn kg-1 mustard DM. The 2-yr cropping system did not contribute to a significant decrease in soil Zn content. Despite high concentrations of Zn in sunflower and mustard plants, total Zn uptake accounted for only 1% to 8% of the Zn rate introduced into the soil. However, in the long run, the growing of crops could reduce Zn contamination levels in the soil. The relatively high tolerance of sunflower and white mustard for Zn contamination and rapid growth of these species are possible alternatives for phytoextraction and phytostabilization of Zn-contaminated soil.

  1. Use of passive sampling devices to determine soil contaminant concentrations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Johnson, K.A. [Clemson Univ., Pendleton, SC (United States)]|[Washington State Univ., Richland, WA (United States); Hooper, M.J. [Clemson Univ., Pendleton, SC (United States); Weisskopf, C.P. [Washington State Univ., Richland, WA (United States)

    1996-12-31

    The effective remediation of contaminated sites requires accurate identification of chemical distributions. A rapid sampling method using passive sampling devices (PSDs) can provide a thorough site assessment. We have been pursuing their application in terrestrial systems and have found that they increase the ease and speed of analysis, decrease solvent usage and overall cost, and minimize the transport of contaminated soils. Time and cost savings allow a higher sampling frequency than is generally the case using traditional methods. PSDs have been used in the field in soils of varying physical properties and have been successful in estimating soil concentrations ranging from 1 {mu}g/kg (parts per billion) to greater than 200 mg/kg (parts per million). They were also helpful in identifying hot spots within the sites. Passive sampling devices show extreme promise as an analytical tool to rapidly characterize contaminant distributions in soil. There are substantial time and cost savings in laboratory personnel and supplies. By selectively excluding common interferences that require sample cleanup, PSDs can be retrieved from the field and processed rapidly (one technician can process approximately 90 PSDs in an 8-h work day). The results of our studies indicate that PSDs can be used to accurately estimate soil contaminant concentrations and provide lower detection limits. Further, time and cost savings will allow a more thorough and detailed characterization of contaminant distributions. 13 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs.

  2. Phytoremediation of Lead and Cadmium Contaminated Soils using Sunflower Plant

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nasser Sewalem

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Phytremediation has emerged as a practical approach to clean up metal-polluted soils. In this study the role of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L. plants as a potential phytoremediator to soils contaminated with cadmium (Cd and lead (Pb was investigated. Our results showed that the effect of Cd was stronger on the growth of the roots, while the effect of Pb was stronger on the shoots of sunflower seedlings. At the physiological level, Cd treatment was found to induce low levels of lipid peroxidation and membrane leakage with less affected photosynthesis in the leaves of the treated sunflower seedlings compared to the effects of Pb. The results presented here showed that a high amount of the total absorbed Cd (88.84% was accumulated in roots, while a high amount of the total absorbed Pb (71.39 was tranlocated to shoots of sunflower seedlings. Similar trends of Cd and Pb allocation between roots and shoots at the yield stage were recorded. We suggest here that sunflower plants may remediate Cd contaminated soils through phytostabilization, while may remediate Pb contaminated soils through phytoextraction. Finaly, the trace amounts of Cd and Pb that were accumulated in seeds recommends sunflower plants to be used safely and economically for cleaning up soils contaminated with Cd and/or Pb.

  3. Simultaneous removal of phenanthrene and cadmium from contaminated soils by saponin, a plant-derived biosurfactant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Song Saisai; Zhu Lizhong; Zhou Wenjun

    2008-01-01

    Batch experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of saponin, a plant-derived biosurfactant, for simultaneously removing phenanthrene and cadmium from the combined contaminated soils. Results showed that phenanthrene was desorbed from the contaminated soils by saponin with the partition of phenanthrene into surfactant micelle, meanwhile cadmium was effectively removed from the contaminated soils by the complexation of cadmium with the external carboxyl groups of saponin micelle. The efficiencies of saponin for the removal of phenanthrene and cadmium from the contaminated soils were greater than that of Triton X100 and citric acid, respectively. At concentration of 3750 mg/L, saponin has a removal rate of 87.7% and 76.2% of cadmium and phenanthrene, respectively, from the combined contaminated soil. The removals of cadmium and phenanthrene from the soils were not obviously constrained each other. Thus, saponin has the potential for the removal of heavy metal and PAHs from the combined contaminated soils. - Saponin has great potential for the simultaneous removal of cadmium and phenanthrene from the combined contaminated soils

  4. Simultaneous removal of phenanthrene and cadmium from contaminated soils by saponin, a plant-derived biosurfactant

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Song Saisai [Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310028 (China); Zhu Lizhong [Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310028 (China)], E-mail: zlz@zju.edu.cn; Zhou Wenjun [Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310028 (China)

    2008-12-15

    Batch experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of saponin, a plant-derived biosurfactant, for simultaneously removing phenanthrene and cadmium from the combined contaminated soils. Results showed that phenanthrene was desorbed from the contaminated soils by saponin with the partition of phenanthrene into surfactant micelle, meanwhile cadmium was effectively removed from the contaminated soils by the complexation of cadmium with the external carboxyl groups of saponin micelle. The efficiencies of saponin for the removal of phenanthrene and cadmium from the contaminated soils were greater than that of Triton X100 and citric acid, respectively. At concentration of 3750 mg/L, saponin has a removal rate of 87.7% and 76.2% of cadmium and phenanthrene, respectively, from the combined contaminated soil. The removals of cadmium and phenanthrene from the soils were not obviously constrained each other. Thus, saponin has the potential for the removal of heavy metal and PAHs from the combined contaminated soils. - Saponin has great potential for the simultaneous removal of cadmium and phenanthrene from the combined contaminated soils.

  5. Bioremediation of Hydrocarbon-Contaminated Soils and Groundwater in Northern Climates

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Reynolds, Charles

    1998-01-01

    ...-landfarming, recirculating leachbeds, and infiltration galleries. Landfarming involves adding water and nutrients to contaminated soil to stimulate microbial activity and contaminant degradation...

  6. Frozen Soil Barrier. Subsurface Contaminants Focus Area. OST Reference No. 51

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1999-01-01

    Problem: Hazardous and radioactive materials have historically been disposed of at the surface during operations at Department of Energy facilities. These contaminants have entered the subsurface, contaminating soils and groundwater resources. Remediation of these groundwater plumes using the baseline technology of pump and treat is expensive and takes a long time to complete. Containment of these groundwater plumes can be alternative or an addition to the remediation activities. Standard containment technologies include slurry walls, sheet piling, and grouting. These are permanent structures that once installed are difficult to remove. How It Works: Frozen Soil Barrier technology provides a containment alternative, with the key difference being that the barrier can be easily removed after a period of time, such as after the remediation or removal of the source is completed. Frozen Soil Barrier technology can be used to isolate and control the migration of underground radioactive or other hazardous contaminants subject to transport by groundwater flow. Frozen Soil Barrier technology consists of a series of subsurface heat transfer devices, known as thermoprobes, which are installed around a contaminant source and function to freeze the soil pore water. The barrier can easily be maintained in place until remediation or removal of the contaminants is complete, at which time the barrier is allowed to thaw.

  7. Bioavailability and mobility of organic contaminants in soil: new three-step ecotoxicological evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prokop, Zbyněk; Nečasová, Anežka; Klánová, Jana; Čupr, Pavel

    2016-03-01

    A novel approach was developed for rapid assessment of bioavailability and potential mobility of contaminants in soil. The response of the same test organism to the organic extract, water extract and solid phase of soil was recorded and compared. This approach was designed to give an initial estimate of the total organic toxicity (response to organic extractable fraction), as well as the mobile (response to water extract) and bioavailable fraction (response to solid phase) of soil samples. Eighteen soil samples with different levels of pollution and content of organic carbon were selected to validate the novel three-step ecotoxicological evaluation approach. All samples were chemically analysed for priority contaminants, including aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) and dichlordiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT). The ecotoxicological evaluation involved determination of toxicity of the organic, mobile and bioavailable fractions of soil to the test organism, bacterium Bacillus cereus. We found a good correlation between the chemical analysis and the toxicity of organic extract. The low toxicity of water extracts indicated low water solubility, and thus, low potential mobility of toxic contaminants present in the soil samples. The toxicity of the bioavailable fraction was significantly greater than the toxicity of water-soluble (mobile) fraction of the contaminants as deduced from comparing untreated samples and water extracts. The bioavailability of the contaminants decreased with increasing concentrations of organic carbon in evaluated soil samples. In conclusion, the three-step ecotoxicological evaluation utilised in this study can give a quick insight into soil contamination in context with bioavailability and mobility of the contaminants present. This information can be useful for hazard identification and risk assessment of soil-associated contaminants. Graphical Abstract New three-step ecotoxicological

  8. Remediation of lead and cadmium-contaminated soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salama, Ahmed K; Osman, Khaled A; Gouda, Neama Abdel-Razeek

    2016-01-01

    The research was designated to study the ability of plants to bio-accumulate, translocate and remove the heavy metals, lead and cadmium from contaminated soil. The herbal plant ryegrass, Lolium multiflorum was investigated as a bio-accumulator plant for these metals. The translocation of these heavy metals in the herbal plant was compared considering root to shoot transport and redistribution of metals in the root and shoot system. The trace metal contents from root and shoot parts were determined using atomic absorption spectrometer. The results showed that the percent of lead and cadmium transferred to ryegrass plant were averaged as 51.39, and 74.57%, respectively, while those remained in the soil were averaged as 48.61 and 25.43% following 60 days of treatment. The soil-plant transfer index in root and shoot system of ryegrass was found to be 0.32 and 0.20 for lead, and 0.50 and 0.25 for cadmium. These findings indicated that the herbal plant ryegrass, Lolium multiflorum is a good accumulator for cadmium than lead. The soil-plant transfer factor (the conc. of heavy metal in plant to the conc. in soil) indicated that the mechanism of soil remedy using the investigated plant is phytoextraction where the amounts of heavy metals transferred by plant roots into the above ground portions were higher than that remained in the soil. The method offers green technology solution for the contamination problem since it is effective technology with minimal impact on the environment and can be easily used for soil remedy.

  9. Chemical and bioanalytical characterisation of PAHs in risk assessment of remediated PAH-contaminated soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larsson, Maria; Hagberg, Jessika; Rotander, Anna; van Bavel, Bert; Engwall, Magnus

    2013-12-01

    Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are common contaminants in soil at former industrial areas; and in Sweden, some of the most contaminated sites are being remediated. Generic guideline values for soil use after so-called successful remediation actions of PAH-contaminated soil are based on the 16 EPA priority pollutants, which only constitute a small part of the complex cocktail of toxicants in many contaminated soils. The aim of the study was to elucidate if the actual toxicological risks of soil samples from successful remediation projects could be reflected by chemical determination of these PAHs. We compared chemical analysis (GC-MS) and bioassay analysis (H4IIE-luc) of a number of remediated PAH-contaminated soils. The H4IIE-luc bioassay is an aryl hydrocarbon (Ah) receptor-based assay that detects compounds that activate the Ah receptor, one important mechanism for PAH toxicity. Comparison of the results showed that the bioassay-determined toxicity in the remediated soil samples could only be explained to a minor extent by the concentrations of the 16 priority PAHs. The current risk assessment method for PAH-contaminated soil in use in Sweden along with other countries, based on chemical analysis of selected PAHs, is missing toxicologically relevant PAHs and other similar substances. It is therefore reasonable to include bioassays in risk assessment and in the classification of remediated PAH-contaminated soils. This could minimise environmental and human health risks and enable greater safety in subsequent reuse of remediated soils.

  10. Spatial uncoupling of biodegradation, soil respiration, and PAH concentration in a creosote contaminated soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bengtsson, Goeran; Toerneman, Niklas; Yang Xiuhong

    2010-01-01

    Hotspots and coldspots of concentration and biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) marginally overlapped at the 0.5-100 m scale in a creosote contaminated soil in southern Sweden, suggesting that concentration and biodegradation had little spatial co-variation. Biodegradation was substantial and its spatial variability considerable and highly irregular, but it had no spatial autocorrelation. The soil concentration of PAHs explained only 20-30% of the variance of their biodegradation. Soil respiration was spatially autocorrelated. The spatial uncoupling between biodegradation and soil respiration seemed to be governed by the aging of PAHs in the soil, since biodegradation of added 13 C phenanthrene covaried with both soil respiration and microbial biomass. The latter two were also correlated with high concentrations of phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) that are common in gram-negative bacteria. However, several of the hotspots of biodegradation coincided with hotspots for the distribution of a PLFA indicative of fungal biomass. - Hotspots of PAH biodegradation in a creosote contaminated soil do not coincide with hotspots of PAH concentration, microbial biomass and respiration.

  11. Immobilization of Lead Migrating from Contaminated Soil in Rhizosphere Soil of Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and Hairy Vetch (Vicia villosa) Using Hydroxyapatite.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katoh, Masahiko; Risky, Elsya; Sato, Takeshi

    2017-10-23

    This study conducted plant growth tests using a rhizobox system to quantitatively determine the distance of immobilization lead migrating from contaminated soil into uncontaminated rhizosphere soil, and to assess the lead phases accumulated in rhizosphere soil by sequential extraction. Without the hydroxyapatite, exchangeable lead fractions increased as the rhizosphere soil got closer to the contaminated soil. Exchangeable lead fractions were higher even in the rhizosphere soil that shares a boundary with the root surface than in the soil before being planted. Thus, plant growth of hairy vetch was lower in the soil without the hydroxyapatite than in the soil with the hydroxyapatite. The presence of hydroxyapatite may immobilize the majority of lead migrating from contaminated soil into the rhizosphere soil within 1 mm from the contaminated soil. The dominant lead fraction in the rhizosphere soil with the hydroxyapatite was residual. Thus, plant growth was not suppressed and the lead concentration of the plant shoot remained at the background level. These results indicate that the presence of hydroxyapatite in the rhizosphere soil at 5% wt may immobilize most of the lead migrating into the rhizosphere soil within 1 mm from the contaminated soil, resulting in the prevention of lead migration toward the root surface.

  12. Biological Activity Assessment in Mexican Tropical Soils with Different Hydrocarbon Contamination Histories

    OpenAIRE

    Riveroll-Larios, Jessica; Escalante-Espinosa, Erika; Fócil-Monterrubio, Reyna L.; Díaz-Ramírez, Ildefonso J.

    2015-01-01

    The use of soil health indicators linked to microbial activities, such as key enzymes and respirometric profiles, helps assess the natural attenuation potential of soils contaminated with hydrocarbons. In this study, the intrinsic physicochemical characteristics, biological activity and biodegradation potential were recorded for two soils with different contamination histories (>5 years and

  13. Cadmium accumulation and growth responses of a poplar (Populus deltoids x Populus nigra) in cadmium contaminated purple soil and alluvial soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu Fuzhong; Yang Wanqin; Zhang Jian; Zhou Liqiang

    2010-01-01

    To characterize the phytoextraction efficiency of a hybrid poplar (Populus deltoids x Populus nigra) in cadmium contaminated purple soil and alluvial soil, a pot experiment in field was carried out in Sichuan basin, western China. After one growing period, the poplar accumulated the highest of 541.98 ± 19.22 and 576.75 ± 40.55 μg cadmium per plant with 110.77 ± 12.68 and 202.54 ± 19.12 g dry mass in these contaminated purple soil and alluvial soil, respectively. Higher phytoextraction efficiency with higher cadmium concentration in tissues was observed in poplar growing in purple soil than that in alluvial soil at relative lower soil cadmium concentration. The poplar growing in alluvial soil had relative higher tolerance ability with lower reduction rates of morphological and growth characters than that in purple soil, suggesting that the poplar growing in alluvial soil might display the higher phytoextraction ability when cadmium contamination level increased. Even so, the poplars exhibited obvious cadmium transport from root to shoot in both soils regardless of cadmium contamination levels. It implies that this examined poplar can extract more cadmium than some hyperaccumulators. The results indicated that metal phytoextraction using the poplar can be applied to clean up soils moderately contaminated by cadmium in these purple soil and alluvial soil.

  14. Remediation of PAH-contaminated soil using Achromobacter sp

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cutright, T.J.; Lee, S.

    1994-01-01

    Several technologies have the potential to effectively remediate soil contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs): solvent extraction, coal-oil agloflotation, supercritical extraction, and bioremediation. Due to the cost effectiveness and in-situ treatment capabilities of bioremediation, studies were conducted to determine the efficiency of Achromobacter sp. to remediate an industrial contaminated soil sample. Specifically, the use of three different mineral salt solutions in conjunction with the Achromobacter sp. was investigated. The molecular identification of the contaminants and their respective levels after remediation were determined using a Hewlett-Packard 1050 HPLC. Preliminary results show a 92% remediation for the use of two of the mineral salt solutions after 20 days' treatment. After 8 weeks, the remediation efficiency reached 99%. Bioremediation was also critically compared to the other potential remediation technologies

  15. Approaches to bioremediation of fossil fuel contaminated soil: An ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Approaches to bioremediation of fossil fuel contaminated soil: An overview. ... African Journal of Biotechnology ... neither generates waste nor pollutes the soil environment, the final products either through accidental or deliberate spillage can ...

  16. Remediation of multiple heavy metal-contaminated soil through the combination of soil washing and in situ immobilization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhai, Xiuqing; Li, Zhongwu; Huang, Bin; Luo, Ninglin; Huang, Mei; Zhang, Qiu; Zeng, Guangming

    2018-09-01

    The remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils is a great challenge for global environmental sciences and engineering. To control the ecological risks of heavy metal-contaminated soil more effectively, the present study focused on the combination of soil washing (with FeCl 3 ) and in situ immobilization (with lime, biochar, and black carbon). The results showed that the removal rate of Cd, Pb, Zn, and Cu was 62.9%, 52.1%, 30.0%, and 16.7%, respectively, when washed with FeCl 3 . After the combined remediation (immobilization with 1% (w/w) lime), the contaminated soils showed 36.5%, 73.6%, 70.9%, and 53.4% reductions in the bioavailability of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn (extracted with 0.11M acetic acid), respectively, than those of the soils washed with FeCl 3 only. However, the immobilization with 1% (w/w) biochar or 1% (w/w) carbon black after washing exhibited low effects on stabilizing the metals. The differences in effects between the immobilization with lime, biochar, and carbon black indicated that the soil pH had a significant influence on the lability of heavy metals during the combined remediation process. The activity of the soil enzymes (urease, sucrase, and catalase) showed that the addition of all the materials, including lime, biochar, and carbon black, exhibited positive effects on microbial remediation after soil washing. Furthermore, lime was the most effective material, indicating that low soil pH and high acid-soluble metal concentrations might restrain the activity of soil enzymes. Soil pH and nutrition were the major considerations for microbial remediation during the combined remediation. These findings suggest that the combination of soil washing and in situ immobilization is an effective method to amend the soils contaminated with multiple heavy metals. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Disposal of the radioactive contaminated soils from the NPP site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matusek, I.; Plsko, J.; Sajtlava, M.; Hulla, J.; Kovacs, T.

    2004-01-01

    Disposal of contaminated soils at site of NPP is one of the most important task within the frame of research and development tasks of the NPP decommissioning. The works within this field can be seen in several areas. Considered soil activity monitoring, observation of its geo-technical and geo-chemical parameters, volume balance, research of the radio nuclides behaviour in the soil and simulation of their influence on the surrounding environment with special emphasis on underground water, project studies and construction of the disposal facility for contaminated soils. This work presents overview of gained results in the mentioned areas of the research and development. (author)

  18. Electrokinetic remediation of contaminated soils: An update

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lindgren, E.R.; Kozak, M.W.; Mattson, E.D.

    1992-01-01

    Electrokinetic remediation of chromium contaminated soil has been demonstrated for unsaturated 50-100 mesh sand with 10% moisture by weight. The initial region of sand contaminated with 100 ppm w chromate ions was completely cleansed of contamination. After 22 hours of treatment, chromate was found near the anode and apparently migrated at a rate of at least 0.40 cm/hr with a pore water current density of 2.26mA/cm 2 . An analogous run was made using the same sand and FD and C Red No. 40 as the contaminant at a molar concentration equivalent to the 100 ppm w Cr run. The position of the migrating dye was monitored photographically. After similar treatment conditions, the visual dye concentration profile exhibited characteristics similar to the chromate. The migration rate of the dye was slower than the chromate but the qualitative similarity of behavior in an electric field suggests the dye is an analog for chromate ions. The slower migration rate of the dye is not unexpected because the dye molecule is larger than chromate. The use of dye as an analog for chromate greatly accelerates the experimentation process in unsaturated soil because destructive sampling is not required to monitor the contaminant location. Experiments were also conducted to determine the effect of soil heterogeneities on the electrokinetic processes. Unsaturated sands in size fractions of 50-100 mesh (medium) and 100-200 mesh (fine) were studied both individually and in layers. The dye migration rate was accelerated in the tine sand and slowed in the medium sand of the layered experiment when compared with the corresponding individual experiments. This discrepancy was explained by estimating the current density in each layer which was proportionally higher in the fine layer and lower in the medium layer. These preliminary experiments illustrate the significant dependence of electromigration rates on current density. (author)

  19. Mitigation of Ricin Contamination in Soils: Sorption and Degradation

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Zartman, R; Green, C; San Francisco, M; Zak, J; James, W; Boroda, E

    2003-01-01

    .... Soils contain a variety of inorganic minerals, organic matter and microorganisms. Soil inorganic minerals and organic matter are known to effectively sorb a wide variety of compounds, such as pesticides and other potential contaminants...

  20. Low-cost bioremediation of heavy metals and radionuclides of contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sathiyamoorthy, P.; Golan-Goldhrish, A.

    2005-01-01

    The environmental pollution by toxic metals, especially lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), selenium (Se), chromium (Cr) and radionuclides ( 137 Cs, 90 Sr, 238 Pu, 226 Ra) is a potential hazard to health and welfare of mankind. Rapid industrial revolution has left an international legacy of soil and water contaminated with a combination of toxic and potentially carcinogenic compounds and heavy metals. Many of the contaminated sites were abandoned due to high cost of traditional clean-up approaches. Various approaches are being practiced to decontaminate heavy metals and radionuclides from polluted-soil. Remediation of heavy metal and radionuclides contaminated soils poses a significant expense to many industries and government organizations. Remediation cost in the United States and European Union alone is expected to exceed US$20 billion annually. Bioremediation strategy depends on the limitations of technology, cost and nature of the contaminant in the soil. Certain higher plants are capable of accumulation of heavy metals (2-5 %) in roots and shoots to the level far exceeding those present in the soils, these are called hyper-accumulators. Using heavy metal hyper-accumulating higher plants for environmental clean-up of contaminated soil is a recently emerged technology known as 'phytoremediation'. Genetically engineered (Transgenic) plants have a remarkable potential to absorb heavy metals and show a new avenue for biotechnology technique in Phytoremediation. The cost-effective approach of using heavy metal and radionuclide hyper-accumulators in phytoremediation is discussed. (author)

  1. In-situ bioremediation: Or how to get nutrients to all the contaminated soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jackson, D.S.; Scovazzo, P.

    1994-01-01

    Petroleum contamination is a pervasive environmental problem. Bioremediation is winning favor primarily because the soil may be treated on site and systems can be installed to operate without interfering with facility activities. Although bioremediation has been utilized for many years, its acceptance as a cost-effective approach is only now being realized. KEMRON applied in-situ bioremediation at a retired rail yard which had maintained a diesel locomotive refueling station supplied by two 20,000 gallon above ground storage tanks. Contamination originated from both spillage at the pumps and leaking fuel distribution lines. The contamination spread over a 3 acre area from the surface to a depth of up to 20 feet. Levels of diesel contamination found in the soil ranged from less than a 100 ppm to more than 25,000 ppm. The volume of soil which ultimately required treatment was more than 60,000 cubic yards. Several remedial options were examined including excavation and disposal. Excavation was rejected because it would have been cost prohibitive due to the random distribution of the contaminated soil. In-situ Bioremediation was selected as the only alternative which could successfully treat all the contaminated soils. This paper focuses on how KEMRON solved four major problems which would have prevented a successful remediation project. These problems were: soil compaction, random distribution of contaminated soils, potential free product, and extremely high levels of dissolved iron in the groundwater

  2. Effect of EDTA and citric acid on phytoremediation of Cr- B[a]P-co-contaminated soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chigbo, Chibuike; Batty, Lesley

    2013-12-01

    Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals in the environment are a concern, and their removal to acceptable level is required. Phytoremediation, the use of plants to treat contaminated soils, could be an interesting alternative to conventional remediation processes. This work evaluates the role of single and combined applications of chelates to single or mixed Cr + benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P)-contaminated soil. Medicago sativa was grown in contaminated soil and was amended with 0.3 g citric acid, 0.146 g ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), or their combination for 60 days. The result shows that in Cr-contaminated soil, the application of EDTA + citric acid significantly (psoil. The soluble Cr concentration in single Cr or Cr + B[a]P-contaminated soil was enhanced with the amendment of all chelates; however, only the application of citric acid in Cr-contaminated soil (44 %) or EDTA and EDTA + citric acid in co-contaminated soil increased the removal of Cr from the soil (34 and 54 %, respectively). The dissipation of B[a]P in single B[a]P-contaminated soil was effective even without planting and amendment with chelates, while in co-contaminated soil, it was related to the application of either EDTA or EDTA + citric acid. This suggests that M. sativa with the help of chelates in single or co-contaminated soil can be effective in phytoextraction of Cr and promoting the biodegradation of B[a]P.

  3. Time-dependent changes of zinc speciation in four soils contaminated with zincite or sphalerite.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Voegelin, Andreas; Jacquat, Olivier; Pfister, Sabina; Barmettler, Kurt; Scheinost, Andreas C; Kretzschmar, Ruben

    2011-01-01

    The long-term speciation of Zn in contaminated soils is strongly influenced by soil pH, clay, and organic matter content as well as Zn loading. In addition, the type of Zn-bearing contaminant entering the soil may influence the subsequent formation of pedogenic Zn species, but systematic studies on such effects are currently lacking. We therefore conducted a soil incubation study in which four soils, ranging from strongly acidic to calcareous, were spiked with 2000 mg/kg Zn using either ZnO (zincite) or ZnS (sphalerite) as the contamination source. The soils were incubated under aerated conditions in moist state for up to four years. The extractability and speciation of Zn were assessed after one, two, and four years using extractions with 0.01 M CaCl(2) and Zn K-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy, respectively. After four years, more than 90% of the added ZnO were dissolved in all soils, with the fastest dissolution occurring in the acidic soils. Contamination with ZnO favored the formation of Zn-bearing layered double hydroxides (LDH), even in acidic soils, and to a lesser degree Zn-phyllosilicates and adsorbed Zn species. This was explained by locally elevated pH and high Zn concentrations around dissolving ZnO particles. Except for the calcareous soil, ZnS dissolved more slowly than ZnO, reaching only 26 to 75% of the added ZnS after four years. ZnS dissolved more slowly in the two acidic soils than in the near-neutral and the calcareous soil. Also, the resulting Zn speciation was markedly different between these two pairs of soils: Whereas Zn bound to hydroxy-interlayered clay minerals (HIM) and octahedrally coordinated Zn sorption complexes prevailed in the two acidic soils, Zn speciation in the neutral and the calcareous soil was dominated by Zn-LDH and tetrahedrally coordinated inner-sphere Zn complexes. Our results show that the type of Zn-bearing contaminant phase can have a significant influence on the formation of pedogenic Zn

  4. Amendment of crude oil contaminated soil with sawdust and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    GRACE

    2006-05-02

    May 2, 2006 ... Akonye LA, Onwudiwe IO (2004). Potential for Sawdust and. Chromolaena leaves as soil amendments for plants growth in an oil polluted soil. Niger Delta Biologia 4: 50-60. Chen ZS Lee DY (1997). Evaluation of remediation technique on two. Cadmiun polluted soil contaminated with metals. North word.

  5. An investigation of inorganic antimony species and antimony associated with soil humic acid molar mass fractions in contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Steely, Sarah; Amarasiriwardena, Dulasiri; Xing Baoshan

    2007-01-01

    The presence of antimony compounds is often suspected in the soil of apple orchards contaminated with lead arsenate pesticide and in the soil of shooting ranges. Nitric acid (1 M) extractable Sb from the shooting range (8300 μg kg -1 ) and the apple orchard (69 μg kg -1 ) had considerably higher surface Sb levels than the control site ( -1 ), and Sb was confined to the top ∼30 cm soil layer. Sb(V) was the principal species in the shooting range and the apple orchard surface soils. Size exclusion chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (SEC-ICP-MS) analysis of humic acids isolated from the two contaminated soils demonstrated that Sb has complexed to humic acid molar mass fractions. The results also indicate that humic acids have the ability to arrest the mobility of Sb through soils and would be beneficial in converting Sb(III) to a less toxic species, Sb(V), in contaminated areas. - The soil surface and depth distribution Sb(V) and Sb(III) species in a contaminated apple orchard and a shooting range, and the effect soil humic acids on inorganic antimony species is reported

  6. Classification and Reevaluation on Radionuclide and Activity of Contaminated Soil(I)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kang, Il Sik; Shon, J. S.; Kim, K. J.; Kim, T. K.; Hong, D. S.; Lee, B. C.; Cho, H. S.; Je, W. G

    2006-03-15

    Radioactive wastes generated during the decommissioning process and contaminated soils were transported and have been stored at the waste storage facility. The radioactivity in the wastes has been decayed a lot. The radionuclide and the activity concentration of stored soil wastes were reevaluated. And using the reevaluation results, the soil wastes were classified as either a regulatory clearance wastes or a radioactive waste. The storage space can be secured by storing regulatory clearance wastes in the extra storage facility and self disposing them. Also, the objective is to protect the environment from contamination by observing the related nuclear regulation and managing the radioactive wastes. Through the reevaluation of radioactivity and classification of contaminated soils, the unnecessary decontamination of uncontaminated soil was prevented. It allowed us to save the cost for decontamination and disposal, also we could secure the pretreatment process techniques such as how to sample and analyze the nuclide.

  7. Micro-PIXE evaluation of radioactive cesium transfer in contaminated soil samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fujishiro, F.; Ishii, K.; Matsuyama, S.; Arai, H.; Ishizaki, A.; Osada, N.; Sugai, H.; Kusano, K.; Nozawa, Y.; Yamauchi, S.; Karahashi, M.; Oshikawa, S.; Kikuchi, K.; Koshio, S.; Watanabe, K.; Suzuki, Y.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • There are radioactively contaminated soils having a radioactive cesium transfer of 0.01. • Micro-PIXE analysis has revealed an existence of phosphorus in a contaminated soil. • Radioactive cesium captured by phosphorus compound would be due to radioactive transfer. -- Abstract: Micro-PIXE analysis has been performed on two soil samples with high cesium activity concentrations. These soil samples were contaminated by fallout from the accident at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. One exhibits a radioactive cesium transfer of ∼0.01, and the other shows a radioactive cesium transfer of less than 0.001, even though both samples have high cesium activity concentrations exceeding 10,000 Bq/kg. X-ray spectra and elemental images of the soil samples revealed the presence of chlorine, which can react with cesium to produce an inorganic soluble compound, and phosphorus-containing cesium-capturable organic compounds

  8. The time-dependent effect of the biological component of 137Cs soil contamination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dederichs, H.; Pillath, J.; Lennartz, R.; Hill, P.; Hille, R.

    2004-01-01

    In investigations of the long-term development of the population dose in the highly contaminated regions of the Commonwealth of Independence States it was found that the external dose has not decreased as strongly as expected since 1992. Further investigations have shown that, contrary to expectations, no linear correlation can be observed between soil contamination and measured area dose rate. As a contribution towards clarifying these issues, the area dose rate and the soil contamination including the plant fraction were investigated in the Korma district, Belarus. It was found that it is necessary to cover and average over larger areas in order to determine from ground contamination the long-term development of the external dose commitment. This means that for this purpose the introduction of an ''effective'' surface contamination (sum of mineral and organic contamination components) is necessary. The phenomena observed are described in a model, which permits an analytical calculation of the contamination profile in soil taking migration and transfer effects into account. The differences observed between the measured soil contamination and the resulting external doses or the directly measured dose rate can be explained by the proposed model. Moreover, their long-term development can be calculated. The results show that a time decade after the accident the biological part of the ''effective'' soil contamination becomes dominant and cannot be neglected. (orig.)

  9. Potential of different AM fungi (native from As-contaminated and uncontaminated soils) for supporting Leucaena leucocephala growth in As-contaminated soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schneider, Jerusa; Bundschuh, Jochen; Rangel, Wesley de Melo; Guilherme, Luiz Roberto Guimarães

    2017-05-01

    Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi inoculation is considered a potential biotechnological tool for an eco-friendly remediation of hazardous contaminants. However, the mechanisms explaining how AM fungi attenuate the phytotoxicity of metal(oid)s, in particular arsenic (As), are still not fully understood. The influence of As on plant growth and the antioxidant system was studied in Leucaena leucocephala plants inoculated with different isolates of AM fungi and exposed to increasing concentrations of As (0, 35, and 75 mg dm -3 ) in a Typic Quartzipsamment soil. The study was conducted under greenhouse conditions using isolates of AM fungi selected from uncontaminated soils (Acaulospora morrowiae, Rhizophagus clarus, Gigaspora albida; and a mixed inoculum derived from combining these isolates, named AMF Mix) as well as a mix of three isolates from an As-contaminated soil (A. morrowiae, R. clarus, and Paraglomus occultum). After 21 weeks, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and glutathione reductase (GR) were determined in the shoots in addition to measuring plant height and mineral contents. In general, AM fungi have shown multiple beneficial effects on L. leucocephala growth. Although the activity of most of the stress-related enzymes increased in plants associated with AM fungi, the percentage increase caused by adding As to the soil was even greater for non-mycorrhizal plants when compared to AM-fungi inoculated ones, which highlights the phytoprotective effect provided by the AM symbiosis. The highest P/As ratio observed in AM-fungi plants, compared to non-mycorrhizal ones, can be considered a good indicator that the AM fungi alter the pattern of As(V) uptake from As-contaminated soil. Our results underline the role of AM fungi in increasing the tolerance of L. leucocephala to As stress and emphasize the potential of the symbiosis L. leucocephala-R. clarus for As-phytostabilization at moderately As-contaminated

  10. Combined Effects of Biochar and Fertilizer on Cadmium Contaminated Soil Remediation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    WANG Qi-kai

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The field experiment was employed to study on the combined effects of biochar and chicken manure and N, P and K compound chemical fertilizer on cadmium contaminated soil remediation, and the immobilization mechanism was elucidated through fractionation of cadmium in the tested soil. Results showed that the addition of these ammendments could significantly reduce the edible Cd accumulation in Lactuca sativa L., decreased from 32.6% to 54.8% compared with the control. The application of these additives could also significantly decrease extractable Cd concentration by 7.04%~21.85%. Biochar could significantly improve soil pH value, promote the inactivation of Cd contaminated soil, while the application of chicken manure significantly decreased soil pH value, which showed the effect of activating Cd in soil. Soil pH value had significant positive correlation with root Cd concentration of tested cultivars, but did not reach the significant effect level with the shoot Cd concentration. The research can provide a theoretical basis for the application of biochar combined with chicken manure and N, P and K compound chemical fertilizer on remediation of sewage irrigated Cd contaminated soil.

  11. Evaluation of soil amendments as a remediation alternative for cadmium contaminated soils under cacao plantations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elevated plant-available cadmium (Cd) in soils results in contamination to cacao (Theobroma cacao L) beans. Effectiveness of vermicompost and zeolite in reducing available Cd in three cacao-growing soils was studied under laboratory conditions. Sorption-desorption experiments were conducted in soils...

  12. Soil Contamination With Eggs of Toxocara Species in Public Parks of Karaj, Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Zibaei

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Background: Human toxocariasis is one of the zoonotic helminth diseases that is usually occurred with exposure to contaminated soil. Both Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati are considered the causative agents of Toxocara infection. Objectives: This survey was intended to provide data on the Toxocara species eggs contamination in soil samples in the public parks of Karaj, Iran. Materials and Methods: This study was carried out among 200 soil samples collected from 12 public parks between August and September 2016 to examine the soil contamination with Toxocara species eggs. Soil samples were tested for the presence of Toxocara eggs using sucrose flotation method. Results: Prevalence of Toxocara species eggs in soil samples collected from public parks was 36.4%. The highest number of eggs recovered from 200 g of soil was 20. A total of 200 eggs were recovered and 7.6% were fully developed to embryonated egg stages. The contamination rate in the third region in 4 studied areas was higher than the other regions. A similar tendency was observed in park areas, so that parks higher than 5000 m2 were highly contaminated. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, soils of the public parks in Karaj are one of the main risk factors for human toxocariasis.

  13. Land treatment testing of diesel contaminated soils using bioremediation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Demque, D E

    1994-01-01

    A study was carried out of degradation rates of diesel contaminated soil (10,000 ppM by weight of diesel to dry soil) under different treatment conditions and tillage rates over a 14 week testing period. A total of 10 treatment-tillage conditions were duplicated to provide confidence in the test results. Each test cell was built to contain 80 kg of contaminated soil with a drainage system. The 20 boxes were sampled on a weekly basis for the first 4 weeks, semimonthly for the following 6 weeks and at the end of 14 weeks. Each test consisted of 3 random total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and 3 random BTEX samples per box. In addition, each box was monitored for leachate TPH, moisture content, microorganism concentration, and ground temperature. After the last samples were taken the underlying drainage layer was analyzed for TPH, and the boxes were checked for leaks. The tests revealed the effectiveness of the various treatment methods and tillage rates. Greatest degradation of diesel contaminated soil was obtained with the addition of nutrients and a frequent tillage rate. It was apparent that indigenous microorganisms adapted quickly to the diesel contaminant. Soil that was biostimulated with no drainage or bioaugmentation demonstrated that the addition of acclimated microorganisms had little effect on either the rate of degradation or the ultimate degradation achieved. Use of chlorine to inhibit biodegradation, allowing examination of other degradation mechanisms was effective for only ca 3 weeks, and had an adverse effect on TPH testing. 51 refs., 46 figs., 31 tabs.

  14. INCINERATION TREATMENT OF ARSENIC-CONTAMINATED SOIL

    Science.gov (United States)

    An incineration test program was conducted at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Incineration Research Facility to evaluate the potential of incineration as a treatment option for contaminated soils at the Baird and McGuire Superfund site in Holbrook, Massachusetts. The p...

  15. Studies estimating the dermal bioavailability of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons from manufactured plant tar-contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roy, T.A.; Krueger, A.J.; Taylor, B.B.; Mauro, D.M.; Goldstein, L.S.

    1998-01-01

    In vitro percutaneous absorption studies were performed with contaminated soils or organic extracts of contaminated soils collected at manufactured gas plant (MGP) sites. The MGP tar contaminated soils were found to contain a group of targeted polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) at levels ranging from 10 to 2400 mg/kg. The soil extracts contained target PAH at levels ranging from 12 000 - 34 000 mg/kg. Dermal penetration rates of target PAH from the MGP tar-contaminated soils/soil extracts were determined experimentally through human skin using 3 H-benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) as a surrogate. Results from three MGP sites showed reductions of 2-3 orders of magnitude in PAH absorption through human skin from the most contaminated soils in comparison to the soil extracts. Reduction in PAH penetration can be attributed to PAH concentration and (soil) matrix properties. PAH dermal flux values are used to determine site-specific dermally absorbed dose (DAD) and chronic daily intake (CDI) which are essential terms required to estimate risk associated with human exposure to MGP tar and MGP tar-contaminated soils. 21 refs., 4 figs., 3 tabs

  16. Remediation of PCB [polychlorinated biphenyl] -contaminated soils from scrapyards

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    MacKnight, S.

    1991-01-01

    Much of the recent attention on contamination of the environment by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) has focused on liquid PCB spills from electrical equipment. A new, and possibly more serious, source of PCB contamination is the scrap yard, typically located in or near major urban centers, where the local scrap dealer would purchase used transformers or other PCB-containing electrical equipment, recover copper and other metals, and dump the PCB-containing oils on the ground. With the rising value of urban and suburban lands, these scrap yards may be slated for redevelopment, making the cleanup of contaminated soils necessary. The heterogeneous distribution of scrap yard contaminants requires a very detailed site assessment, and the heterogeneous mixture of typical scrap yard contaminants (not only PCB) cannot be treated in a simple fashion. These problems are illustrated for the case of the assessment and cleanup of a scrap yard site in Nova Scotia. A grid block system was used to sample soil at the site, and samples were analyzed for PCB, metals, and hydrocarbons. The most severely contaminated spots were mapped; groundwater patterns were also examined. The remediation process can be divided into 5 phases: physical separation of uncontaminated material; three stages of separation of materials into those having single, several-but-similar, and multicomponent mixed contaminations; and selection of appropriate process technologies. Since there is currently no approved PCB destruction facility in Atlantic Canada, excavated soils containing PCB are stored securely on the site to await approval for some type of incineration process

  17. Spectral characterization of soil and coal contamination on snow

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Snow is a highly reflecting object found naturally on the Earth and its albedo is highly influenced by the amount and type of contamination. In the present study, two major types of contaminants (soil and coal) have been used to understand their effects on snow reflectance in the Himalayan region. These contaminants were ...

  18. Feasibility of phytoextraction to remediate cadmium and zinc contaminated soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koopmans, G F; Römkens, P F A M; Fokkema, M J; Song, J; Luo, Y M; Japenga, J; Zhao, F J

    2008-12-01

    A Cd and Zn contaminated soil was mixed and equilibrated with an uncontaminated, but otherwise similar soil to establish a gradient in soil contamination levels. Growth of Thlaspi caerulescens (Ganges ecotype) significantly decreased the metal concentrations in soil solution. Plant uptake of Cd and Zn exceeded the decrease of the soluble metal concentrations by several orders of magnitude. Hence, desorption of metals must have occurred to maintain the soil solution concentrations. A coupled regression model was developed to describe the transfer of metals from soil to solution and plant shoots. This model was applied to estimate the phytoextraction duration required to decrease the soil Cd concentration from 10 to 0.5 mg kg(-1). A biomass production of 1 and 5 t dm ha(-1) yr(-1) yields a duration of 42 and 11 yr, respectively. Successful phytoextraction operations based on T. caerulescens require an increased biomass production.

  19. An improved SOIL*EX trademark process for the removal of hazardous and radioactive contaminants from soils, sludges and other materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bloom, R.R.; Bonnema, B.E.; Navratil, J.D.; Falconer, K.L.; Van Vliet, J.A.; Diel, B.N.

    1995-01-01

    Rust's patented SOIL*EX process is designed to remove hazardous and radioactive contaminants from soils, sludges and a matrix of other materials while destroying volatile organic compounds often associated with contaminated soil and debris. The process is comprised of three major process operations. The first operation involves the dissolution of contaminants that are chemically or mechanically bonded to the solid phase. The second process operation involves separation of the solid phase from the dissolution solution (mother liquor), which contains the dissolved contaminants. The final operation concentrates and removes the contaminants from the mother liquor. A pilot-scale SOIL*EX system was constructed at Rust's Clemson Technical Center for a Proof-of-Process demonstration. The demonstration program included the design, fabrication, and operation of pilot scale and demonstration equipment and systems. The pilot plant, an accurate scaled-down version of a proposed full-scale treatment system, was operated for five months to demonstrate the efficiency of the overall process. The pilot plant test program focused on demonstrating that the SOIL*EX process would remove and concentrate the contaminants and destroy volatile organic compounds. The pilot plant processed nearly 20 tons of soils and sludges, and test results indicated that all contaminants of concern were removed. Additionally, Rust completed numerous bench scale tests to optimize the chemistry. This paper discusses the pilot plant test criteria and results along with the salient design features of the SOIL*EX system and planned improvements

  20. Soil contamination adjacent to waste tank 8

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Odum, J.V.

    1976-11-01

    In March and April 1961, miscalibrated liquid level instrumentation resulted in an overfilling of tank 8 to about 5 in. above the fill-line entrance. The resultant liquid head caused waste to seep through an asbestos-packed sleeve to the fill-line encasement and from there into the main encasement. Most of this waste returned to primary containment (i.e., the catch tank) through a separately encased drain line. However, approximately 1500 gal of high heat waste leaked from the fill-line encasement into the ground, probably through the joint at the juncture of the fill-line encasement and the concrete encasement of the waste tank. The contamination is contained in a 1000- to 1500-ft 3 zone of soil 12 to 26 ft below grade, 18 ft above the maximum elevation of the water table, and distributed roughly symmetrically around the fill-line encasement. Estimates from a continuing monitoring program indicate that less than 5000 Ci of 137 Cs, less than 0.005 Ci of 238 239 Pu, and less than 0.5 Ci of 89 90 Sr are in the soil. Analysis indicates that the contamination presents no current or future hazard to the environment; consequently, there is no technical reason for excavation of this soil. The high cost of excavation and exposure of personnel make excavation undesirable. The contaminated soil will remain under surveillance and undisturbed at tank 8 until the tank is removed from service, at which time its disposition will be re-evaluated

  1. Biological remediation of oil contaminated soil with earthworms Eisenia andrei

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chachina, S. B.; Voronkova, N. A.; Baklanova, O. N.

    2017-08-01

    The study was performed on the bioremediation efficiency of the soil contaminated with oil (20 to 100 g/kg), petroleum (20 to 60 g/kg) and diesel fuel (20 to 40 g/kg) with the help of earthworms E. andrei in the presence of bacteria Pseudomonas, nitrogen fixing bacteria Azotobacter and Clostridium, yeasts Saccharomyces, fungi Aspergillus and Penicillium, as well as Actinomycetales, all being components of biopreparation Baykal-EM. It was demonstrated that in oil-contaminated soil, the content of hydrocarbons decreased by 95-97% after 22 weeks in the presence of worms and bacteria. In petroleum-contaminated soil the content of hydrocarbons decreased by 99% after 22 weeks. The presence of the diesel fuel in the amount of 40 g per 1 kg soil had an acute toxic effect and caused the death of 50 % earthworm species in 14 days. Bacteria introduction enhanced the toxic effect of the diesel fuel and resulted in the death of 60 % earthworms after 7 days.

  2. Effect of biodegradable amendments on uranium solubility in contaminated soils

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Duquene, L. [Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, Environment Health and Safety, Biosphere Impact Studies, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol (Belgium)], E-mail: lduquene@sckcen.be; Tack, F.; Meers, E. [Ghent University, Laboratory for Analytical Chemistry and Applied Ecochemistry, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Gent (Belgium); Baeten, J. [Katholieke Hogeschool Kempen, Departement of Health-Care and Chemistry, Kleinhoefstraat 4, B-2440 Geel (Belgium); Wannijn, J.; Vandenhove, H. [Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, Environment Health and Safety, Biosphere Impact Studies, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol (Belgium)

    2008-02-25

    Chelate-assisted phytoextraction has been proposed as a potential tool for phytoremediation of U contaminated sites. In this context, the effects of five biodegradable amendments on U release in contaminated soils were evaluated. Three soils were involved in this study, one with a relatively high background level of U, and two which were contaminated with U from industrial effluents. Soils were treated with 5 mmol kg{sup -1} dry weight of either citric acid, NH{sub 4}-citrate/citric acid, oxalic acid, S,S-ethylenediamine disuccinic acid or nitrilotriacetic acid. Soil solution concentration of U was monitored during 2 weeks. All amendments increased U concentration in soil solution, but citric acid and NH{sub 4}-citrate/citric acid mixture were most effective, with up to 479-fold increase. For oxalic acid, S,S-ethylenediamine disuccinic acid and nitrilotriacetic acid, the increase ranged from 10-to 100-fold. The highest concentrations were observed 1 to 7 days after treatment, after which U levels in soil solution gradually decreased. All amendments induced a temporary increase of soil solution pH and TOC that could not be correlated with the release of U in the soil solution. Thermodynamic stability constants (log K) of complexes did not predict the relative efficiency of the selected biodegradable amendments on U release in soil solution. Amendments efficiency was better predicted by the relative affinity of the chelate for Fe compared to U.

  3. Responses of the soil decomposer community to the radioactive contamination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Svetlana, Maksimova

    2004-01-01

    The knowledge about biodiversity and about reasons and laws of dynamics of decomposer invertebrates has exclusively important (rather applied, or theoretical) significance for soil science. Earthworms and millipedes are probably the most important members of the soil biota and major contributors to total zoo-mass. Their activities are such that they are extremely important in maintaining soil fertility in a variety of ways. They play an important part in the redistribution of radionuclides accumulated in the natural biogeocenoses and accumulation of radionuclides in their bodies depends on their concentration in the habitat. Since radionuclides can limit biological activity, studies to estimate the tolerance of decomposer community to potentially toxic radiators are needed. The effect of radioactive contamination on the soil invertebrates and decomposition processes in the different biogeocenoses we intensively studied during 17 years after Chernobyl accident. The soil invertebrates were collected according to generally accepted method by M. Ghilyarov. Soil samples were 0,25 m 2 and animals were extracted from samples by hand sorting. Usually decomposition was affected by the presence of decomposer fauna. Considerable differences were found in the species number. The species composition of sites differed clearly. The study showed that the fauna was poorer under increasing levels of radioactive contamination. The higher radionuclide content was found to result in suppression of decomposer community. The results showed a vertical migration of earthworms to deeper soil layers with increasing of radioactive contamination. With the absence of decomposer fauna due to migration to the deeper layer and mortality, the layer of litter increased. The results show that the earthworms were of small size. Cocoon production decreased. Radioactive contamination altered the process of reproduction and age structure of decomposer fauna. The invertebrates collected from the

  4. Responses of the soil decomposer community to the radioactive contamination

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Svetlana, Maksimova [Institute of Zoology of National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Minsk (Belarus)

    2004-07-01

    The knowledge about biodiversity and about reasons and laws of dynamics of decomposer invertebrates has exclusively important (rather applied, or theoretical) significance for soil science. Earthworms and millipedes are probably the most important members of the soil biota and major contributors to total zoo-mass. Their activities are such that they are extremely important in maintaining soil fertility in a variety of ways. They play an important part in the redistribution of radionuclides accumulated in the natural biogeocenoses and accumulation of radionuclides in their bodies depends on their concentration in the habitat. Since radionuclides can limit biological activity, studies to estimate the tolerance of decomposer community to potentially toxic radiators are needed. The effect of radioactive contamination on the soil invertebrates and decomposition processes in the different biogeocenoses we intensively studied during 17 years after Chernobyl accident. The soil invertebrates were collected according to generally accepted method by M. Ghilyarov. Soil samples were 0,25 m{sup 2} and animals were extracted from samples by hand sorting. Usually decomposition was affected by the presence of decomposer fauna. Considerable differences were found in the species number. The species composition of sites differed clearly. The study showed that the fauna was poorer under increasing levels of radioactive contamination. The higher radionuclide content was found to result in suppression of decomposer community. The results showed a vertical migration of earthworms to deeper soil layers with increasing of radioactive contamination. With the absence of decomposer fauna due to migration to the deeper layer and mortality, the layer of litter increased. The results show that the earthworms were of small size. Cocoon production decreased. Radioactive contamination altered the process of reproduction and age structure of decomposer fauna. The invertebrates collected from the

  5. The effect of mycorrhizal inoculation on hybrid poplar fine root dynamics in hydrocarbon contaminated soils

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gunderson, J.; Knight, J.D.; Van Rees, K.C.J. [Saskatchewan Univ., Saskatoon, SK (Canada). Dept. of Soil Science

    2006-07-01

    The biological remediation of contaminated soils using plants was discussed. Hybrid poplars are good candidates for phytoremediation because they root deeply, cycle large amounts of water and grow quickly. Their fine root system is pivotal in nutrient and water acquisition. Therefore, in order to maximize the phytoremediation potential, it is important to understand the response of the fine root system. In addition to degrading organic chemicals, ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi provide the host with greater access to nutrients. This study determined the relationship between residual soil hydrocarbons and soil properties at a field site. The effects of residual contamination on hybrid poplar fine root dynamics was also examined along with the effect of ectomycorrhizal colonization on hybrid poplar fine root dynamics when grown in diesel contaminated soil under controlled conditions. A minirhizotron camera inside a growth chamber captured images of mycorrhizal inoculation on hybrid poplar fine root production. Walker hybrid poplar seedlings were grown for 12 weeks in a control soil and also in a diesel contaminated soil. Seedlings were also grown in control and diesel contaminated, ectomycorrhizal inoculated soils. The inoculum was a mycorrhizal mix containing Pisolithus tinctorius and Rhizopogon spp. The images showed that colonization by ECM fungi increased hybrid poplar fine root production and aboveground biomass in a diesel contaminated soil compared to non-colonized trees in the same soil. Root:shoot ratios were much higher in the diesel contaminated/non-inoculated treatment than in either of the control soil treatments. Results of phytoremediation in diesel contaminated soil were better in the non-colonized treatment than in the colonized treatment. Both treatments removed more contaminants from the soil than the unplanted control. Much higher quantities of hydrocarbons were found sequestered in the roots from the inoculated treatment than from the non

  6. Health Risk-Based Assessment and Management of Heavy Metals-Contaminated Soil Sites in Taiwan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zueng-Sang Chen

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Risk-based assessment is a way to evaluate the potential hazards of contaminated sites and is based on considering linkages between pollution sources, pathways, and receptors. These linkages can be broken by source reduction, pathway management, and modifying exposure of the receptors. In Taiwan, the Soil and Groundwater Pollution Remediation Act (SGWPR Act uses one target regulation to evaluate the contamination status of soil and groundwater pollution. More than 600 sites contaminated with heavy metals (HMs have been remediated and the costs of this process are always high. Besides using soil remediation techniques to remove contaminants from these sites, the selection of possible remediation methods to obtain rapid risk reduction is permissible and of increasing interest. This paper discusses previous soil remediation techniques applied to different sites in Taiwan and also clarified the differences of risk assessment before and after soil remediation obtained by applying different risk assessment models. This paper also includes many case studies on: (1 food safety risk assessment for brown rice growing in a HMs-contaminated site; (2 a tiered approach to health risk assessment for a contaminated site; (3 risk assessment for phytoremediation techniques applied in HMs-contaminated sites; and (4 soil remediation cost analysis for contaminated sites in Taiwan.

  7. Health Risk-Based Assessment and Management of Heavy Metals-Contaminated Soil Sites in Taiwan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lai, Hung-Yu; Hseu, Zeng-Yei; Chen, Ting-Chien; Chen, Bo-Ching; Guo, Horng-Yuh; Chen, Zueng-Sang

    2010-01-01

    Risk-based assessment is a way to evaluate the potential hazards of contaminated sites and is based on considering linkages between pollution sources, pathways, and receptors. These linkages can be broken by source reduction, pathway management, and modifying exposure of the receptors. In Taiwan, the Soil and Groundwater Pollution Remediation Act (SGWPR Act) uses one target regulation to evaluate the contamination status of soil and groundwater pollution. More than 600 sites contaminated with heavy metals (HMs) have been remediated and the costs of this process are always high. Besides using soil remediation techniques to remove contaminants from these sites, the selection of possible remediation methods to obtain rapid risk reduction is permissible and of increasing interest. This paper discusses previous soil remediation techniques applied to different sites in Taiwan and also clarified the differences of risk assessment before and after soil remediation obtained by applying different risk assessment models. This paper also includes many case studies on: (1) food safety risk assessment for brown rice growing in a HMs-contaminated site; (2) a tiered approach to health risk assessment for a contaminated site; (3) risk assessment for phytoremediation techniques applied in HMs-contaminated sites; and (4) soil remediation cost analysis for contaminated sites in Taiwan. PMID:21139851

  8. Arsenic in soil and vegetation of a contaminated area

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Karimi, N.; Ghaderian, S.M.; Schat, H.

    2013-01-01

    Plant and soil samples were collected from one uncontaminated and four contaminated sites (in the Dashkasan mining area western Iran). Total and water-soluble arsenic in the soil ranged from 7 to 795 and from 0.007 to 2.32 mg/kg, respectively. The highest arsenic concentration in soil was found at

  9. Cadmium contamination of agricultural soils and crops resulting from sphalerite weathering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Robson, T.C.; Braungardt, C.B.; Rieuwerts, J.; Worsfold, P.

    2014-01-01

    The biogeochemistry and bioavailability of cadmium, released during sphalerite weathering in soils, were investigated under contrasting agricultural scenarios to assess health risks associated with sphalerite dust transport to productive soils from mining. Laboratory experiments (365 d) on temperate and sub-tropical soils amended with sphalerite ( −1 ). Wheat grown in spiked temperate soil accumulated ≈38% (29 μmol kg −1 ) of the liberated Cd, exceeding food safety limits. In contrast, rice grown in flooded sub-tropical soil accumulated far less Cd (0.60 μmol kg −1 ) due to neutral soil pH and Cd bioavailability was possibly also controlled by secondary sulfide formation. The results demonstrate long-term release of Cd to soil porewaters during sphalerite weathering. Under oxic conditions, Cd may be sufficiently bioavailable to contaminate crops destined for human consumption; however flooded rice production limits the impact of sphalerite contamination. -- Highlights: • Sphalerite containing cadmium presents a hazard when present in agricultural soils. • Sphalerite dissolution was slow (0.6–1.2% y −1 ) but constant in contrasting soils. • Cadmium was released during dissolution and was bioavailable to wheat and rice. • Wheat grains accumulated potentially harmful cadmium concentrations. • Flooded paddy (reducing) soils reduced cadmium bioavailability to rice. -- Sphalerite dissolves steadily in oxic agricultural soils and can release highly bioavailable Cd, which may contaminate food crops destined for human consumption

  10. Use of Hydrophilic Insoluble Polymers in the Restoration of Metal-Contaminated Soils

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guiwei Qu

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available To develop cost-effective techniques that contribute to phytostabilization of severely metal-contaminated soils is a necessary task in environmental research. Hydrophilic insoluble polymers have been used for some time in diapers and other hygienic products and to increase the water-holding capacity of coarse-textured soils. These polymers contain groups, such as carboxyl groups, that are capable of forming bonds with metallic cations, thereby decreasing their bioavailability in soils. The use of polyacrylate polymers as soil amendments to restore metal-contaminated soils has been investigated in the Technical University of Lisbon since the late nineties. Plant growth and plant nutrients concentrations, extractable levels of metals in soil, and soil enzyme activities were used to monitor the improvement in soil quality following the application of these polymers. In contaminated soils, hydrophilic insoluble polymers can create microcosms that are rich in water and nutrients (counterions but only contain small concentrations of toxic elements; the conditions of these microenvironments are favorable to roots and microorganisms. In this paper we described the most relevant information available about this topic.

  11. Use of Hydrophilic Insoluble Polymers in the Restoration of Metal-Contaminated Soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qu, G.; De Varennes, A.; Qu, G.

    2010-01-01

    To develop cost-effective techniques that contribute to phyto stabilization of severely metal-contaminated soils is a necessary task in environmental research. Hydrophilic insoluble polymers have been used for some time in diapers and other hygienic products and to increase the water-holding capacity of coarse-textured soils. These polymers contain groups, such as carboxyl groups, that are capable of forming bonds with metallic cations, thereby decreasing their bioavailability in soils. The use of polyacrylate polymers as soil amendments to restore metal-contaminated soils has been investigated in the Technical University of Lisbon since the late nineties. Plant growth and plant nutrients concentrations, extractable levels of metals in soil, and soil enzyme activities were used to monitor the improvement in soil quality following the application of these polymers. In contaminated soils, hydrophilic insoluble polymers can create microcosms that are rich in water and nutrients (counterions) but only contain small concentrations of toxic elements; the conditions of these micro environments are favorable to roots and microorganisms. In this paper we described the most relevant information available about this topic.

  12. Reduction of Cadmium Uptake of Rice Plants Using Soil Amendments in High Cadmium Contaminated Soil: A Pot Experiment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dian Siswanto

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available The aims of this study were to investigate the effect of agricultural residues on reducing cadmium uptake in rice plants. The rice plants growing on no cadmium/free cadmium soils (N, Cd soils (Cds, and Cd soils each amended with 1% w/w of coir pith (CP, coir pith modified with sodium hydroxide (CPm and corncob (CC under high cadmium contaminated soil with an average 145 mg Cd kg-1 soil were investigated. The results showed that the cumulative transpiration of rice grown in various treatments under high cadmium contaminated soil followed the order: Cds > CPm ≥ CP ≥ CC. These transpirations directly influenced cadmium accumulation in shoots and husks of rice plants. The CC and CP seemed to work to reduce the cadmium uptake by rice plants indicated by accumulated cadmium in the husk that were 2.47 and 7.38 mg Cd kg-1 dry weight, respectively. Overall, transpiration tended to drive cadmium accumulation in plants for rice grown in high cadmium contaminated soil. The more that plants uptake cadmium, the lower cadmium that remains in the soil.

  13. Use of surfactants for the remediation of contaminated soils: a review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mao, Xuhui; Jiang, Rui; Xiao, Wei; Yu, Jiaguo

    2015-03-21

    Due to the great harm caused by soil contamination, there is an increasing interest to apply surfactants to the remediation of a variety of contaminated soils worldwide. This review article summarizes the findings of recent literatures regarding remediation of contaminated soils/sites using surfactants as an enhancing agent. For the surfactant-based remedial technologies, the adsorption behaviors of surfactants onto soil, the solubilizing capability of surfactants, and the toxicity and biocompatibility of surfactants are important considerations. Surfactants can enhance desorption of pollutants from soil, and promote bioremediation of organics by increasing bioavailability of pollutants. The removal of heavy metals and radionuclides from soils involves the mechanisms of dissolution, surfactant-associated complexation, and ionic exchange. In addition to the conventional ionic and nonionic surfactants, gemini surfactants and biosurfactants are also applied to soil remediation due to their benign features like lower critical micelle concentration (CMC) values and better biocompatibility. Mixed surfactant systems and combined use of surfactants with other additives are often adopted to improve the overall performance of soil washing solution for decontamination. Worldwide the field studies and full-scale remediation using surfactant-based technologies are yet limited, however, the already known cases reveal the good prospect of applying surfactant-based technologies to soil remediation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculation on plants growing on arsenic contaminated soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jankong, P; Visoottiviseth, P

    2008-07-01

    Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) may play an important role in phytoremediation of As-contaminated soil. In this study the effects of AMF (Glomus mosseae, Glomus intraradices and Glomus etunicatum) on biomass production and arsenic accumulation in Pityrogramma calomelanos, Tagetes erecta and Melastoma malabathricum were investigated. Soil (243 +/- 13 microg As g(-1)) collected from Ron Phibun District, an As-contaminated area in Thailand, was used in a greenhouse experiment. The results showed different effects of AMF on phytoremediation of As-contaminated soil by different plant species. For P. calomelanos and T. erecta, AMF reduced only arsenic accumulation in plants but had no significant effect on plant growth. In contrast, AMF improved growth and arsenic accumulation in M. malabathricum. These findings show the importance of understanding different interactions between AMF and their host plants for enhancing phytoremediation of As-contaminated soils.

  15. Combining phytoextraction and biochar addition improves soil biochemical properties in a soil contaminated with Cd.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Huanping; Li, Zhian; Fu, Shenglei; Méndez, Ana; Gascó, Gabriel; Paz-Ferreiro, Jorge

    2015-01-01

    The main goal of phytoremediation is to improve ecosystem functioning. Soil biochemical properties are considered as effective indicators of soil quality and are sensitive to various environmental stresses, including heavy metal contamination. The biochemical response in a soil contaminated with cadmium was tested after several treatments aimed to reduce heavy metal availability including liming, biochar addition and phytoextraction using Amaranthus tricolor L. Two biochars were added to the soil: eucalyptus pyrolysed at 600 °C (EB) and poultry litter at 400 °C (PLB). Two liming treatments were chosen with the aim of bringing soil pH to the same values as in the treatments EB and PLB. The properties studied included soil microbial biomass C, soil respiration and the activities of invertase, β-glucosidase, β-glucosaminidase, urease and phosphomonoesterase. Both phytoremediation and biochar addition improved soil biochemical properties, although results were enzyme specific. For biochar addition these changes were partly, but not exclusively, mediated by alterations in soil pH. A careful choice of biochar must be undertaken to optimize the remediation process from the point of view of metal phytoextraction and soil biological activity. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Remediation of soil/concrete contaminated with uranium and radium by biological method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gye-Nam Kim; Seung-Su Kim; Hye-Min Park; Won-Suk Kim; Uk-Ryang Park; Jei-Kwon Moon

    2013-01-01

    Biological method was studied for remediation of soil/concrete contaminated with uranium and radium. Optimum experiment conditions for mixing ratios of penatron and soil, and the pH of soil was obtained through several bioremediations with soil contaminated with uranium and radium. It was found that an optimum mixing ratio of penatron for bioremediation of uranium soil was 1 %. Also, the optimum pH condition for bioremediation of soil contaminated with uranium and radium was 7.5. The removal efficiencies of uranium and radium from higher concentration of soil were rather reduced in comparison with those from lower concentration of soil. Meanwhile, the removal of uranium and radium in concrete by bioremediation is possible but the removal rate from concrete was slower than that from soil. The removal efficiencies of uranium and radium from soil under injection of 1 % penatron at pH 7.5 for 120 days were 81.2 and 81.6 %, respectively, and the removal efficiencies of uranium and radium from concrete under the same condition were 63.0 and 45.2 %, respectively. Beyond 30 days, removal rates of uranium and radium from soil and concrete by bioremediation was very slow. (author)

  17. Bioavailability and speciation of arsenic in carrots grown in contaminated soil

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Helgesen, H.; Larsen, Erik Huusfeldt

    1998-01-01

    increasing depression of growth with increasing level of contamination, At the experimental plots E-G with soil arsenic concentrations above 400 mu g g(-1) no carrots developed. Whether this effect was caused by arsenic or the concomitant copper content which ranged from 11 to 810 mu g g(-1) in the soil...... mixtures is unknown. The arsenic species extracted from the soils and carrots were separated and detected using anion-exchange HPLC coupled with ICP-MS, In the less contaminated soils from plots A and B arsenite (As-III) was more abundant than arsenate (As-V) in the soil using 1 mmole l(-1) calcium nitrate...

  18. In-situ vitrification of radioactively contaminated soils: summary paper

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buelt, J.L.; Fitzpatrick, V.F.

    1987-01-01

    The in-situ vitrification (ISV) process is a new technology that has been developed from its conceptual phase through selected field-scale application tests during the last six years. In situ vitrification converts contaminated soils and waste inclusions into a durable glass and crystalline waste form by in-place melting. Electrodes are inserted into the soil to be treated and an electrical current is passed through the soil to be treated and an electrical current is passed through the soil to melt it. After cooling, the process fixes (TRU) and fission product radionuclides making them relatively nonleachable, resistant to intrusion, and nondispersible when intentionally disturbed. Another application considered for isolation of radioactively contaminated soils, but not yet developed, is the generation of impermeable barrier walls to prevent ground water seepage into a site. The barrier technique could also be used over the surface of an existing disposal site to deter plant and animal intrusion. The development units have been extensively tested with many types of soils and waste inclusions such as concrete, buried metals, sealed containers, organic chemicals with high boiling points such as polychlorinated biphenyls, and inorganic chemicals, including toxic heavy metals, nitrates, and sulfates. Nitrates and organics are destroyed, while heavy metals and fluorides are retained to a high percentage within the molten soil during processing. At $200 to $300/m 3 for radioactive waste, the process is economically competitive with many alternative remediation processes. The ISV process has been developed to the point where it is ready for large-scale field testing at an actual TRU-contaminated soil site. 5 references, 2 figures, 2 tables

  19. Dielectric constant and electrical conductivity of contaminated fine-grained soils and barrier materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaya, A.; Fang, H.Y.; Inyang, H.I.

    1997-01-01

    Characterization of contaminated fine-grained soils and tracking of contaminant migration within barriers have been challenging because current methods and/or procedures are labor and time-intensive, and destructive. To demonstrate the effective use of both dielectric constant and electrical conductivity in the characterization of contaminated fine-grained soils, pore fluids were prepared at different ionic strengths, and were used as permeates for kaolinite, bentonite and a local soil. Then, both dielectric constant and electrical conductivity of the soils were measured by means of a capacitor over a wide range of frequencies and moisture content. It was observed that although each soil has its unique dielectric constant and electrical conductivity at a given moisture content, increases in ionic strength cause a decrease in the dielectric constant of the system at very high frequencies (MHZ), whereas the dielectric constant increases at low frequencies (kHz). Electrical conductivity of a soil-water system is independent of frequency. However, it is a function of ionic strength of the pore fluid. It is clearly demonstrated that dielectric constant and electrical conductivity of soils are functions of both moisture content and ionic strength, and can be used to characterize the spatial and temporal levels of contamination. This method/procedure can be used in estimating the level of contamination as well as the direction of contaminant movement in the subsurface without the use of extensive laboratory testing. Based on obtained results, it was concluded that the proposed method/procedure is promising because it is non-destructive and provides a quick means of assessing the spatial distribution of contaminants in fine-grained soils and barriers

  20. Phytoremediation of hydrocarbon-contaminated soil using plants adapted to western Canadian climate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Robson, D.B.

    2003-01-01

    Phytoremediation relies on the use of plants for in-situ treatment of hydrocarbon contaminated soils. It is based on relationships between plants, microorganisms and the environment. The advantages of the process are its low cost and minimal soil disturbance. Phytoremediation has not been widely implemented in Canada because only a few native or non-native plant species have been tested for hydrocarbon tolerance or degradation ability. More studies are needed to fully understand why some plants are more tolerant of hydrocarbons than others, and whether tolerant species increase hydrocarbon degradation. In this study, several field and growth chamber experiments were conducted to examine hydrocarbon tolerance in plants. Hydrocarbon contaminated field plots had higher soil pH, carbon to nitrogen ratio and bare ground, lower total nitrogen, available phosphorous and litter cover. The mean diversity at the uncontaminated sites was 0.52. It was 0.45 at the contaminated sites. Mean species similarity between contaminated and uncontaminated sites was 31.1 per cent and cover similarity was 22.2 per cent. The common plants in the contaminated field included kochia, wild barley, salt grass, bluegrass, and wheatgrass. The plants that formed most plant cover on contaminated plots were non-mycorrhizal, self-pollinating, and large seeded. The species with the highest survival after 5 weeks in hydrocarbon contaminated soils included one native and 4 non-native grasses, 2 native and 3 non-native legumes and 2 native forbs. All plants (with the exception of Indian breadroot) grown in hydrocarbon contaminated potting soil had lower total biomass and lower growth rates compared to the control

  1. Phytoremediation of hydrocarbon-contaminated soil using plants adapted to western Canadian climate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Robson, D.B.

    2003-07-01

    Phytoremediation relies on the use of plants for in-situ treatment of hydrocarbon contaminated soils. It is based on relationships between plants, microorganisms and the environment. The advantages of the process are its low cost and minimal soil disturbance. Phytoremediation has not been widely implemented in Canada because only a few native or non-native plant species have been tested for hydrocarbon tolerance or degradation ability. More studies are needed to fully understand why some plants are more tolerant of hydrocarbons than others, and whether tolerant species increase hydrocarbon degradation. In this study, several field and growth chamber experiments were conducted to examine hydrocarbon tolerance in plants. Hydrocarbon contaminated field plots had higher soil pH, carbon to nitrogen ratio and bare ground, lower total nitrogen, available phosphorous and litter cover. The mean diversity at the uncontaminated sites was 0.52. It was 0.45 at the contaminated sites. Mean species similarity between contaminated and uncontaminated sites was 31.1 per cent and cover similarity was 22.2 per cent. The common plants in the contaminated field included kochia, wild barley, salt grass, bluegrass, and wheatgrass. The plants that formed most plant cover on contaminated plots were non-mycorrhizal, self-pollinating, and large seeded. The species with the highest survival after 5 weeks in hydrocarbon contaminated soils included one native and 4 non-native grasses, 2 native and 3 non-native legumes and 2 native forbs. All plants (with the exception of Indian breadroot) grown in hydrocarbon contaminated potting soil had lower total biomass and lower growth rates compared to the control.

  2. Soil Contamination in Fadama Area in Zaria, Nigeria, Using X-ray ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Journal of the Nigerian Association of Mathematical Physics ... In this study, the soil contamination level of all heavy metals and trace elements was compared to the range, mean, and median values of the World soil as well as with ... However, contamination level of all elements was not evenly distributed in the studied area.

  3. Processing plutonium-contaminated soil on Johnston Atoll

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moroney, K.; Moroney, J. III; Turney, J.

    1994-01-01

    This article describes a cleanup project to process plutonium- and americium-contaminated soil on Johnston Atoll for volume reduction. Thermo Analytical's (TMA's) segmented gate system (SGS) for this remedial operation has been in successful on-site operation since 1992. Topics covered include the basis for development, a description of the Johnston Atoll; the significance of results; the benefits of the technology; applicability to other radiologically contaminated sites. 7 figs., 1 tab

  4. EFFECT OF REFINED PETROLEUM PRODUCTS CONTAMINATION ON BACTERIAL POPULATION AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTIVATED AGRICULTURAL SOIL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adewale Sogo Olalemi

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available An investigation into the effect of refined petroleum products contamination on bacterial population and physicochemical characteristics of cultivated agricultural soil was carried out. The soil samples obtained from the Teaching and Research Farm, Obakekere, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State were contaminated with varying volumes of petrol, diesel and kerosene. The results revealed higher bacterial populations in uncontaminated soils than contaminated soils. The counts of bacteria ranged from 3.0 × 105 to 5.0 × 105 cfu/g in uncontaminated soils and 1.0 × 105 to 3.0 × 105 cfu/g in contaminated soils. The isolated bacteria were identified as Bacillus subtilis, Flavobacterium lutescens, Micrococcus luteus, Corynebacterium variabilis, Pseudomonas fluorescens. The contamination had no significant effect on pH, potassium, sodium, organic carbon and nitrogen content of the soils, while the moisture, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium content of the contaminated soils were significantly different (P < 0.05 compared with the uncontaminated soils. The ability of Bacillus subtilis, Flavobacterium lutescens, Micrococcus luteus, and Pseudomonas fluorescens to utilize the refined petroleum products suggest that these bacteria had potential to bioremediate petroleum contaminated soils.

  5. Microbial expression profiles in the rhizosphere of willows depend on soil contamination

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yergeau, Etienne; Sanschagrin, Sylvie; Maynard, Christine; St-Arnaud, Marc; Greer, Charles W

    2014-01-01

    The goal of phytoremediation is to use plants to immobilize, extract or degrade organic and inorganic pollutants. In the case of organic contaminants, plants essentially act indirectly through the stimulation of rhizosphere microorganisms. A detailed understanding of the effect plants have on the activities of rhizosphere microorganisms could help optimize phytoremediation systems and enhance their use. In this study, willows were planted in contaminated and non-contaminated soils in a greenhouse, and the active microbial communities and the expression of functional genes in the rhizosphere and bulk soil were compared. Ion Torrent sequencing of 16S rRNA and Illumina sequencing of mRNA were performed. Genes related to carbon and amino-acid uptake and utilization were upregulated in the willow rhizosphere, providing indirect evidence of the compositional content of the root exudates. Related to this increased nutrient input, several microbial taxa showed a significant increase in activity in the rhizosphere. The extent of the rhizosphere stimulation varied markedly with soil contamination levels. The combined selective pressure of contaminants and rhizosphere resulted in higher expression of genes related to competition (antibiotic resistance and biofilm formation) in the contaminated rhizosphere. Genes related to hydrocarbon degradation were generally more expressed in contaminated soils, but the exact complement of genes induced was different for bulk and rhizosphere soils. Together, these results provide an unprecedented view of microbial gene expression in the plant rhizosphere during phytoremediation. PMID:24067257

  6. Ecotoxicological evaluation of diesel-contaminated soil before and after a bioremediation process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molina-Barahona, L; Vega-Loyo, L; Guerrero, M; Ramírez, S; Romero, I; Vega-Jarquín, C; Albores, A

    2005-02-01

    Evaluation of contaminated sites is usually performed by chemical analysis of pollutants in soil. This is not enough either to evaluate the environmental risk of contaminated soil nor to evaluate the efficiency of soil cleanup techniques. Information on the bioavailability of complex mixtures of xenobiotics and degradation products cannot be totally provided by chemical analytical data, but results from bioassays can integrate the effects of pollutants in complex mixtures. In the preservation of human health and environment quality, it is important to assess the ecotoxicological effects of contaminated soils to obtain a better evaluation of the healthiness of this system. The monitoring of a diesel-contaminated soil and the evaluation of a bioremediation technique conducted on a microcosm scale were performed by a battery of ecotoxicological tests including phytotoxicity, Daphnia magna, and nematode assays. In this study we biostimulated the native microflora of soil contaminated with diesel by adding nutrients and crop residue (corn straw) as a bulking agent and as a source of microorganisms and nutrients; in addition, moisture was adjusted to enhance diesel removal. The bioremediation process efficiency was evaluated directly by an innovative, simple phytotoxicity test system and the diesel extracts by Daphnia magna and nematode assays. Contaminated soil samples were revealed to have toxic effects on seed germination, seedling growth, and Daphnia survival. After biostimulation, the diesel concentration was reduced by 50.6%, and the soil samples showed a significant reduction in phytotoxicity (9%-15%) and Daphnia assays (3-fold), confirming the effectiveness of the bioremediation process. Results from our microcosm study suggest that in addition to the evaluation of the bioremediation processes efficiency, toxicity testing is different with organisms representative of diverse phylogenic levels. The integration of analytical, toxicological and bioremediation data

  7. Influence of biochar and compost on phytoremediation of oil-contaminated soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saum, Lindsey; Jiménez, Macario Bacilio; Crowley, David

    2018-01-02

    The use of pyrolyzed carbon, biochar, as a soil amendment is of potential interest for improving phytoremediation of soil that has been contaminated by petroleum hydrocarbons. To examine this question, the research reported here compared the effects of biochar, plants (mesquite tree seedlings), compost and combinations of these treatments on the rate of biodegradation of oil in a contaminated soil and the population size of oil-degrading bacteria. The presence of mesquite plants significantly enhanced oil degradation in all treatments except when biochar was used as the sole amendment without compost. The greatest extent of oil degradation was achieved in soil planted with mesquite and amended with compost (44% of the light hydrocarbon fraction). Most probable number assays showed that biochar generally reduced the population size of the oil-degrading community. The results of this study suggest that biochar addition to petroleum-contaminated soils does not improve the rate of bioremediation. In contrast, the use of plants and compost additions to soil are confirmed as important bioremediation technologies.

  8. Use of composts in the remediation of heavy metal contaminated soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farrell, Mark; Jones, Davey L

    2010-03-15

    High levels of heavy metals in soil can ultimately lead to pollution of drinking water and contamination of food. Consequently, sustainable remediation strategies for treating soil are required. The potential ameliorative effect of several composts derived from source-separated and mixed municipal wastes were evaluated in a highly acidic heavily contaminated soil (As, Cu, Pb, Zn) in the presence and absence of lime. Overall, PTE (potentially toxic element) amelioration was enhanced by compost whilst lime had little effect and even exacerbated PTE mobilization (e.g. As). All composts reduced soil solution PTE levels and raised soil pH and nutrient levels and are well suited to revegetation of contaminated sites. However, care must be taken to ensure correct pH management (pH 5-6) to optimize plant growth whilst minimizing PTE solubilization, particularly at high pH. In addition, 'metal excluder' species should be sown to minimize PTE entry into the food chain. (c) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. In situ chemical fixation of arsenic-contaminated soils: Anexperimental study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, Li; Donahoe, Rona J.; Redwine, James C.

    2007-03-27

    This paper reports the results of an experimentalstudytesting a low-cost in situ chemical fixation method designed to reclaimarsenic-contaminated subsurface soils. Subsurface soils from severalindustrial sites in southeastern U.S. were contaminated with arsenicthrough heavy application of herbicide containing arsenic trioxide. Themean concentrations of environmentally available arsenic in soilscollected from the two study sites, FW and BH, are 325 mg/kg and 900mg/kg, respectively. The soils are sandy loams with varying mineralogicaland organic contents. The previous study [Yang L, Donahoe RJ. The form,distribution and mobility of arsenic in soils contaminated by arsenictrioxide, at sites in Southeast USA. Appl Geochem 2007;22:320 341]indicated that a large portion of the arsenic in both soils is associatedwith amorphous aluminum and iron oxyhydroxides and shows very slowrelease against leaching by synthetic precipitation. The soil's amorphousaluminum and iron oxyhydroxides content was found to have the mostsignificant effect on its ability to retain arsenic.Based on thisobservation, contaminated soils were reacted with different treatmentsolutions in an effort to promote the formation of insolublearsenic-bearing phases and thereby decrease the leachability of arsenic.Ferrous sulfate, potassium permanganate and calcium carbonate were usedas the reagents for the chemical fixation solutions evaluated in threesets of batch experiments: (1) FeSO4; (2) FeSO4 and KMnO4; (3) FeSO4,KMnO4 and CaCO3. The optimum treatment solutions for each soil wereidentified based on the mobility of arsenic during sequential leaching oftreated and untreated soils using the fluids described in EPA Method 1311[USEPA. Method 1311: toxicity characteristic leaching procedure. Testmethods for evaluating solid waste, physical/chemical methods. 3rd ed.Washington, DC: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of SolidWaste. U.S. Government Printing Office; 1992]toxic characteristicsleaching

  10. Removal of PAHs from contaminated clayey soil by means of electro-osmosis

    KAUST Repository

    Lima, Ana T.; Kleingeld, Pieter J.; Heister, Katja; Loch, J.P. Gustav

    2011-01-01

    process that has been used for the mobilization and cleanup of contaminants in clayey soils with varying successes. The present study focuses on the remediation of a contaminated peaty clay soil, located in Olst - the Netherlands, by means of electro

  11. XRF analysis of soils contaminated by dust falls

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marumo, Katsumi; Onoki, Yuka; Wada, Nobuhiko; Okano, Hideki

    2013-01-01

    Dust falls from the chimneys of waste incineration plants, coal-fired power plants, and refineries may contaminate soil over vast areas. Using an auger machine at 72 sites around a refinery in the Kanto area, Japan, we obtained 216 soil samples for a screening survey of potentially contaminated land. Qualitative and quantitative chemical analyses of zinc, lead, and cadmium were performed using a transmission X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (TXRF). X-ray fluorescence (XRF) chemical analytical data suggested that contaminated soil extends up to 3 km away from the chimneys of the refinery. Using calibration curves for the intensity ratios of Zn Kα X-ray to Mo Kβ Compton scatter X-ray [(Zn Kα)/(Mo-Kβ-Compton)], Pb Lβ X-ray to Mo-Kβ-Compton scatter X-ray [(Pb Lβ)/(Mo-Kβ-Compton)], and Cd Kα X-ray to Mo-Kβ Compton scatter X-ray [(Cd Kβ)/(Mo-Kβ-Compton)] of 30 reference materials, we obtained the Zn, Pb, and Cd concentrations of these 216 soil samples. The Pb and Cd concentrations from the XRF chemical analytical data were very similar to the Pb and Cd leachabilities determined by 1 M HC1 leaching test (MOE-approved method No. 19), suggesting that the chemical forms in which Pb and Cd occur are an adsorbed phase and a carbonate phase, which can be easily dissolved by 1 M HC1. XRF spectra of individual soil particles, obtained by spot-sized X-ray beams passed through a 1.5-mm-diameter and a 0.5-mm-diameter collimators, suggested that most of the soil fractions contained Zn and Pb. The levels of brightness of the X-ray images of these Zn- and Pb-bearing fractions were monitored with an X-ray CCD camera attached to the TXRF. Most of the soil fractions were transparent at the maximum X-ray tube voltage (50 kV), suggesting that the soil samples are suitable for the quantitative XRF chemical analysis of Zn and Pb. (author)

  12. Can impurities from soil-contaminated coffees reach the cup?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tagliaferro, F.S.; De Nadai Fernandes, E.A.; Bacchi, M.A.; Joacir De Franca, E.; Bode, P.

    2007-01-01

    Depending on the harvest conditions, coffee beans can be contaminated by soil when dropped to the ground. It is well known that agricultural soils act as sinks for agrochemicals applied to the crops. While coffee is brewed, substances present in the roasted and ground coffee beans are extracted by hot water, emphasizing the need to assess the possible transfer of impurities from the soil to the beverage. Soil-contaminated samples of roasted coffee beans were split into 2 groups according to the treatments: (a) washed and ground and (b) only ground. Brewing was performed in a household espresso machine for both coffees. The resulting beverage was freeze-dried and the elemental composition determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). The mass fractions of the terrigenous elements Fe, La, Sc, Sm and Th in the freeze-dried non-washed coffee beverages were, at least, 2 times higher than in the washed samples. These elements are tracers of the soil, indicating that the impurities from the soil reached the beverage. (author)

  13. Phytoextraction and estimating optimal time for remediation of Cd-contaminated soils by Spinach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Somayyeh Eisazadeh Lazarjan

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available The so-called phytoextraction in which hyperaccumulator plants are used to remediate the contaminated soils is proven to be an efficient method. The objective of this study was to investigate the capability of Spinach for phytoremediation of cadmium from Cd-contaminated soils and determine the efficiency extent of spinach for phytoremediation. For this purpose, a randomized block experimental design whit five treatments including 0, 15, 30, 60 and 120 mg Cd/ kg soil and three replications was established in the greenhouse. After contamination the soils with different levels of cadmium, spinach seeds were planted. When plants were fully developed, plants were harvested and their cadmium contents in shoot and roots as well as the soil-cadmium were measured. The results indicated that by increasing Cd concentration in soil, the major Cd accumulation was occurred in the roots rather than shoots. Maximum cadmium concentration within the shoots and roots was 73.7 and 75.86 mg/kg soil, respectively. According to Spinach ability to absorb high concentration of cadmium in the root zone and its high biomass and capability of Cadmium accumulation in shoots, Spinach can be used as hyperaccumulator plant to remediate cadmium from Cd-contaminated soils. But, according to minimum remediation time and maximum dry matter for the 30 mg Cd/ kg soil, maximum Cd extracted by shoots in hectare/year was in 30 mg Cd/ kg soil. It can be concluded that Spinach is a suitable plant for phytoremediation of slightly and to moderately cadmium contaminated soils.

  14. Assessment of Soil-Gas and Soil Contamination at the Former Military Police Range, Fort Gordon, Georgia, 2009-2010

    Science.gov (United States)

    Falls, W. Fred; Caldwell, Andral W.; Guimaraes, Wladmir B.; Ratliff, W. Hagan; Wellborn, John B.; Landmeyer, James E.

    2011-01-01

    Soil gas and soil were assessed for organic and inorganic contaminants at the former military police range at Fort Gordon, Georgia, from May to September 2010. The assessment evaluated organic contaminants in soil-gas samplers and inorganic contaminants in soil samples. This assessment was conducted to provide environmental contamination data to Fort Gordon pursuant to requirements of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Part B Hazardous Waste Permit process. Soil-gas samplers deployed and collected from May 20 to 24, 2010, identified masses above method detection level for total petroleum hydrocarbons, gasoline-related and diesel-related compounds, and chloroform. Most of these detections were in the southwestern quarter of the study area and adjacent to the road on the eastern boundary of the site. Nine of the 11 chloroform detections were in the southern half of the study area. One soil-gas sampler deployed adjacent to the road on the southern boundary of the site detected a mass of tetrachloroethene greater than, but close to, the method detection level of 0.02 microgram. For soil-gas samplers deployed and collected from September 15 to 22, 2010, none of the selected organic compounds classified as chemical agents and explosives were detected above method detection levels. Inorganic concentrations in the five soil samples collected at the site did not exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regional screening levels for industrial soil and were at or below background levels for similar rocks and strata in South Carolina.

  15. Natural attenuation of diesel aliphatic hydrocarbons in contaminated agricultural soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Serrano, Antonio; Gallego, Mercedes; Gonzalez, Jose Luis; Tejada, Manuel

    2008-01-01

    A diesel fuel spill at a concentration of 1 L m -2 soil was simulated on a 12 m 2 plot of agricultural land, and natural attenuation of aliphatic hydrocarbons was monitored over a period of 400 days following the spill after which the aliphatic hydrocarbon concentrations were found to be below the legal contamination threshold for soil. The main fraction of these compounds (95%) remained at the surface layer (0-10 cm). Shortly after the spill (viz. between days 0 and 18), evaporation was the main origin of the dramatic decrease in pollutant concentrations in the soil. Thereafter, soil microorganisms used aliphatic hydrocarbons as sources of carbon and energy, as confirmed by the degradation ratios found. Soil quality indicators, soil microbial biomass and dehydrogenase activity, regained their original levels about 200 days after the spill. - The effect of aliphatic hydrocarbons contamination on soil quality was monitored over a period of 400 days after a Diesel fuel spill

  16. Pyrolytic Treatment and Fertility Enhancement of Soils Contaminated with Heavy Hydrocarbons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vidonish, Julia E; Zygourakis, Kyriacos; Masiello, Caroline A; Gao, Xiaodong; Mathieu, Jacques; Alvarez, Pedro J J

    2016-03-01

    Pyrolysis of contaminated soils at 420 °C converted recalcitrant heavy hydrocarbons into "char" (a carbonaceous material similar to petroleum coke) and enhanced soil fertility. Pyrolytic treatment reduced total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) to below regulatory standards (typically hydrocarbons (PAHs) was not observed, with post-pyrolysis levels well below applicable standards. Plant growth studies showed a higher biomass production of Arabidopsis thaliana and Lactuca sativa (Simpson black-seeded lettuce) (80-900% heavier) in pyrolyzed soils than in contaminated or incinerated soils. Elemental analysis showed that pyrolyzed soils contained more carbon than incinerated soils (1.4-3.2% versus 0.3-0.4%). The stark color differences between pyrolyzed and incinerated soils suggest that the carbonaceous material produced via pyrolysis was dispersed in the form of a layer coating the soil particles. Overall, these results suggest that soil pyrolysis could be a viable thermal treatment to quickly remediate soils impacted by weathered oil while improving soil fertility, potentially enhancing revegetation.

  17. Perceived Benefits of Participation and Risks of Soil Contamination in St. Louis Urban Community Gardens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Roger; Gable, Leah; Rivera-Núñez, Zorimar

    2018-06-01

    Community gardens are credited for promoting health within neighborhoods, by increasing healthy food intake and exercise frequency. These benefits, however, are potentially undermined as urban soils are often contaminated from industrial legacies. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceived benefits of participation and risks of soil contamination within urban community gardens, and factors associated with soil contamination concerns. Ninety-three gardeners were interviewed across 20 community gardens in St. Louis, Missouri between June and August 2015. Surveys included questions on demographics, gardening practices, and perceptions of community gardening. Multilevel logistic models assessed how gardener demographics, gardening practices, and garden characteristics were associated with soil contamination concerns. Common perceived benefits of community gardening were community building (68.8%), healthy and fresh food (35.5%), and gardening education (18.3%). Most gardeners (62.4%) were not concerned about soil contamination, but nearly half (48.4%) stated concerns about heavy metals. Black race was significantly associated with soil contamination concerns (OR 5.47, 95% CI 1.00-30.15, p = .04). Community gardens offer numerous social and health benefits. Although most gardeners were not concerned about soil contamination, black gardeners were more likely to have concerns. Garden leaders should provide resources to gardeners to learn about soil contamination and methods to manage their risk, particularly in minority neighborhoods.

  18. Biodegradation of dicyclopentadiene by a mini-consortium isolated from hydrocarbon contaminated soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shen, Y.; Stehmeier, L.; Voordouw, G.

    1997-01-01

    Thirty-five bacterial species were isolated from soil contaminated by low molecular weight hydrocarbons (C5+). All species were identified by gene sequencing. The isolated genomic DNAs from these bacteria were spotted on a master filter in denatured form. They were then hybridized with total community DNAs isolated from soil exposed to dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) in order to determine the effect of DCPD on the soil microbial community by comparison with an untreated control group. Incubation of soil with DCPD enriched a Sphingomonas sp. while incubation with DCPD in the absence of soil gave enrichment of a Pseudomonas sp. These results indicate that identification of bacterial isolates with DCPD degrading potential is possible and that such organisms can be isolated from C5+ contaminated sites. However, the possibility of removing DCPD contamination in soil by bioremediation is not yet proven.10 refs., 2 tabs., 2 figs

  19. APPLICATION OF ZEOLITE AND BENTONITE FOR STABILIZING LEAD IN A CONTAMINATED SOIL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agnieszka Andrzejewska

    2017-08-01

    The study evaluated the properties of zeolite and bentonite for stabilizing lead (Pb in a contaminated soil. Sorbents were applied at different rates 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0% to the contaminated soil and incubated for four months. Soil reaction (pH was measured as well as the electrical conductivity (EC. The total content of Pb was determined in the soil samples as did the reactive forms (extracted by 0.11 mol CH3HCOOH dm-3. The evaluation of the efficiency of the stabilization of Pb was performed on the basis of the fractions of the reactive lead. It was found, that the addition of both zeolite and bentonite resulted in a decrease in the concentrations of the active forms of lead in soils. Thus, the two sorbents exerted a good stability and can be used for efficiently immobilizing lead in soil contaminated anthropogenically.

  20. Acute toxicity assessment of explosive-contaminated soil extracting solution by luminescent bacteria assays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Wenjie; Jiang, Zhenming; Zhao, Quanlin; Zhang, Zhenzhong; Su, Hongping; Gao, Xuewen; Ye, Zhengfang

    2016-11-01

    Explosive-contaminated soil is harmful to people's health and the local ecosystem. The acute toxicity of its extracting solution was tested by bacterial luminescence assay using three kinds of luminescent bacteria to characterize the toxicity of the soil. An orthogonal test L 16 (4 5 ) was designed to optimize the soil extracting conditions. The optimum extracting conditions were obtained when the ultrasonic extraction time, ultrasonic extraction temperature, and the extraction repeat times were 6 h, 40 °C, and three, respectively. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) results showed that the main components of the contaminated soil's extracting solution were 2,4-dinitrotoluene-3-sulfonate (2,4-DNT-3-SO 3 - ); 2,4-dinitrotoluene-5-sulfonate (2,4-DNT-5-SO 3 - ); and 2,6-dinitrotoluene (2,6-DNT). Compared with Photobacterium phosphoreum and Vibrio fischeri, Vibrio qinghaiensis sp. Nov. is more suitable for assessing the soil extracting solution's acute toxicity. Soil washing can remove most of the contaminants toxic to luminescent bacterium Vibrio qinghaiensis sp. Nov., suggesting that it may be a potential effective remediation method for explosive-contaminated soil.

  1. Bioremediation of oil-contaminated soil using Candida catenulata and food waste.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joo, Hung-Soo; Ndegwa, Pius M; Shoda, Makoto; Phae, Chae-Gun

    2008-12-01

    Even though petroleum-degrading microorganisms are widely distributed in soil and water, they may not be present in sufficient numbers to achieve contaminant remediation. In such cases, it may be useful to inoculate the polluted area with highly effective petroleum-degrading microbial strains to augment the exiting ones. In order to identify a microbial strain for bioaugmentation of oil-contaminated soil, we isolated a microbial strain with high emulsification and petroleum hydrocarbon degradation efficiency of diesel fuel in culture. The efficacy of the isolated microbial strain, identified as Candida catenulata CM1, was further evaluated during composting of a mixture containing 23% food waste and 77% diesel-contaminated soil including 2% (w/w) diesel. After 13 days of composting, 84% of the initial petroleum hydrocarbon was degraded in composting mixes containing a powdered form of CM1 (CM1-solid), compared with 48% of removal ratio in control reactor without inoculum. This finding suggests that CM1 is a viable microbial strain for bioremediation of oil-contaminated soil with food waste through composting processes.

  2. Decontamination of Petroleum-Contaminated Soils Using The Electrochemical Technique: Remediation Degree and Energy Consumption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Streche, Constantin; Cocârţă, Diana Mariana; Istrate, Irina-Aura; Badea, Adrian Alexandru

    2018-02-19

    Currently, there are different remediation technologies for contaminated soils, but the selection of the best technology must be not only the treatment efficiency but also the energy consumption (costs) during its application. This paper is focused on assessing energy consumption related to the electrochemical treatment of polluted soil with petroleum hydrocarbons. In the framework of a research project, two types of experiments were conducted using soil that was artificially contaminated with diesel fuel at the same level of contamination. The experimental conditions considered for each experiment were: different amounts of contaminated soils (6 kg and 18 kg, respectively), the same current intensity level (0.25A and 0.5A), three different contamination degrees (1%, 2.5% and 5%) and the same time for application of the electrochemical treatment. The remediation degree concerning the removal of petroleum hydrocarbons from soil increased over time by approximately 20% over 7 days. With regard to energy consumption, the results revealed that with an increase in the quantity of treated soil of approximately three times, the specific energy consumption decreased from 2.94 kWh/kg treated soil to 1.64 kWh/kg treated soil.

  3. Exploration of Hydrocarbon Degrading Bacteria on Soils Contaminated by Crude Oil From South Sumatera

    OpenAIRE

    Napoleon, A; Probowati, D S

    2014-01-01

    The goal of this research was to explore hydrocarbon degrading bacteria on crude oil contaminated soil with potential to degrade hydrocarbon in oil pollutant. The research started by early August 2013 till January 2014. Soil sampling for this research was taken on several places with contaminated soil location such as Benakat, Rimau, and Pengabuan all of it located in South Sumatera. Conclusion from this research Isolates obtained from three (3) sites of contaminated soil and treated using SB...

  4. Electrokinetic remediation of contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lindgren, E.R.; Kozak, M.W.; Mattson, E.D.

    1991-01-01

    Electrokinetic remediation of contaminated soil has been demonstrated for saturated and unsaturated sand in preliminary experiments using a novel transport visualization technique. Large anionic organic dyes were mixed with a portion of soil and the rate of electromigration of the dye in an imposed electric field was monitored photographically. One of the fastest current-normalized electromigration rates was measured in the driest sand, which contained 7% water by weight. This moisture content is typical of the moisture content in the unsaturated zone of subsurface native soils found in New Mexico. The characteristics of the electromigration were similar in both the saturated and unsaturated sand. The leading edge of the dye migration front was diffuse while the trailing edge was sharp and concentrated. This and other observed behavior may indicate a concentration effect, where the electromigration rate of dilute dye is greater than that of concentrated dye. The soil left after the trailing edge passed seemed to contain no residual dye in both the saturated and unsaturated cases. The success of demonstrating electromigration of large molecules in unsaturated soil is encouraging and indicates that it may be feasible to remediate in situ anionic heavy metals such as chromate from unsaturated soil with electrokinetic techniques. 23 refs., 7 figs

  5. Electrokinetic remediation of contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lindgren, E.R.; Kozak, M.W.; Mattson, E.D.

    1991-01-01

    Electrokinetic remediation of contaminated soil has been demonstrated for saturated and unsaturated sand in preliminary experiments using a novel transport visualization technique. Large anionic organic dyes were mixed with a portion of soil and the rate of electromigration of the dye in an imposed electric field was monitored photographically. One of the fastest current-normalized electromigration rates was measured in the driest sand, which contained 7% water by-weight. This moisture content is typical of the moisture content in the unsaturated zone of subsurface native soils found in New Mexico. The characteristics of the electromigration were similar in both the saturated and unsaturated sand. The leading edge of the dye migration front was diffuse while the trailing edge was sharp and concentrated. This and other observed behavior may indicate a concentration effect, where the electromigration rate of dilute dye is greater than that of concentrated dye. The soil left after the trailing edge passed seemed to contain no residual dye in both the saturated and unsaturated cases. The success of demonstrating electromigration of large molecules in unsaturated soil is encouraging and indicates that it may be feasible to remediate in situ anionic heavy metals such as chromate from unsaturated soil with electrokinetic techniques

  6. Changes in the microbial community during bioremediation of gasoline-contaminated soil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aline Jaime Leal

    Full Text Available Abstract We aimed to verify the changes in the microbial community during bioremediation of gasoline-contaminated soil. Microbial inoculants were produced from successive additions of gasoline to municipal solid waste compost (MSWC previously fertilized with nitrogen-phosphorous. To obtain Inoculant A, fertilized MSWC was amended with gasoline every 3 days during 18 days. Inoculant B received the same application, but at every 6 days. Inoculant C included MSWC fertilized with N–P, but no gasoline. The inoculants were applied to gasoline-contaminated soil at 10, 30, or 50 g/kg. Mineralization of gasoline hydrocarbons in soil was evaluated by respirometric analysis. The viability of the inoculants was evaluated after 103 days of storage under refrigeration or room temperature. The relative proportions of microbial groups in the inoculants and soil were evaluated by FAME. The dose of 50 g/kg of inoculants A and B led to the largest CO2 emission from soil. CO2 emissions in treatments with inoculant C were inversely proportional to the dose of inoculant. Heterotrophic bacterial counts were greater in soil treated with inoculants A and B. The application of inoculants decreased the proportion of actinobacteria and increased of Gram-negative bacteria. Decline in the density of heterotrophic bacteria in inoculants occurred after storage. This reduction was bigger in inoculants stored at room temperature. The application of stored inoculants in gasoline-contaminated soil resulted in a CO2 emission twice bigger than that observed in uninoculated soil. We concluded that MSWC is an effective material for the production of microbial inoculants for the bioremediation of gasoline-contaminated soil.

  7. Changes in the microbial community during bioremediation of gasoline-contaminated soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leal, Aline Jaime; Rodrigues, Edmo Montes; Leal, Patrícia Lopes; Júlio, Aline Daniela Lopes; Fernandes, Rita de Cássia Rocha; Borges, Arnaldo Chaer; Tótola, Marcos Rogério

    We aimed to verify the changes in the microbial community during bioremediation of gasoline-contaminated soil. Microbial inoculants were produced from successive additions of gasoline to municipal solid waste compost (MSWC) previously fertilized with nitrogen-phosphorous. To obtain Inoculant A, fertilized MSWC was amended with gasoline every 3 days during 18 days. Inoculant B received the same application, but at every 6 days. Inoculant C included MSWC fertilized with N-P, but no gasoline. The inoculants were applied to gasoline-contaminated soil at 10, 30, or 50g/kg. Mineralization of gasoline hydrocarbons in soil was evaluated by respirometric analysis. The viability of the inoculants was evaluated after 103 days of storage under refrigeration or room temperature. The relative proportions of microbial groups in the inoculants and soil were evaluated by FAME. The dose of 50g/kg of inoculants A and B led to the largest CO 2 emission from soil. CO 2 emissions in treatments with inoculant C were inversely proportional to the dose of inoculant. Heterotrophic bacterial counts were greater in soil treated with inoculants A and B. The application of inoculants decreased the proportion of actinobacteria and increased of Gram-negative bacteria. Decline in the density of heterotrophic bacteria in inoculants occurred after storage. This reduction was bigger in inoculants stored at room temperature. The application of stored inoculants in gasoline-contaminated soil resulted in a CO 2 emission twice bigger than that observed in uninoculated soil. We concluded that MSWC is an effective material for the production of microbial inoculants for the bioremediation of gasoline-contaminated soil. Copyright © 2016 Sociedade Brasileira de Microbiologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  8. Risk-Based Approach for Thermal Treatment of Soils Contaminated with Heavy Metals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cocârţă D. M.

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available In the actual context of limited soil resources and the significant degree of environmental pollution, public administrations and authorities are interested in restoring contaminated sites paying attention to the impact of these soils on human health. This paper aims to present the efficiency of the the incineration as a method for treatment of the contaminated soils t based on human health risk assessment. Through various experimentations, the following metals have been studied: Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Cr, Co, Cd, Hg, As and Be. The most important and interesting results concerning both thermal treatment removal efficiency and associated human health risk assessments were achieved concerning Cd, Pb and Ni contaminants. The behavior of Cadmium (Cd, Lead (Pb and Nickel (Ni concentrations from heavy metals incineration soil has been analyzed for three incineration temperatures (600°C, 800°C and 1000°C and two resident times of soil within the incineration reactor (30 min. and 60 min.. In this case, the level of contaminants in the treated soil can be reduced but not enough to ensure an acceptable risk for human health.

  9. Electrokinetic remediation of anionic contamination from unsaturated soil: Field application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lindgren, E.R.; Mattson, E.D.

    1995-01-01

    Electrokinetic remediation is an in situ technique under development at Sandia National Laboratories for removal of ionic contaminants from soil. While to date most other studies of this technique have focused on saturated soils, usually clays, the work at Sandia has been to extend the process to unsaturated sandy soils typical of arid regions. The impetus for this study is a chromate plume located beneath an old Sandia chemical waste landfill. Working in unsaturated soils is complicated by moisture control requirements, both to prevent undesired hydraulic transport of contamination outside the treatment zone and to optimize soil properties for efficient electrokinetic remediation. Two field tests will be discussed. First, a field test in clean soil is in progress to demonstrate moisture control with the Sandia electrode system. The second field demonstration, planned to begin the Fall of 1995, involves chromate removal from a in a chemical waste landfill

  10. Soil bioindicators as a usefull tools for land management and spatial planning processes: a case-study of prioritization of contaminated soil remediation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grand, Cécile; Pauget, Benjamin; Villenave, Cécile; Le Guédard, Marina; Piron, Denis; Nau, Jean-François; Pérès, Guénola

    2017-04-01

    When setting up new land management, contaminated site remediation or soil use change are sometimes necessary to ensure soil quality and the restoration of the ecosystem services. The biological characterization of the soil can be used as complementary information to chemical data in order to better define the conditions for operating. Then, in the context of urban areas, elements on the soil biological quality can be taken into consideration to guide the land development. To assess this "biological state of soil health", some biological tools, called bioindicators, could provide comprehensive information to understand and predict the functioning of the soil ecosystem. In this context, a city of 200 thousand inhabitants has decided to integrate soil bioindicators in their soil diagnostic for their soil urban management. This city had to elaborate a spatial soil management in urban areas which presented soil contamination linked to a complex industrial history associated with bad uses of gardens not always safe for the environment. The project will lead to establish a Natural Urban Park (PNU) in order to develop recreational and leisure activities in a quality environment. In order to complete the knowledge of soil contamination and to assess the transfer of contaminants to the terrestrial ecosystem, a biological characterization of soils located in different areas was carried out using six bioindicators: bioindicators of accumulation which allowed to evaluate the transfers of soil contaminants towards the first 2 steps of a trophic chain (plants and soil fauna, e.g. snails), bioindicators of effects (Omega 3 index was used to assess the effects of soil contamination and to measure their impact on plants), bioindicators of soil functioning (measurement of microbial biomass, nematodes and earthworm community) ; the interest of these last bioindicators is that they also act on the functioning of ecosystems as on the dynamics of organic matter (mineralization) but also

  11. Mutagenic hazards of complex polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon mixtures in contaminated soil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lemieux, C.L.; Lambert, A.B.; Lundstedt, S.; Tysklind, M.; White, P.A. [Health Canada, Ottawa, ON (Canada). Safe Environment Program

    2008-04-15

    The objective of the present study was to evaluate hazard/risk assessment methods for complex environmental mixtures that involve a targeted, priority chemical approach based on the cumulative hazard/risk of known mixture components or analyses of sufficiently similar mixtures. Ten polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-contaminated soils were separated into nonpolar and semipolar fractions, and both fractions elicited positive responses on the Salmonella reverse mutation assay. Targeted and nontargeted methods of hazard prediction routinely overestimated mutagenic activities for the nonpolar soil fractions, suggesting nonadditive interactions of PAHs in complex mixtures. This suggests that current risk assessment methods for complex mixtures may provide conservative estimates regarding soils contaminated with priority PAHs alone. Significant underestimations of total risk, however, will be obtained if the soils also contain unidentified PAHs as well as polycyclic aromatic compounds and related compounds that contribute to the total mutagenic activity. Furthermore, estimates of excess lifetime cancer risk associated with the nondietary ingestion of the PAH-contaminated soils studied here indicate that a traditional risk assessment model based on identified priority PAHs and an assumption of additivity generally underestimates the risk associated with the nonpolar soil fractions (in comparison to bioassay-derived risk estimates). Additional cancer risk may be associated with the more polar compounds that also are found at these contaminated sites and that rarely are included in the standard risk assessment methodology.

  12. Radioactive contamination: atlas France and Europe. French soils contamination by Chernobyl accident fallouts - The lie evidences

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paris, Andre; Castanier, Corinne

    2002-01-01

    This document deals with the Chernobyl nuclear accident impacts and the authorities transparency. The first part is a reference document constituted by the CRIIRAD and showing how the authorities strove for minimizing the real contamination of French soils by the Chernobyl fallouts. In the second part, an atlas provides the detailed maps of the radioactive contamination of soils based on more than 3000 measurements carried out by a geologist, Andre Paris, assisted by the CRIIRAD laboratory

  13. Phytoextraction for clean-up of low-level uranium contaminated soil evaluated

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vandenhove, H.; Hees, M. van

    2004-01-01

    Spills in the nuclear fuel cycle have led to soil contamination with uranium. In case of small contamination just above release levels, low-cost yet sufficiently efficient remedial measures are recommended. This study was executed to test if low-level U contaminated sandy soil from a nuclear fuel processing site could be phytoextracted in order to attain the required release limits. Two soils were tested: a control soil (317 Bq 238 U kg -1 ) and the same soil washed with bicarbonate (69 Bq 238 U kg -1 ). Ryegrass (Lolium perenne cv. Melvina) and Indian mustard (Brassica juncea cv. Vitasso) were used as test plants. The annual removal of soil activity by the biomass was less than 0.1%. The addition of citric acid (25 mmol kg -1 ) 1 week before the harvest increased U uptake up to 500-fold. With a ryegrass and mustard yield of 15,000 and 10,000 kg ha -1 , respectively, up to 3.5% and 4.6% of the soil activity could be removed annually by the biomass. With a desired activity reduction level of 1.5 and 5 for the bicarbonate-washed and control soil, respectively, it would take 10-50 years to attain the release limit. However, citric acid addition resulted in a decreased dry weight production

  14. Plant residues--a low cost, effective bioremediation treatment for petrogenic hydrocarbon-contaminated soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shahsavari, Esmaeil; Adetutu, Eric M; Anderson, Peter A; Ball, Andrew S

    2013-01-15

    Petrogenic hydrocarbons represent the most commonly reported environmental contaminant in industrialised countries. In terms of remediating petrogenic contaminated hydrocarbons, finding sustainable non-invasive technologies represents an important goal. In this study, the effect of 4 types of plant residues on the bioremediation of aliphatic hydrocarbons was investigated in a 90 day greenhouse experiment. The results showed that contaminated soil amended with different plant residues led to statistically significant increases in the utilisation rate of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) relative to control values. The maximum TPH reduction (up to 83% or 6800 mg kg(-1)) occurred in soil mixed with pea straw, compared to a TPH reduction of 57% (4633 mg kg(-1)) in control soil. A positive correlation (0.75) between TPH reduction rate and the population of hydrocarbon-utilising microorganisms was observed; a weaker correlation (0.68) was seen between TPH degradation and bacterial population, confirming that adding plant materials significantly enhanced both hydrocarbonoclastic and general microbial soil activities. Microbial community analysis using Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) showed that amending the contaminated soil with plant residues (e.g., pea straw) caused changes in the soil microbial structure, as observed using the Shannon diversity index; the diversity index increased in amended treatments, suggesting that microorganisms present on the dead biomass may become important members of the microbial community. In terms of specific hydrocarbonoclastic activity, the number of alkB gene copies in the soil microbial community increased about 300-fold when plant residues were added to contaminated soil. This study has shown that plant residues stimulate TPH degradation in contaminated soil through stimulation and perhaps addition to the pool of hydrocarbon-utilising microorganisms, resulting in a changed microbial structure and increased alkB gene

  15. Phytoremediation of fuel oil and lead co-contaminated soil by Chromolaena odorata in association with Micrococcus luteus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jampasri, Kongkeat; Pokethitiyook, Prayad; Kruatrachue, Maleeya; Ounjai, Puey; Kumsopa, Acharaporn

    2016-10-02

    Phytoremediation is widely promoted as a cost-effective technology for treating heavy metal and total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) co-contaminated soil. This study investigated the concurrent removal of TPHs and Pb in co-contaminated soil (27,000 mg kg(-1) TPHs, 780 mg kg(-1) Pb) by growing Siam weed (Chromolaena odorata) in a pot experiment for 90 days. There were four treatments: co-contaminated soil; co-contaminated soil with C. odorata only; co-contaminated soil with C. odorata and Micrococcus luteus inoculum; and co-contaminated soil with M. luteus only. C. odorata survived and grew well in the co-contaminated soil. C. odorata with M. luteus showed the highest Pb accumulation (513.7 mg kg(-1)) and uptake (7.7 mg plant(-1)), and the highest reduction percentage of TPHs (52.2%). The higher TPH degradation in vegetated soils indicated the interaction between the rhizosphere microorganisms and plants. The results suggested that C. odorata together with M. luteus and other rhizosphere microorganisms is a promising candidate for the removal of Pb and TPHs in co-contaminated soils.

  16. Evaluation of Soil Contamination Indices in a Mining Area of Jiangxi, China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Jin; Teng, Yanguo; Lu, Sijin; Wang, Yeyao; Jiao, Xudong

    2014-01-01

    There is currently a wide variety of methods used to evaluate soil contamination. We present a discussion of the advantages and limitations of different soil contamination assessment methods. In this study, we analyzed seven trace elements (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb, and Zn) that are indicators of soil contamination in Dexing, a city in China that is famous for its vast nonferrous mineral resources in China, using enrichment factor (EF), geoaccumulation index (Igeo), pollution index (PI), and principal component analysis (PCA). The three contamination indices and PCA were then mapped to understand the status and trends of soil contamination in this region. The entire study area is strongly enriched in Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn, especially in areas near mine sites. As and Hg were also present in high concentrations in urban areas. Results indicated that Cr in this area originated from both anthropogenic and natural sources. PCA combined with Geographic Information System (GIS) was successfully used to discriminate between natural and anthropogenic trace metals. PMID:25397401

  17. Green waste compost as an amendment during induced phytoextraction of mercury-contaminated soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smolinska, Beata

    2015-03-01

    Phytoextraction of mercury-contaminated soils is a new strategy that consists of using the higher plants to make the soil contaminant nontoxic. The main problem that occurs during the process is the low solubility and bioavailability of mercury in soil. Therefore, some soil amendments can be used to increase the efficiency of the Hg phytoextraction process. The aim of the investigation was to use the commercial compost from municipal green wastes to increase the efficiency of phytoextraction of mercury-contaminated soil by Lepidium sativum L. plants and determine the leaching of Hg after compost amendment. The result of the study showed that Hg can be accumulated by L. sativum L. The application of compost increased both the accumulation by whole plant and translocation of Hg to shoots. Compost did not affect the plant biomass and its biometric parameters. Application of compost to the soil decreased the leaching of mercury in both acidic and neutral solutions regardless of growing medium composition and time of analysis. Due to Hg accumulation and translocation as well as its potential leaching in acidic and neutral solution, compost can be recommended as a soil amendment during the phytoextraction of mercury-contaminated soil.

  18. Ex situ treatment of hydrocarbon-contaminated soil using biosurfactants from Lactobacillus pentosus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moldes, Ana Belén; Paradelo, Remigio; Rubinos, David; Devesa-Rey, Rosa; Cruz, José Manuel; Barral, María Teresa

    2011-09-14

    The utilization of biosurfactants for the bioremediation of contaminated soil is not yet well established, because of the high production cost of biosurfactants. Consequently, it is interesting to look for new biosurfactants that can be produced at a large scale, and it can be employed for the bioremediation of contaminated sites. In this work, biosurfactants from Lactobacillus pentosus growing in hemicellulosic sugars solutions, with a similar composition of sugars found in trimming vine shoot hydrolysates, were employed in the bioremediation of soil contaminated with octane. It was observed that the presence of biosurfactant from L. pentosus accelerated the biodegradation of octane in soil. After 15 days of treatment, biosurfactants from L. pentosus reduced the concentration of octane in the soil to 58.6 and 62.8%, for soil charged with 700 and 70,000 mg/kg of hydrocarbon, respectively, whereas after 30 days of treatment, 76% of octane in soil was biodegraded in both cases. In the absence of biosurfactant and after 15 days of incubation, only 1.2 and 24% of octane was biodegraded in soil charged with 700 and 70,000 mg/kg of octane, respectively. Thus, the use of biosurfactants from L. pentosus, as part of a well-designed bioremediation process, can provide mechanisms to mobilize the target contaminants from the soil surface to make them more available to the microbial population.

  19. Heavy metal-immobilizing organoclay facilitates polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon biodegradation in mixed-contaminated soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Biswas, Bhabananda; Sarkar, Binoy; Mandal, Asit; Naidu, Ravi

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • A novel metal-immobilizing organoclay (MIOC) synthesized and characterized. • MIOC immobilizes toxic metals and reduces metal bioavailability. • It enhances PAH-bioavailability to soil bacteria. • It improves microbial growth and activities in mixed-contaminated soils. • MIOC facilitates PAH-biodegradation in metal co-contaminated soils. - Abstract: Soils contaminated with a mixture of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) pose toxic metal stress to native PAH-degrading microorganisms. Adsorbents such as clay and modified clay minerals can bind the metal and reduce its toxicity to microorganisms. However, in a mixed-contaminated soil, an adsorption process more specific to the metals without affecting the bioavailability of PAHs is desired for effective degradation. Furthermore, the adsorbent should enhance the viability of PAH-degrading microorganisms. A metal-immobilizing organoclay (Arquad ® 2HT-75-bentonite treated with palmitic acid) (MIOC) able to reduce metal (cadmium (Cd)) toxicity and enhance PAH (phenanthrene) biodegradation was developed and characterized in this study. The MIOC differed considerably from the parent clay in terms of its ability to reduce metal toxicity (MIOC > unmodified bentonite > Arquad–bentonite). The MIOC variably increased the microbial count (10–43%) as well as activities (respiration 3–44%; enzymatic activities up to 68%), and simultaneously maintained phenanthrene in bioavailable form in a Cd-phenanthrene mixed-contaminated soil over a 21-day incubation period. This study may lead to a new MIOC-assisted bioremediation technique for PAHs in mixed-contaminated soils

  20. Remediation of soils contaminated with heavy metals with an emphasis on immobilization technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Derakhshan Nejad, Zahra; Jung, Myung Chae; Kim, Ki-Hyun

    2018-06-01

    The major frequent contaminants in soil are heavy metals which may be responsible for detrimental health effects. The remediation of heavy metals in contaminated soils is considered as one of the most complicated tasks. Among different technologies, in situ immobilization of metals has received a great deal of attention and turned out to be a promising solution for soil remediation. In this review, remediation methods for removal of heavy metals in soil are explored with an emphasis on the in situ immobilization technique of metal(loid)s. Besides, the immobilization technique in contaminated soils is evaluated through the manipulation of the bioavailability of heavy metals using a range of soil amendment conditions. This technique is expected to efficiently alleviate the risk of groundwater contamination, plant uptake, and exposure to other living organisms. The efficacy of several amendments (e.g., red mud, biochar, phosphate rock) has been examined to emphasize the need for the simultaneous measurement of leaching and the phytoavailability of heavy metals. In addition, some amendments that are used in this technique are inexpensive and readily available in large quantities because they have been derived from bio-products or industrial by-products (e.g., biochar, red mud, and steel slag). Among different amendments, iron-rich compounds and biochars show high efficiency to remediate multi-metal contaminated soils. Thereupon, immobilization technique can be considered a preferable option as it is inexpensive and easily applicable to large quantities of contaminants derived from various sources.

  1. Heavy metal-immobilizing organoclay facilitates polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon biodegradation in mixed-contaminated soil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Biswas, Bhabananda; Sarkar, Binoy [Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Campus, SA 5095 (Australia); Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment, P.O. Box 486, Salisbury, SA 5106 (Australia); Mandal, Asit [Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Campus, SA 5095 (Australia); Division of Soil Biology, Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh (India); Naidu, Ravi [Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Campus, SA 5095 (Australia); Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment, P.O. Box 486, Salisbury, SA 5106 (Australia)

    2015-11-15

    Highlights: • A novel metal-immobilizing organoclay (MIOC) synthesized and characterized. • MIOC immobilizes toxic metals and reduces metal bioavailability. • It enhances PAH-bioavailability to soil bacteria. • It improves microbial growth and activities in mixed-contaminated soils. • MIOC facilitates PAH-biodegradation in metal co-contaminated soils. - Abstract: Soils contaminated with a mixture of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) pose toxic metal stress to native PAH-degrading microorganisms. Adsorbents such as clay and modified clay minerals can bind the metal and reduce its toxicity to microorganisms. However, in a mixed-contaminated soil, an adsorption process more specific to the metals without affecting the bioavailability of PAHs is desired for effective degradation. Furthermore, the adsorbent should enhance the viability of PAH-degrading microorganisms. A metal-immobilizing organoclay (Arquad{sup ®} 2HT-75-bentonite treated with palmitic acid) (MIOC) able to reduce metal (cadmium (Cd)) toxicity and enhance PAH (phenanthrene) biodegradation was developed and characterized in this study. The MIOC differed considerably from the parent clay in terms of its ability to reduce metal toxicity (MIOC > unmodified bentonite > Arquad–bentonite). The MIOC variably increased the microbial count (10–43%) as well as activities (respiration 3–44%; enzymatic activities up to 68%), and simultaneously maintained phenanthrene in bioavailable form in a Cd-phenanthrene mixed-contaminated soil over a 21-day incubation period. This study may lead to a new MIOC-assisted bioremediation technique for PAHs in mixed-contaminated soils.

  2. A multi-process phytoremediation system for removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang Xiaodong; El-Alawi, Yousef; Penrose, Donna M.; Glick, Bernard R.; Greenberg, Bruce M.

    2004-01-01

    To improve phytoremediation processes, multiple techniques that comprise different aspects of contaminant removal from soils have been combined. Using creosote as a test contaminant, a multi-process phytoremediation system composed of physical (volatilization), photochemical (photooxidation) and microbial remediation, and phytoremediation (plant-assisted remediation) processes was developed. The techniques applied to realize these processes were land-farming (aeration and light exposure), introduction of contaminant degrading bacteria, plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), and plant growth of contaminant-tolerant tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea). Over a 4-month period, the average efficiency of removal of 16 priority PAHs by the multi-process remediation system was twice that of land-farming, 50% more than bioremediation alone, and 45% more than phytoremediation by itself. Importantly, the multi-process system was capable of removing most of the highly hydrophobic, soil-bound PAHs from soil. The key elements for successful phytoremediation were the use of plant species that have the ability to proliferate in the presence of high levels of contaminants and strains of PGPR that increase plant tolerance to contaminants and accelerate plant growth in heavily contaminated soils. The synergistic use of these approaches resulted in rapid and massive biomass accumulation of plant tissue in contaminated soil, putatively providing more active metabolic processes, leading to more rapid and more complete removal of PAHs. - Persistent PAH contaminants in soils can be removed more completely and rapidly by using multiple remediation processes

  3. Organoclays reduce arsenic bioavailability and bioaccessibility in contaminated soils

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sarkar, Binoy; Naidu, Ravi; Rahman, Mohammad Mahmudur; Megharaj, Mallavarapu; Xi, Yunfei [South Australia Univ., Mawson Lakes, SA (AU). Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation (CERAR); South Australia Univ., Mawson Lakes, SA (AU). Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE)

    2012-05-15

    Purpose: Naturally occurring layer silicate clay minerals can be value added by modifying their surface properties to enhance their efficacy in the remediation of environmental contaminants. Silicate clay minerals modified by the introduction of organic molecules into the mineral structure are known as organoclays and show much promise for environmental remediation applications. The present study assesses the extent of decrease in bioavailable and bioaccessible arsenic (As) via enhanced adsorption by soil treated with organoclays. Materials and methods: Organoclays were prepared from hexadecyl trimethylammonium bromide (HDTMA) and Arquad {sup registered} 2HT-75 (Arquad) at surfactant loadings equivalent to twice the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of an Australian bentonite and characterised by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Batch experiments were conducted to evaluate the adsorption of arsenate onto the organoclays from aqueous solutions. Encouraged by these results, the organoclays were applied to As-spiked soils, at 10% and 20% (w/w) rates, to assess their capacity to stabilise soil As. After 1 month of incubation in the laboratory, bioavailable (1 mM Ca(NO{sub 3}){sub 2} extractable) and bioaccessible (1 M glycine extractable) As from the spiked soils were assessed. Results and discussion: Both the organobentonites effectively removed As from aqueous solutions. The adsorbent prepared with Arquad adsorbed 23% more As from aqueous phase than adsorbent prepared with HDTMA. Adsorption of As was controlled by anion exchange and electrostatic attraction. When applied to As-contaminated soils, the organoclays reduced the bioavailable As by as much as 81%. The extent of reduction of bioaccessible As was only up to 58%. The adsorbents were not as efficient in reducing bioaccessible As in contaminated soils as compared with bioavailable As. It could be attributed to the extreme pH condition (pH = 3) of the extractant used in the physiologically based extraction test method for

  4. Microbial activity, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and inoculation of woody plants in lead contaminated soil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Graziella S Gattai

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available The goals of this study were to evaluate the microbial activity, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and inoculation of woody plants (Caesalpinia ferrea, Mimosa tenuiflora and Erythrina velutina in lead contaminated soil from the semi-arid region of northeastern of Brazil (Belo Jardim, Pernambuco. Dilutions were prepared by adding lead contaminated soil (270 mg Kg-1 to uncontaminated soil (37 mg Pb Kg soil-1 in the proportions of 7.5%, 15%, and 30% (v:v. The increase of lead contamination in the soil negatively influenced the amount of carbon in the microbial biomass of the samples from both the dry and rainy seasons and the metabolic quotient only differed between the collection seasons in the 30% contaminated soil. The average value of the acid phosphatase activity in the dry season was 2.3 times higher than observed during the rainy season. There was no significant difference in the number of glomerospores observed between soils and periods studied. The most probable number of infective propagules was reduced for both seasons due to the excess lead in soil. The mycorrhizal colonization rate was reduced for the three plant species assayed. The inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi benefited the growth of Erythrina velutina in lead contaminated soil.

  5. Efficiency of modified chemical remediation techniques for soil contaminated by organochlorine pesticides

    Science.gov (United States)

    Correa-Torres, S. N.; Kopytko, M.; Avila, S.

    2016-07-01

    This study reports the optimization of innovation chemical techniques in order to improve the remediation of soils contaminated with organochloride pesticides. The techniques used for remediation were dehalogenation and chemical oxidation in soil contaminated by pesticides. These techniques were applied sequentially and combined to evaluate the design optimize the concentration and contact time variables. The soil of this study was collect in cotton crop zone in Agustin Codazzi municipality, Colombia, and its physical properties was measure. The modified dehalogenation technique of EPA was applied on the contaminated soil by adding Sodium Bicarbonate solution at different concentrations and rates during 4, 7 and 14 days, subsequently oxidation technique was implemented by applying a solution of KMnO4 at different concentration and reaction times. Organochlorine were detected by Gas Chromatography analysis coupled Mass Spectrometry and its removals were between 85.4- 90.0% of compounds such as 4, 4’-DDT, 4,4’-DDD, 4,4-DDE, trans-Clordane y Endrin. These results demonstrate that the technique of dehalogenation with oxidation chemistry can be used for remediation soils contaminated by organochloride pesticides.

  6. [Leaching Remediation of Copper and Lead Contaminated Lou Soil by Saponin Under Different Conditions].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Hong-xia; Yang, Ya-li; Li, Zhen; Xu, Yan; Li, Rong-hua; Meng, Zhao-fu; Yang, Ya-ti

    2015-04-01

    In order to investigate the leaching remediation effect of the eco-friendly biosurfactant saponin for Cu and Pb in contaminated Lou soil, batch tests method was used to study the leaching effect of saponin solution on single Cu, Pb contaminated Lou soil and mixed Cu and Pb contaminated Lou soil under different conditions such as reaction time, mass concentration of saponin, pH, concentration of background electrolyte and leaching times. The results showed that the maximum leaching removal effect of Cu and Pb in contaminated Lou soil was achieved by complexation of the heavy metals with saponin micelle, when the mass concentration of saponin solution was 50 g x L(-1), pH was 5.0, the reaction time was 240 min, and there was no background electrolyte. In single and mixed contaminated Lou soil, the leaching percentages of Cu were 29.02% and 25.09% after a single leaching with 50 g x L(-1) saponin under optimal condition, while the single leaching percentages of Pb were 31.56% and 28.03%, respectively. The result indicated the removal efficiency of Pb was more significant than that of Cu. After 4 times of leaching, the cumulative leaching percentages of Cu reached 58.92% and 53.11%, while the cumulative leaching percentages of Pb reached 77.69% and 65.32% for single and mixed contaminated Lou soil, respectively. The fractionation results of heavy metals in soil before and after a single leaching showed that the contents of adsorbed and exchangeable Cu and Pb increased in the contaminated soil, while the carbonate-bound, organic bound and sulfide residual Cu and Pb in the contaminated Lou soil could be effectively removed by saponin.

  7. Improvements in the biotreatment of soil contaminated by heavy hydrocarbons

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Paquin, J. [Sanexen Environmental Services Inc., Varennes, PQ (Canada)

    2006-07-01

    This presentation discussed improvements in the biotreatment of soil contaminated by heavy hydrocarbons. The presentation provided information on the background for the investigation such as: difficulty for biotreatment in soil to deal with heavy weathered hydrocarbons and fine grained soils; the involvement of the Montreal Centre of Excellence for Brownfield Remediation (MCEBR) to develop state of the art environmental solutions; and, the selection of Sanexen as the organization with the best price and best performance warranty to perform the required decontamination. The objectives of the study were to improve the performance of biotreatment of soil contaminated with heavy petroleum hydrocarbons; reduce soil biotreatment costs by 30 per cent; improve knowledge and understanding for this type of treatment; and, better identify constraints and optimal strategies in view of these constraints. Specific objectives that were discussed included: improving the microbial flora, attaining a favorable soil temperature at a low cost, identifying the best amendments for bulking of soil, increasing bio-availability of the contaminants, and identifying optimal mechanical handling of the soil. The presentation discussed soils treated; research and development carried out; standard method of biotreatment; alternative methods tested; initial investigation by the MCEBR; pilot test carried out by Sanexen; and, results of the pilot test. As part of the research program with MCEBR, soils that received different amendments were tested at the Biotechnology Research Institute (BRI) of the National Research Council for their ability to degrade added hexadecane and naphthalene. Soil at various stages of the treatment was also sampled and tested by the (BRI). It was concluded that the biotreatment of heavy hydrocarbons in fine grained soils is feasible and that the techniques used reduced biotreatment costs by approximately 25 per cent.

  8. Organic acid enhanced electrodialytic extraction of lead from contaminated soil fines in suspension

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Pernille Erland; Ahring, Birgitte Kiær; Ottosen, Lisbeth M.

    2007-01-01

    for decontamination of the sludge was investigated. The ability of 11 organic acids to extract Pb from the fine fraction of contaminated soil (grains soil fines in suspension......The implementation of soil washing technology for the treatment of heavy metal contaminated soils is limited by the toxicity and unwieldiness of the remaining heavy metal contaminated sludge. In this work, the feasibility of combining electrodialytic remediation with heterotrophic leaching...... was tested. Five of the acids showed the ability to extract Ph from the soil fines in excess of the effect caused solely by pH changes. Addition of the acids, however, severely impeded EDR, hence promotion of EDR by combination with heterotrophic leaching was rejected. In contrast, enhancement of EDR...

  9. Experimental study of the complex resistivity and dielectric constant of chrome-contaminated soil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Haorui; Yang, Heli; Yi, Fengyan

    2016-08-01

    Heavy metals such as arsenic and chromium often contaminate soils near industrialized areas. Soil samples, made with different water content and chromate pollutant concentrations, are often needed to test soil quality. Because complex resistivity and complex dielectric characteristics of these samples need to be measured, the relationship between these measurement results and chromium concentration as well as water content was studied. Based on soil sample observations, the amplitude of the sample complex resistivity decreased with an increase of contamination concentration and water content. The phase of complex resistivity takes on a tendency of initially decrease, and then increase with the increasing of contamination concentration and water content. For a soil sample with the same resistivity, the higher the amplitude of complex resistivity, the lower the water content and the higher the contamination concentration. The real and imaginary parts of the complex dielectric constant increase with an increase in contamination concentration and water content. Note that resistivity and complex resistivity methods are necessary to adequately evaluate pollution at various sites.

  10. Assessment of soil contamination in area surrounding Tuwaitha nuclear facilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al-Taii, A.A.F.; AI-Jobori, S.H.; Al-Maadhidi, J.F.

    2012-01-01

    The wide spread looting of the Tuwaitha Nuclear Facilities as well as damaging of some buildings in 2003, had offered possibilities of contamination of soil environment inside the Site. The objective of the present work was to investigate soil contamination to help in future decontamination programs. A total of 25 soil surface samples (including one reference sample) covered different locations in the Site were collected in March 2011. High purity Ge detector was used for gamma spectrometry of soil samples. Data of total and spectral gamma for U series, Th series, 40 K and 137 Cs are presented. Slight variations were observed in specific activity of the U series 214 Bi or 214 Pb and 226 Ra among measured soil samples where the range was 10.3-12.7 for 214 Bi as compared with 12.2-33.4 Bq/kg for 226 Ra. Values of both 214 Bi and 226 Ra are in the range of reference sample specific activity indicating that no evidence of contamination had occurred in the investigated area. Results of activity concentrations of thorium series 228 Ac or 208 Tl, 212 Pb, and 212 Bi are in the range of reference sample and close to those values given worldwide for natural uranium in soil. The levels of 40 K in soil are within the natural abundance of this isotope in the soil where the range was 207.6-266.1 with 220.3 Bq/kg for the reference sample. On the other hand, 137 Cs specific activities showed great variation among measured samples. The minimum value for 137 Cs was 0.6 and the maximum 7.6 compared with 0.8 Bq/kg for the control soil sample. The non-uniformity of radioactivity concentration of 137 Cs suggest the presence of contamination in some locations although this level is considered as an acceptable level and no hazardous effect will be generated.

  11. Application of biodegradation screening protocol to contaminated soils from manufactured gas plant sites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, J.R.; Nakles, D.V.; Cushey, M.A.; Morgan, D.J.; Linz, D.G.

    1990-01-01

    Bioremediation (i.e., land treatment) has been demonstrated to be a viable option for treating a variety of soils contamianted with organics. Conventional treatability studies utilize soil microcosm experiments to evaluate the potential for bioremediation of specific contaminated soils. Unfortunately, soil microcosms take from 4- to 6-months to complete and do not fully exploit the current understanding of the bioremediation process. This paper describes a treatability protocol that investigates underlying mechanisms and can be completed in 2- to 3-months. It is believed that soil bioremediation is governed by the sequential processes of contanate desorption from the soil into the aqueous phase and subsequent oxidation by microorganisms. The relative importance of each process depends upon the contaminant and soil. Accordingly, the treatability protocol has three steps. In the first step, tests are performed to determine soil characteristics. In the second step, tests are performed to characterize the desorption of contaminants from the soil. In the third step, the potential for biological oxidaiton is evaluated with a soil-water slurry reactor that maximizes desorption and provides an optimum environment for microbial growth. This paper provides a thorough discussion of the laboratory protocol including the primary theoretical tenets which serve as its basis. Preliminary procedures and results are presented for soils contaminated with manufactured gas plant (MGP) wastes. Particular attention is focused on biodegradation of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)

  12. [Mixture Leaching Remediation Technology of Arsenic Contaminated Soil].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Xun-feng; Li, Xiao-ming; Chen, Can; Yang, Qi; Deng, Lin-jing; Xie, Wei-qiang; Zhong, Yui; Huang, Bin; Yang, Wei-qiang; Zhang, Zhi-bei

    2016-03-15

    Soil contamination of arsenic pollution has become a severely environmental issue, while soil leaching is an efficient method for remediation of arsenic-contaminated soil. In this study, batch tests were primarily conducted to select optimal mixture leaching combination. Firstly, five conventional reagents were selected and combined with each other. Secondly, the fractions were analyzed before and after the tests. Finally, to explore the feasibility of mixed leaching, three soils with different arsenic pollution levels were used to compare the leaching effect. Comparing with one-step washing, the two-step sequential washing with different reagents increased the arsenic removal efficiency. These results showed that the mixture of 4 h 0.5 mol · L⁻¹ NaOH + 4 h 0.1 mol · L⁻¹ EDTA was found to be practicable, which could enhance the removal rate of arsenic from 66.67% to 91.83%, and the concentration of arsenic in soil was decreased from 186 mg · kg⁻¹ to 15.2 mg · kg⁻¹. Furthermore, the results indicated that the distribution of fractions of arsenic in soil changed apparently after mixture leaching. Leaching process could significantly reduce the available contents of arsenic in soil. Moreover, the mixture of 0.5 mol · L⁻¹ NaOH + 0.1 mol L⁻¹ EDTA could well decrease the arsenic concentration in aluminum-type soils, while the mixture of 0.5 mol · L⁻¹ OX + 0.5 mol · L⁻¹ NaOH could well decrease the arsenic concentration in iron-type soils.

  13. Diversity of bacterial communities along a petroleum contamination gradient in desert soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abed, Raeid M M; Al-Kindi, Sumaiya; Al-Kharusi, Samiha

    2015-01-01

    Microbial communities in oil-polluted desert soils have been rarely studied compared to their counterparts from freshwater and marine environments. We investigated bacterial diversity and changes therein in five desert soils exposed to different levels of oil pollution. Automated rRNA intergenic spacer (ARISA) analysis profiles showed that the bacterial communities of the five soils were profoundly different (analysis of similarities (ANOSIM), R = 0.45, P pollution levels. Multivariate analyses of ARISA profiles revealed that the microbial communities in the S soil, which contains the highest level of contamination, were different from the other soils and formed a completely separate cluster. A total of 16,657 ribosomal sequences were obtained, with 42-89 % of these sequences belonging to the phylum Proteobacteria. While sequences belonging to Betaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Bacilli, and Actinobacteria were encountered in all soils, sequences belonging to anaerobic bacteria from the classes Deltaproteobacteria, Clostridia, and Anaerolineae were only detected in the S soil. Sequences belonging to the genus Terriglobus of the class Acidobacteria were only detected in the B3 soil with the lowest level of contamination. Redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that oil contamination level was the most determinant factor that explained variations in the microbial communities. We conclude that the exposure to different levels of oil contamination exerts a strong selective pressure on bacterial communities and that desert soils are rich in aerobic and anaerobic bacteria that could potentially contribute to the degradation of hydrocarbons.

  14. Advances in treatment methods for uranium contaminated soil and water

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Navratil, J.D.

    2002-01-01

    Water and soil contaminated with actinides, such as uranium and plutonium, are an environmental concern at most U.S. Department of Energy sites, as well as other locations in the world. Remediation actions are on going at many sites, and plans for cleanup are underway at other locations. This paper will review work underway at Clemson University in the area of treatment and remediation of soil and water contaminated with actinide elements. (author)

  15. Chemical and microbiological characterization of an aged PCB-contaminated soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stella, T; Covino, S; Burianová, E; Filipová, A; Křesinová, Z; Voříšková, J; Větrovský, T; Baldrian, P; Cajthaml, T

    2015-11-15

    This study was aimed at complex characterization of three soil samples (bulk soil, topsoil and rhizosphere soil) from a site historically contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB). The bulk soil was the most highly contaminated, with a PCB concentration of 705.95 mg kg(-1), while the rhizosphere soil was the least contaminated (169.36 mg kg(-1)). PCB degradation intermediates, namely chlorobenzoic acids (CBAs), were detected in all the soil samples, suggesting the occurrence of microbial transformation processes over time. The higher content of organic carbon in the topsoil and rhizosphere soil than in the bulk soil could be linked to the reduced bioaccessibility (bioavailability) of these chlorinated pollutants. However, different proportions of the PCB congener contents and different bioaccessibility of the PCB homologues indicate microbial biotransformation of the compounds. The higher content of organic carbon probably also promoted the growth of microorganisms, as revealed by phospholipid fatty acid (PFLA) quantification. Tag-encoded pyrosequencing analysis showed that the bacterial community structure was significantly similar among the three soils and was predominated by Proteobacteria (44-48%) in all cases. Moreover, analysis at lower taxonomic levels pointed to the presence of genera (Sphingomonas, Bulkholderia, Arthrobacter, Bacillus) including members with reported PCB removal abilities. The fungal community was mostly represented by Basidiomycota and Ascomycota, which accounted for >80% of all the sequences detected in the three soils. Fungal taxa with biodegradation potential (Paxillus, Cryptococcus, Phoma, Mortierella) were also found. These results highlight the potential of the indigenous consortia present at the site as a starting point for PCB bioremediation processes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Activated carbon immobilizes residual polychlorinated biphenyls in weathered contaminated soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langlois, Valérie S; Rutter, Allison; Zeeb, Barbara A

    2011-01-01

    Activated carbon (AC) has recently been shown to be effective in sequestering persistent organic pollutants (POPs) from aquatic sediments. Most studies have demonstrated significant reductions of POP concentrations in water and in aquatic organisms; however, limited data exist on the possibility of using AC to immobilize remaining POPs at terrestrial contaminated sites. Under greenhouse conditions, pumpkin ssp cv. Howden) were grown, and red wiggler worms () were exposed to an industrial contaminated soil containing a mixture of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), i.e., Aroclors 1254 and 1260) treated with one of four concentrations of AC (0.2, 0.8, 3.1, and 12.5%) for 2 mo. The addition of AC to contaminated soils virtually eliminated the bioavailability of PCBs to the plant and invertebrate species. There were reductions in PCB concentrations of more than 67% in ssp and 95% in . These data suggest that AC could be included as part of comprehensive site closure strategy at PCB-contaminated sites. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

  17. Bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated soil by Rhodobacter sphaeroides biofertilizer and plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiao, Haihua; Luo, Jinxue; Zhang, Yiming; Xu, Shengjun; Bai, Zhihui; Huang, Zhanbin

    2015-09-01

    Bio-augmentation is a promising technique for remediation of polluted soils. This study aimed to evaluate the bio-augmentation effect of Rhodobacter sphaeroides biofertilizer (RBF) on the bioremediation of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) contaminated soil. A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted over a period of 120 days, three methods for enhancing bio-augmentation were tested on TPH contaminated soils, including single addition RBF, planting, and combining of RBF and three crop species, such as wheat (W), cabbage (C) and spinach (S), respectively. The results demonstrated that the best removal of TPH from contaminated soil in the RBF bio-augmentation rhizosphere soils was found to be 46.2%, 65.4%, 67.5% for W+RBF, C+RBF, S+RBF rhizosphere soils respectively. RBF supply impacted on the microbial community diversity (phospholipid fatty acids, PLFA) and the activity of soil enzymes, such as dehydrogenase (DH), alkaline phosphatase (AP) and urease (UR). There were significant difference among the soil only containing crude oil (CK), W, C and S rhizosphere soils and RBF bio-augmentation soils. Moreover, the changes were significantly distinct depended on crops species. It was concluded that the RBF is a valuable material for improving effect of remediation of TPH polluted soils.

  18. Minimizing the Health Risks from Hydrocarbon Contaminated Soils by Using Electric Field-Based Treatment for Soil Remediation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Irina Aura Istrate

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The present work addresses the assessment of human health risk from soil contaminated with total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs due to crude oil pollution, with a particular focus on the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH group of carcinogenic and toxic substances. Given that the measured risk for human health exceeded the accepted level, the study considered an electrochemical remediation method. The laboratory-scale experiments were conducted by using an electric field-based treatment as a possible solution for the remediation of contaminated soil. After 20 days of treatment, while the voltage applied was 15 V (specific voltage of 1 V/cm, the hydrocarbon content was significantly reduced. The parameters measured to determine the overall remediation efficiency were pH, redox potential, ionic strength, soil characteristics, voltage gradient, and zeta potential. The remediation degree observed during the experiments was around 50% for TPHs and 46% for PAHs. The applied remediation method resulted in significant removal efficiency of the tested contaminants from the soil. Consequently, the human health risk assessment for the new degree of contaminants in the soil was achieved. This data demonstrated to what extent the application of the remediation applied technology ensured an acceptable risk under the same exposure conditions for the industrial workers.

  19. Evaluation of a biodegradation screening protocol for contaminated soil from manufactured gas plant sites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morgan, D.J.; Battaglia, A.; Smith, J.R.; Middleton, A.C.; Nakles, D.V.; Linz, D.G.

    1991-01-01

    Bioremediation has been demonstrated to be a viable alternative for treating soils contaminated with PAHs. however, given the variability encountered in soils characteristics and contamination level, their susceptibility to biological treatment must be assessed on a case-by-case basis. This paper discusses a new treatability protocol, the GRI Accelerated Treatability Protocol. The mainstay of the protocol, which is designed to quickly provide treatability data for a given contaminated soil is a bioslurry experiment, in which the contaminated soil is continuously stirred and provided with abundant oxygen, nutrients and water, to maximize biological activity and thus contaminant removal. The results of using such protocol on four soils, widely differing in physical characteristics and contamination levels, are compared to the results of traditional pan studies, and an empirical equation, describing the observed soil concentrations as a function of time in both slurry and pans, is presented. Similarities and differences between achievable endpoints and biodegradation rates are discussed, and the applicability of the GRI Accelerated Treatability Protocol to full-scale engineered systems is addressed. Results to date indicate that, for soils with less than 10% fines slurry and pan experiments yield approximately the same endpoint, so that for those soils the GRI Accelerated Treatability Protocol can be used to assess the viability of an unsaturated bioremediation system. For soils with more than 10% fines, the slurry treatment endpoints are better than the pans. For those soils a traditional pan study experiment should be performed to evaluate the potential capabilities of unsaturated bioremediation

  20. Physicochemical and biological quality of soil in hexavalent chromium-contaminated soils as affected by chemical and microbial remediation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liao, Yingping; Min, Xiaobo; Yang, Zhihui; Chai, Liyuan; Zhang, Shujuan; Wang, Yangyang

    2014-01-01

    Chemical and microbial methods are the main remediation technologies for chromium-contaminated soil. These technologies have progressed rapidly in recent years; however, there is still a lack of methods for evaluating the chemical and biological quality of soil after different remediation technologies have been applied. In this paper, microbial remediation with indigenous bacteria and chemical remediation with ferrous sulphate were used for the remediation of soils contaminated with Cr(VI) at two levels (80 and 1,276 mg kg(-1)) through a column leaching experiment. After microbial remediation with indigenous bacteria, the average concentration of water-soluble Cr(VI) in the soils was reduced to less than 5.0 mg kg(-1). Soil quality was evaluated based on 11 soil properties and the fuzzy comprehensive assessment method, including fuzzy mathematics and correlative analysis. The chemical fertility quality index was improved by one grade using microbial remediation with indigenous bacteria, and the biological fertility quality index increased by at least a factor of 6. Chemical remediation with ferrous sulphate, however, resulted in lower levels of available phosphorus, dehydrogenase, catalase and polyphenol oxidase. The result showed that microbial remediation with indigenous bacteria was more effective for remedying Cr(VI)-contaminated soils with high pH value than chemical remediation with ferrous sulphate. In addition, the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method was proven to be a useful tool for monitoring the quality change in chromium-contaminated soils.

  1. Zinc fractionation in contaminated soils by sequential and single extractions: influence of soil properties and zinc content.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Voegelin, Andreas; Tokpa, Gerome; Jacquat, Olivier; Barmettler, Kurt; Kretzschmar, Ruben

    2008-01-01

    We studied the fractionation of zinc (Zn) in 49 contaminated soils as influenced by Zn content and soil properties using a seven-step sequential extraction procedure (F1: NH4NO3; F2: NH4-acetate, pH 6; F3: NH3OHCl, pH 6; F4: NH4-EDTA, pH 4.6; F5: NH4-oxalate, pH 3; F6: NH4-oxalate/ascorbic acid, pH 3; F7: residual). The soils had developed from different geologic materials and covered a wide range in soil pH (4.0-7.3), organic C content (9.3-102 g kg(-1)), and clay content (38-451 g kg(-1)). Input of aqueous Zn with runoff water from electricity towers during 26 to 74 yr resulted in total soil Zn contents of 3.8 to 460 mmol kg(-1). In acidic soils (n = 24; pH soils (n = 25; pH > or =6.0), most Zn was extracted in the mobilizable fraction (F2) and the intermediate fractions (F4 and F5). The extractability of Zn increased with increasing Zn contamination of the soils. The sum of mobile (F1) and mobilizable (F2) Zn was independent of soil pH, the ratio of Zn in F1 over F1+F2 plotted against soil pH, exhibited the typical shape of a pH sorption edge and markedly increased from pH 6 to pH 5, reflecting the increasing lability of mobilizable Zn with decreasing soil pH. In conclusion, the extractability of Zn from soils contaminated with aqueous Zn after decades of aging under field conditions systematically varied with soil pH and Zn content. The same trends are expected to apply to aqueous Zn released from decomposing Zn-bearing contaminants, such as sewage sludge or smelter slag. The systematic trends in Zn fractionation with varying soil pH and Zn content indicate the paramount effect of these two factors on molecular scale Zn speciation. Further research is required to characterize the link between the fractionation and speciation of Zn and to determine how Zn loading and soil physicochemical properties affect Zn speciation in soils.

  2. Accumulation of heavy metals from contaminated soil to plants and evaluation of soil remediation by vermiculite.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malandrino, Mery; Abollino, Ornella; Buoso, Sandro; Giacomino, Agnese; La Gioia, Carmela; Mentasti, Edoardo

    2011-01-01

    We evaluated the distribution of 15 metal ions, namely Al, Cd, Cu, Cr, Fe, La, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sc, Ti, V, Y, Zn and Zr, in the soil of a contaminated site in Piedmont (Italy). This area was found to be heavily contaminated with Cu, Cr and Ni. The availability of these metal ions was studied using Tessier's sequential extraction procedure: the fraction of mobile species, which potentially is the most harmful for the environment, was much higher than that normally present in unpolluted soils. This soil was hence used to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment with vermiculite to reduce the availability of the pollutants to two plants, Lactuca sativa and Spinacia oleracea, by pot experiments. The results indicated that the addition of vermiculite significantly reduces the uptake of metal pollutants by plants, confirming the possibility of using this clay in amendment treatments of metal-contaminated soils. The effect of plant growth on metal fractionation in soils was investigated. Finally, the sum of the metal percentages extracted into the first two fractions of Tessier's protocol was found to be suitable in predicting the phytoavailability of most of the pollutants present in the investigated soil. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Effects of electrokinetic treatment of a heavy metal contaminated soil on soil enzyme activities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cang Long; Zhou Dongmei; Wang Quanying; Wu Danya

    2009-01-01

    There is a growing concern on the potential application of a direct current (DC) electric field to soil for removing contaminants, but little is known about its impact on soil enzyme activities. This study investigated the change of enzyme activities of a heavy metal contaminated soil before and after electrokinetic (EK) treatments at lab-scale and the mechanisms of EK treatment to affect soil enzyme activities were explored. After treatments with 1-3 V cm -1 of voltage gradient for 420 h, soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), soil organic carbon, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), soil heavy metal concentration and enzyme activities were analyzed. The results showed that the average removal efficiencies of soil copper were about 65% and 83% without and with pH control of catholyte, respectively, and all the removal efficiencies of cadmium were above 90%. The soil invertase and catalase activities increased and the highest invertase activity was as 170 times as the initial one. The activities of soil urease and acidic phosphatase were lower than the initial ones. Bivariate correlation analyses indicated that the soil invertase and acidic phosphatase activities were significantly correlated with soil pH, EC, and DOC at P < 0.05, but the soil urease activities had no correlation with the soil properties. On the other hand, the effects of DC electric current on solution invertase and catalase enzyme protein activities indicated that it had negative effect on solution catalase activity and little effect on solution invertase activity. From the change of invertase and catalase activities in soil and solution, the conclusion can be drawn that the dominant effect mechanism is the change of soil properties by EK treatments.

  4. Effects of electrokinetic treatment of a heavy metal contaminated soil on soil enzyme activities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cang Long [State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008 (China); Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Zhou Dongmei, E-mail: dmzhou@issas.ac.cn [State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008 (China); Wang Quanying; Wu Danya [State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008 (China); Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China)

    2009-12-30

    There is a growing concern on the potential application of a direct current (DC) electric field to soil for removing contaminants, but little is known about its impact on soil enzyme activities. This study investigated the change of enzyme activities of a heavy metal contaminated soil before and after electrokinetic (EK) treatments at lab-scale and the mechanisms of EK treatment to affect soil enzyme activities were explored. After treatments with 1-3 V cm{sup -1} of voltage gradient for 420 h, soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), soil organic carbon, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), soil heavy metal concentration and enzyme activities were analyzed. The results showed that the average removal efficiencies of soil copper were about 65% and 83% without and with pH control of catholyte, respectively, and all the removal efficiencies of cadmium were above 90%. The soil invertase and catalase activities increased and the highest invertase activity was as 170 times as the initial one. The activities of soil urease and acidic phosphatase were lower than the initial ones. Bivariate correlation analyses indicated that the soil invertase and acidic phosphatase activities were significantly correlated with soil pH, EC, and DOC at P < 0.05, but the soil urease activities had no correlation with the soil properties. On the other hand, the effects of DC electric current on solution invertase and catalase enzyme protein activities indicated that it had negative effect on solution catalase activity and little effect on solution invertase activity. From the change of invertase and catalase activities in soil and solution, the conclusion can be drawn that the dominant effect mechanism is the change of soil properties by EK treatments.

  5. Soil microbial community responses to antibiotic-contaminated manure under different soil moisture regimes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reichel, Rüdiger; Radl, Viviane; Rosendahl, Ingrid; Albert, Andreas; Amelung, Wulf; Schloter, Michael; Thiele-Bruhn, Sören

    2014-01-01

    Sulfadiazine (SDZ) is an antibiotic frequently administered to livestock, and it alters microbial communities when entering soils with animal manure, but understanding the interactions of these effects to the prevailing climatic regime has eluded researchers. A climatic factor that strongly controls microbial activity is soil moisture. Here, we hypothesized that the effects of SDZ on soil microbial communities will be modulated depending on the soil moisture conditions. To test this hypothesis, we performed a 49-day fully controlled climate chamber pot experiments with soil grown with Dactylis glomerata (L.). Manure-amended pots without or with SDZ contamination were incubated under a dynamic moisture regime (DMR) with repeated drying and rewetting changes of >20 % maximum water holding capacity (WHCmax) in comparison to a control moisture regime (CMR) at an average soil moisture of 38 % WHCmax. We then monitored changes in SDZ concentration as well as in the phenotypic phospholipid fatty acid and genotypic 16S rRNA gene fragment patterns of the microbial community after 7, 20, 27, 34, and 49 days of incubation. The results showed that strongly changing water supply made SDZ accessible to mild extraction in the short term. As a result, and despite rather small SDZ effects on community structures, the PLFA-derived microbial biomass was suppressed in the SDZ-contaminated DMR soils relative to the CMR ones, indicating that dynamic moisture changes accelerate the susceptibility of the soil microbial community to antibiotics.

  6. Investigation of plutonium behaviour in artificially contaminated soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lukshiene, B.; Druteikiene, R.

    2006-01-01

    The vertical migration and transformation of plutonium chemical forms artificially supplied to sandy loam columns after its exposure to natural conditions for about one year was investigated. An analysis of artificially contaminated samples after one year had shown that 81% of 239 Pu 4+ and 44% of 239 Pu 3+ were accumulated in the 0-5 cm layer of sandy loam. The data of sequential analysis of the same type of soil at the adequate artificial contamination level after one month exposure under laboratory conditions are presented as well. Pu 239 binding to soil geochemical fractions was rather uneven. The largest amount of Pu 239 (60 %) was determined in the residual fraction. Consequently, it can be assumed that organic substances and some inorganic compounds, which usually are the main components of a residual fraction, affects the retention and migration of plutonium in the soil. (authors)

  7. Investigation of plutonium behaviour in artificially contaminated soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luksiene, B.; Druteikiene, R.

    2006-01-01

    The vertical migration and transformation of plutonium chemical forms artificially supplied to sandy loam columns after its exposure to natural conditions for about one year was investigated. An analysis of artificially contaminated samples after one year had shown that 81% of 239 Pu 4+ and 44% of 239 Pu 3+ were accumulated in the 0-5 cm layer of sandy loam. The data of sequential analysis of the same type of soil at the adequate artificial contamination level after one month exposure under laboratory conditions are presented as well. Pu 239 binding to soil geochemical fractions was rather uneven. The largest amount of Pu 239 (60%) was determined in the residual fraction. Consequently, it can be assumed that organic substances and some inorganic compounds, which usually are the main components of a residual fraction, affects the retention and migration of plutonium in the soil. (authors)

  8. Mechanisms of hydrologic transport of soil contaminants in Mortandad Canyon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hakonson, T.E.; White, G.C.

    1981-01-01

    The initial focus of this research will be on the selective sorting and transport of soil particles as they relate to altering the distribution of contaminants in soils and sediments. Several field experiments employing radionuclide-labeled soil particle size fractions are planned to accomplish research objectives

  9. Impact of electrokinetic remediation on microbial communities within PCP contaminated soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lear, G.; Harbottle, M.J.; Sills, G.; Knowles, C.J.; Semple, K.T.; Thompson, I.P.

    2007-01-01

    Electrokinetic techniques have been used to stimulate the removal of organic pollutants within soil, by directing contaminant migration to where remediation may be more easily achieved. The effect of this and other physical remediation techniques on the health of soil microbial communities has been poorly studied and indeed, largely ignored. This study reports the impact on soil microbial communities during the application of an electric field within ex situ laboratory soil microcosms contaminated with pentachlorophenol (PCP; 100 mg kg -1 oven dry soil). Electrokinetics reduced counts of culturable bacteria and fungi, soil microbial respiration and carbon substrate utilisation, especially close to the acidic anode where PCP accumulated (36 d), perhaps exacerbated by the greater toxicity of PCP at lower soil pH. There is little doubt that a better awareness of the interactions between soil electrokinetic processes and microbial communities is key to improving the efficacy and sustainability of this remediation strategy. - Electrokinetics negatively impacted soil

  10. Contamination of urban garden soils with copper and boron

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Purves, D

    1966-06-04

    Spectrochemical analyses of garden soils sampled in the Edinburgh and Dundee areas indicate that there is substantial contamination of urban soils with copper and boron. These soils were analyzed spectrochemically with respect to total copper and water-extractable boron content with the view of comparing the levels obtained in urban areas with levels in arable soils in rural areas. The results indicate that urban garden soils contain about four times as much copper and two to three times as much water-soluble boron as rural arable soils. The existence of such a marked disparity between the levels of two potentially toxic elements in urban and rural areas is evidence of slow poisoning of the soil environment in built-up areas and is cause for concern. While the major source of contamination of soils with copper and boron is still a matter for speculation, it is probable that the addition of soot to garden soils and the fall-out of sooty material in built-up areas where atmospheric pollution is a problem make a substantial contribution to the water-extractable boron content of urban soils. Three samples of soot from domestic chimneys, obtained from independent sources, were found on analysis to contain 640, 650 and 555 p.p.m. water-extractable boron, and it is evident that the addition to soil of even small amounts of soot with a boron content of this order would have a marked effect on its water-extractable boron content.

  11. Overcoming phytoremediation limitations. A case study of Hg contaminated soil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barbafieri, Meri

    2013-04-01

    Phytoremediation is a broad term that comprises several technologies to clean up water and soil. Despite the numerous articles appearing in scientific journals, very few field applications of phytoextraction have been successfully realized. The research here reported on Phytoextraction, the use the plant to "extract" metals from contaminated soil, is focused on implementations to overcome two main drawbacks: the survival of plants in unfavorable environmental conditions (contaminant toxicity, low fertility, etc.) and the often lengthy time it takes to reduce contaminants to the requested level. Moreover, to overcome the imbalance between the technology's potential and its drawbacks, there is growing interest in the use of plants to reduce only the fraction that is the most hazardous to the environment and human health, that is to target the bioavailable fractions of metals in soil. Bioavailable Contaminant Stripping (BCS) would be a remediation approach focused to remove the bioavailable metal fractions. BCS have been used in a mercury contaminated soil from Italian industrial site. Bioavailable fractions were determined by sequential extraction with H2O and NH4Cl.Combined treatments of plant hormone and thioligand to strength Hg uptake by crop plants (Brassica juncea and Helianthus annuus) were tested. Plant biomass, evapotranspiration, Hg uptake and distribution following treatments were compared. Results indicate the plant hormone, cytokinine (CK) foliar treatment, increased evapotranspiration rate in both tested plants. The Hg uptake and translocation in both tested plants increased with simultaneous addition of CK and TS treatments. B. juncea was the most effective in Hg uptake. Application of CK to plants grown in TS-treated soil lead to an increase in Hg concentration of 232% in shoots and 39% in roots with respect to control. While H. annuus gave a better response in plant biomass production, the application of CK to plants grown in TS-treated soil lead to

  12. The effect of soil type on the electrodialytic remediation of lead-contaminated soil

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Pernille Erland; Ottosen, Lisbeth M.; Harmon, Thomas C.

    2007-01-01

    experiments with ten representative industrially Pb-contaminated surface soils. Results indicate that Pb-speciation is of primary importance. Specifically, organic matter and stable compounds like PbCrO4 can impede and possibly even preclude soil remediation. In soils rich in carbonate, where the acidic front...... to the catholyte. Thus, the presence of carbonate negatively influences the remediation time. Pb bound to soluble organic matter is also transported towards the anolyte during EDR. The primary effect of the mainly insoluble organic matter commonly present in surface soil is however to immobilize Pb and impede...

  13. Modeling phytoextraction of heavy metals at multiply contaminated soils with hyperaccumulator plants

    OpenAIRE

    Khodaverdiloo, Habib

    2009-01-01

    Soils and waters contaminated with heavy metals pose a major environmental and human health problem that needs an effective and affordable technological solution. Phytoextraction offers a reasonable technology which uses plants to extract the heavy metals from soils. However, the effectiveness of this new method needs to be demonstrated by means of mathematical modeling. The phytoextraction models also are needed to manage the contaminated soils. A thorough literature review indic...

  14. Tannic acid for remediation of historically arsenic-contaminated soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gusiatin, Zygmunt Mariusz; Klik, Barbara; Kulikowska, Dorota

    2017-12-22

    Soil washing effectively and permanently decreases soil pollution. Thus, it can be considered for the removal of the most toxic elements, for example arsenic (As). In this study, historically As-contaminated soils (2041-4294 mg/kg) were remediated with tannic acid (TA) as the washing agent. The scope of this study included optimization of the operational conditions of As removal, determination of As distribution in soil before and after double soil washing, and measurement of TA loss during washing. The optimum conditions for As removal were 4% TA, pH 4 and 24 h washing time. The average As removal after single and double washings was 38% and 63%, respectively. TA decreased As content in amorphous and poorly crystalline oxides by >90%. Although TA increased the amount of As in the easily mobilizable As fraction, the stability of As in washed soils increased, with reduced partition indexes of 0.52-0.66 after washing. The maximum capacity of the soils to adsorb TA (q max ) was 50.2-70.4 g C/kg. TA sorption was higher at alkaline than at acidic conditions. Only TA removes As from soils effectively if the proportion of As in amorphous and poorly crystalline oxides is high. Thus, it can be considered for remediation of historically contaminated soils.

  15. Uniaxial compression tests on diesel contaminated frozen silty soil specimens

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chenaf, D.; Stampli, N.; Bathurst, R.; Chapuis, R.P.

    1999-01-01

    Results of a uniaxial, unconfined compression test on artificial diesel-contaminated and uncontaminated frozen silty soils are discussed. The testing program involved 59 specimens. The results show that for the same fluid content, diesel contamination reduced the strength of the frozen specimens by increasing the unfrozen water content. For example, in specimens containing 50 per cent diesel oil of the fluid content by weight the maximum strength was reduced by 95 per cent compared to the strength of an uncontaminated specimen. Diesel contamination was also shown to contribute to the slippage between soil particles by acting as a lubricant, thus accelerating the loss of compressive strength.13 refs., 18 figs

  16. Assessing impediments to hydrocarbon biodegradation in weathered contaminated soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adetutu, Eric; Weber, John; Aleer, Sam; Dandie, Catherine E; Aburto-Medina, Arturo; Ball, Andrew S; Juhasz, Albert L

    2013-10-15

    In this study, impediments to hydrocarbon biodegradation in contaminated soils were assessed using chemical and molecular methodologies. Two long-term hydrocarbon contaminated soils were utilised which were similar in physico-chemical properties but differed in the extent of hydrocarbon (C10-C40) contamination (S1: 16.5 g kg(-1); S2: 68.9 g kg(-1)). Under enhanced natural attenuation (ENA) conditions, hydrocarbon biodegradation was observed in S1 microcosms (26.4% reduction in C10-C40 hydrocarbons), however, ENA was unable to stimulate degradation in S2. Although eubacterial communities (PCR-DGGE analysis) were similar for both soils, the alkB bacterial community was less diverse in S2 presumably due to impacts associated with elevated hydrocarbons. When hydrocarbon bioaccessibility was assessed using HP-β-CD extraction, large residual concentrations remained in the soil following the extraction procedure. However, when linear regression models were used to predict the endpoints of hydrocarbon degradation, there was no significant difference (P>0.05) between HP-β-CD predicted and microcosm measured biodegradation endpoints. This data suggested that the lack of hydrocarbon degradation in S2 resulted primarily from limited hydrocarbon bioavailability. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Indices of soil contamination by heavy metals - methodology of calculation for pollution assessment (minireview).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weissmannová, Helena Doležalová; Pavlovský, Jiří

    2017-11-07

    This article provides the assessment of heavy metal soil pollution with using the calculation of various pollution indices and contains also summarization of the sources of heavy metal soil pollution. Twenty described indices of the assessment of soil pollution consist of two groups: single indices and total complex indices of pollution or contamination with relevant classes of pollution. This minireview provides also the classification of pollution indices in terms of the complex assessment of soil quality. In addition, based on the comparison of metal concentrations in soil-selected sites of the world and used indices of pollution or contamination in soils, the concentration of heavy metal in contaminated soils varied widely, and pollution indices confirmed the significant contribution of soil pollution from anthropogenic activities mainly in urban and industrial areas.

  18. Nitrification and nitrogen mineralization in agricultural soils contaminated by copper mining activities in Central Chile

    OpenAIRE

    Moya, Héctor; Verdejo, José; Yáñez, Carolina; Álvaro, Juan E.; Sauvé, Sébastien; Neaman, Alexander

    2017-01-01

    Microbiological bioassays of nitrification and nitrogen mineralization have been used for evaluation of soil quality on metal-contaminated soils. We evaluated the effectiveness of nitrification and nitrogen mineralization bioassays as quality indicators of soil degradation caused by metal contamination. We performed standard tests based on protocols of ISO 14238 (2012) and ISO 15685 (2012) on 90 soil samples collected from agricultural areas in central Chile that were historically contaminate...

  19. The use of plants, including trees, to remediate oil-contaminated soils: a review and empirical study

    OpenAIRE

    Yan, Lijuan

    2012-01-01

    Soil contamination can result in soil degradation, bring great loss to agricultural production and pose threat to human health. Many of the soil contaminants are petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs) derived from crude oil or refined petroleum products. Phytoremediation which relies on plants and their associated microorganisms to remove contaminants is cost-effective and applicable to treat a wide variety of soil contaminants. Besides trees, herbaceous plants are widely and effectively used in the r...

  20. Assessment and Comparison of Electrokinetic and Electrokinetic-bioremediation Techniques for Mercury Contaminated Soil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Azhar, A. T. S.; Nabila, A. T. A.; Nurshuhaila, M. S.; Zaidi, E.; Azim, M. A. M.; Farhana, S. M. S.

    2016-11-01

    Landfills are major sources of contamination due to the presence of harmful bacteria and heavy metals. Electrokinetic-Bioremediation (Ek-Bio) is one of the techniques that can be conducted to remediate contaminated soil. Therefore, the most prominent bacteria from landfill soil will be isolated to determine their optimal conditions for culture and growth. The degradation rate and the effectiveness of selected local bacteria were used to reduce soil contamination. Hence, this enhances microbiological activities to degrade contaminants in soil and reduce the content of heavy metals. The aim of this study is to investigate the ability of isolated bacteria (Lysinibacillus fusiformis) to remove mercury in landfill soil. 5 kg of landfill soil was mixed with deionized water to make it into slurry condition for the purpose of electrokinetic and bioremediation. This remediation technique was conducted for 7 days by using 50 V/m of electrical gradient and Lysinibacillus fusiformis bacteria was applied at the anode reservoir. The slurry landfill soil was located at the middle of the reservoir while distilled water was placed at the cathode of reservoir. After undergoing treatment for 7 days, the mercury analyzer showed that there was a significant reduction of approximately up to 78 % of mercury concentration for the landfill soil. From the results, it is proven that electrokinetic bioremediation technique is able to remove mercury within in a short period of time. Thus, a combination of Lysinibacillus fusiformis and electrokinetic technique has the potential to remove mercury from contaminated soil in Malaysia.

  1. In situ vadose zone bioremediation of soil contaminated with nonvolatile hydrocarbons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hogg, D.S.; Burden, R.J.; Riddell, P.J.

    1992-01-01

    In situ bioremediation has been successfully carried out on petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated soil at a decommissioned bulk storage terminal in New Zealand. The site soils were contaminated mainly with diesel fuel and spent oil at concentrations ranging up to 95,000 mg/kg of total recoverable petroleum hydrocarbons. The in situ remediation system combines an enhanced bioremediation with vapor extraction and is installed almost entirely below grade, thereby allowing above ground activities to continue unimpeded. Laboratory-scale feasibility testing indicated that although appreciable volatilization of low molecular weight components would occur initially, biodegradation would be the primary mechanism by which contaminated soil would be remediated. During the remedial design phase, preliminary field testing was conducted to evaluate the optimum spacing for extraction wells and inlet vents. A pilot-scale system was installed in a 15-m by 35-m area of the site in June 1989 and operated for approximately 1 year. Soil monitoring performed approximately every 3 months indicated an overall reduction in soil petroleum hydrocarbon concentrations of 87% for the period from June 1989 to May 1991

  2. Bioventing of gasoline-contaminated soil: some questions to be answered

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bezerra, S.M.C.; Zytner, R.G.

    2002-01-01

    Underground storage tank (UST) leakage is a big concern in the USA and Canada because gasoline-contaminated soil is a significant source of groundwater contamination. This threat is not confined to North America as locations like Sao Paulo (Brazil) have leakage rates similar to the North American average. The typical in-situ remediation technology used to remediate the contaminated soil is soil vapour extraction (SVE), but once tailing occurs, where the residual gasoline concentration still exceeds clean up levels, SVE becomes ineffective. Bioventing has emerged as one of the most cost-effective technologies currently available to address this tailing in the remediation of petroleum-contaminated sites. Bioventing is a source control treatment, which delivers air and nutrients through injection wells placed in contaminated areas, in order to stimulate the activity of the indigenous microorganisms. However, encouraging laboratory results have not always translated into similar outcomes when implemented in the field. A reason for this inconsistency is the scale-dependent phenomena that influence the bioventing process at the microscale, mesoscale, and macroscale. This paper intends to provide some insights about various research needs in order to improve the bioventing process, specifically related to predicting the time to reach site closure. (author)

  3. DNA adduct quantification in Eisenia fetida after subchronic exposures to creosote contaminated soils

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Charrois, J.W.A.; McGill, W.B. [Alberta Univ., Dept. of Renewable Resources, Edmonton, AB (Canada)

    1999-07-01

    Within soil ecosystems contaminant toxicity can vary from acute and chronic, depending on the time of exposure. Due to the long times involved chronic toxicity is difficult to determine. DNA adducts fall into the category of biochemical markers that act as an early warning system in environmental monitoring. It has been proposed that they could be used as a sensitive method to determine environmental exposures to compounds such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which can occur, although not exclusively, in creosote. In this connection, Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) is a PAH that can be transformed into an electrophilic metabolite, which ultimately results in DNA adduct formation. Use was made of a 32P postlabeling method to quantify the number of DNA adducts occurring in the earthworm Eisenia fetida after exposure to weathered creosote contaminated- and biotreated-soils with and without additions of extra BaP. DNA adducts can be measured in earthworms exposed to creosote contaminated- and biotreated-soils. E. fetida exposed to weathered creosote contaminated soils had significantly more DNA adducts than those exposed to a pristine control soil. Exposures to creosote contaminated soils with additional BaP (1000 mg/kg) or biotreatment did not yield statistically significant increases in DNA adducts compared to the pristine control. (Abstract only)

  4. Behaviour of cesium in contaminated soils with and without agricultural practices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arapis, G.; Martinez, A.; Millan, R.; Gutierrez, J.

    1992-01-01

    The migration of cesium into affected agricultural soils, five years after the Chernobyl accident, is examined in this study. Samples of soil were taken from an undisturbed non-cultivated rural area in the north of Greece, where an important contamination has been detected. The migration of 137 Cs into these soils was measured by γ spectrometry. Slight movement of 137 Cs was observed during the five year period following the accident. The agricultural practices, used in this area from 1986 up to now, have diluted the contamination into the 0-40 cm horizon and thus only low concentration of cesium in the cultivated soils was detected. (orig.)

  5. Phytoextraction of Cd-Contaminated Soils: Current Status and Future Challenges

    OpenAIRE

    Li, Jin-Tian; Baker, Alan J. M.; Ye, Zhi-Hong; Wang, Hong-Bin; Shu, Wen-Sheng

    2012-01-01

    Cadmium (Cd) is one of the most toxic and widely distributed pollutants in the environment. Cadmium contamination of soils has posed a serious threat to safe food production in many parts of the world. The authors present a comprehensive review of present status of phytoextraction technology for cleaning up Cd-contaminated soils, based primarily on the data resulting from both laboratory and field-scale studies that have been conducted to assess or improve the Cd phytoextraction potential of ...

  6. Community based bioremediation: grassroots responses to urban soil contamination

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Scott Kellogg

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The past 150 years of industrial processes have left a legacy of toxicity in the soils of today’s urban environments. Exposure to soil based pollutants disproportionately affects low-income communities who are frequently located within formerly industrialized zones. Both gardeners, who come into direct contact with soil, as well as those who eat the products grown in the soil, are at risk to exposure from industrial contaminants. Options for low-income communities for remediating contaminated soils are limited, with most remediation work being carried out by costly engineering firms. Even more problematic is the overall lack of awareness and available information regarding safety and best practices with soils. In response to these challenges, a grassroots movement has emerged that seeks to empower urban residents with the tools and information necessary to address residual industrial toxicity in their ecosystems. Focusing on methods that are simple and affordable, this movement wishes to remove the barriers of cost and technical expertise that may be otherwise prohibitive. This paper will give an overview of this exemplar of generative justice, looking at case studies of organizations that have been successful in implementing these strategies.

  7. Electrokinetic treatment of an agricultural soil contaminated with heavy metals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Figueroa, Arylein; Cameselle, Claudio; Gouveia, Susana; Hansen, Henrik K

    2016-07-28

    The high organic matter content in agricultural soils tends to complex and retain contaminants such as heavy metals. Electrokinetic remediation was tested in an agricultural soil contaminated with Co(+2), Zn(+2), Cd(+2), Cu(+2), Cr(VI), Pb(+2) and Hg(+2). The unenhanced electrokinetic treatment was not able to remove heavy metals from the soil due to the formation of precipitates in the alkaline environment in the soil section close to the cathode. Moreover, the interaction between metals and organic matter probably limited metal transportation under the effect of the electric field. Citric acid and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) were used in the catholyte as complexing agents in order to enhance the extractability and removal of heavy metals from soil. These complexing agents formed negatively charged complexes that migrated towards the anode. The acid front electrogenerated at the anode favored the dissolution of heavy metals that were transported towards the cathode. The combined effect of the soil pH and the complexing agents resulted in the accumulation of heavy metals in the center of the soil specimen.

  8. Field-scale assessment of phytotreatment of soil contaminated with weathered hydrocarbons and heavy metals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Palmroth, M.R.T.; Koskinen, P.E.P.; Tuhkanen, T.A.; Puhakka, J.A. [Inst. of Environmental Engineering and Biotechnology, Tampere Univ. of Tech., Tampere (Finland); Pichtel, J. [Natural Resources and Environmental Management, Ball State Univ., Muncie, IN (United States); Vaajasaari, K. [Pirkanmaa Regional Environment Centre, Tampere (Finland); Joutti, A. [Finnish Environment Inst., Helsinki (Finland)

    2006-08-15

    Background, Aims, and Scope. Phytoremediation is remediation method which uses plants to remove, contain or detoxify environmental contaminants. Phytoremediation has successfully been applied for the removal of fresh hydrocarbon contamination, but removal of aged hydrocarbons has proven more difficult. Biodegradation of hydrocarbons in the subsurface can be enhanced by the presence of plant roots, i.e. the rhizosphere effect. Phytostabilization reduces heavy metal availability via immobilization in the rhizosphere. Soils contaminated by both hydrocarbons and heavy metals are abundant and may be difficult to treat. Heavy metal toxicity can inhibit the activity of hydrocarbon-degrading micro-organisms and decrease the metabolic diversity of soil bacteria. In this experiment, weathered hydrocarbon- and heavy metal-contaminated soil was treated using phytoremediation in a 39-month field study in attempts to achieve both hydrocarbon removal and heavy metal stabilization. Methods. A combination of hydrocarbon degradation and heavy metal stabilization was evaluated in a field-scale phytoremediation study of weathered contaminants. Soil had been contaminated over several years with hydrocarbons (11,400{+-}4,300 mg kg dry soil){sup -1} and heavy metals from bus maintenance activities and was geologically characterized as till. Concentrations of soil copper, lead and zinc were 170{+-}50 mgkg{sup -1}, 1,100{+-}1,500 mg kg{sup -1} and 390{+-} 340 mg kg{sup -1}, respectively. The effect of contaminants, plant species and soil amendment (NPK fertilizer or biowaste compost) on metabolic activity of soil microbiota was determined. Phytostabilization performance was investigated by analyses of metal concentrations in plants, soil and site leachate as well as acute toxicity to Vibrio fischeri and Enchtraeus albidus. Results. Over 39 months hydrocarbon concentrations did not decrease significantly (P=0.05) in non-amended soil, although 30% of initial hydrocarbon concentrations were

  9. EVALUATION OF SOLIDIFICATION/STABILIZATION AS A BEST DEMONSTRATED AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY FOR CONTAMINATED SOILS

    Science.gov (United States)

    This project involved the evaluation of solidification/stabilization technology as a BDAT for contaminated soil. Three binding agents were used on four different synthetically contaminated soils. Performance evaluation data included unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and the T...

  10. Bioremediation of oil-contaminated soil using Candida catenulata and food waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Joo, Hung-Soo; Ndegwa, Pius M.; Shoda, Makoto; Phae, Chae-Gun

    2008-01-01

    Even though petroleum-degrading microorganisms are widely distributed in soil and water, they may not be present in sufficient numbers to achieve contaminant remediation. In such cases, it may be useful to inoculate the polluted area with highly effective petroleum-degrading microbial strains to augment the exiting ones. In order to identify a microbial strain for bioaugmentation of oil-contaminated soil, we isolated a microbial strain with high emulsification and petroleum hydrocarbon degradation efficiency of diesel fuel in culture. The efficacy of the isolated microbial strain, identified as Candida catenulata CM1, was further evaluated during composting of a mixture containing 23% food waste and 77% diesel-contaminated soil including 2% (w/w) diesel. After 13 days of composting, 84% of the initial petroleum hydrocarbon was degraded in composting mixes containing a powdered form of CM1 (CM1-solid), compared with 48% of removal ratio in control reactor without inoculum. This finding suggests that CM1 is a viable microbial strain for bioremediation of oil-contaminated soil with food waste through composting processes. - Enhancement on degradation ability of petroleum hydrocarbon by the microbial strain in the composting process with food waste

  11. Use of surfactants for the remediation of contaminated soils: A review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mao, Xuhui; Jiang, Rui; Xiao, Wei; Yu, Jiaguo

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • The recent advances in use of surfactant for soil remediation are reviewed. • The mechanisms of surfactant-based soil remediation are discussed. • A review on the application of different types of surfactants is made. • The future research direction of surfactant-based technologies is suggested. - Abstract: Due to the great harm caused by soil contamination, there is an increasing interest to apply surfactants to the remediation of a variety of contaminated soils worldwide. This review article summarizes the findings of recent literatures regarding remediation of contaminated soils/sites using surfactants as an enhancing agent. For the surfactant-based remedial technologies, the adsorption behaviors of surfactants onto soil, the solubilizing capability of surfactants, and the toxicity and biocompatibility of surfactants are important considerations. Surfactants can enhance desorption of pollutants from soil, and promote bioremediation of organics by increasing bioavailability of pollutants. The removal of heavy metals and radionuclides from soils involves the mechanisms of dissolution, surfactant-associated complexation, and ionic exchange. In addition to the conventional ionic and nonionic surfactants, gemini surfactants and biosurfactants are also applied to soil remediation due to their benign features like lower critical micelle concentration (CMC) values and better biocompatibility. Mixed surfactant systems and combined use of surfactants with other additives are often adopted to improve the overall performance of soil washing solution for decontamination. Worldwide the field studies and full-scale remediation using surfactant-based technologies are yet limited, however, the already known cases reveal the good prospect of applying surfactant-based technologies to soil remediation

  12. Use of surfactants for the remediation of contaminated soils: A review

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mao, Xuhui, E-mail: clab@whu.edu.cn [School of Resource and Environmental Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072 (China); Jiang, Rui; Xiao, Wei [School of Resource and Environmental Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072 (China); Yu, Jiaguo, E-mail: jiaguoyu@yahoo.com [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Material Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070 (China)

    2015-03-21

    Highlights: • The recent advances in use of surfactant for soil remediation are reviewed. • The mechanisms of surfactant-based soil remediation are discussed. • A review on the application of different types of surfactants is made. • The future research direction of surfactant-based technologies is suggested. - Abstract: Due to the great harm caused by soil contamination, there is an increasing interest to apply surfactants to the remediation of a variety of contaminated soils worldwide. This review article summarizes the findings of recent literatures regarding remediation of contaminated soils/sites using surfactants as an enhancing agent. For the surfactant-based remedial technologies, the adsorption behaviors of surfactants onto soil, the solubilizing capability of surfactants, and the toxicity and biocompatibility of surfactants are important considerations. Surfactants can enhance desorption of pollutants from soil, and promote bioremediation of organics by increasing bioavailability of pollutants. The removal of heavy metals and radionuclides from soils involves the mechanisms of dissolution, surfactant-associated complexation, and ionic exchange. In addition to the conventional ionic and nonionic surfactants, gemini surfactants and biosurfactants are also applied to soil remediation due to their benign features like lower critical micelle concentration (CMC) values and better biocompatibility. Mixed surfactant systems and combined use of surfactants with other additives are often adopted to improve the overall performance of soil washing solution for decontamination. Worldwide the field studies and full-scale remediation using surfactant-based technologies are yet limited, however, the already known cases reveal the good prospect of applying surfactant-based technologies to soil remediation.

  13. [Dynamic changes in functional genes for nitrogen bioremediation of petroleum-contaminated soil cycle during].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Bin-Bin; Lu, Dian-Nan; Liu, Zheng

    2012-06-01

    Microorganisms in nitrogen cycle serve as an important part of the ecological function of soil. The aim of this research was to monitor the abundance of nitrogen-fixing, denitrifying and nitrifying bacteria during bioaugmentation of petroleum-contaminated soil using real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR) of nifH, narG and amoA genes which encode the key enzymes in nitrogen fixation, nitrification and ammoniation respectively. Three different kinds of soils, which are petroleum-contaminated soil, normal soil, and remediated soil, were monitored. It was shown that the amounts of functional microorganisms in petroleum-contaminated soil were far less than those in normal soil, while the amounts in remediated soil and normal soil were comparable. Results of this experiment demonstrate that nitrogen circular functional bacteria are inhibited in petroleum-contaminated soil and can be recovered through bioremediation. Furthermore, copies of the three functional genes as well as total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) for soils with six different treatments were monitored. Among all treatments, the one, into which both E. cloacae as an inoculant and wheat straw as an additive were added, obtained the maximum copies of 2.68 x 10(6), 1.71 x 10(6) and 8.54 x 10(4) per gram dry soil for nifH, narG and amoA genes respectively, companying with the highest degradation rate (48% in 40 days) of TPH. The recovery of functional genes and removal of TPH were better in soil inoculated with E cloacae and C echinulata collectively than soil inoculated with E cloacae only. All above results suggest that the nitrogen circular functional genes could be applied to monitor and assess the bioremediation of petroleum-contaminated soil.

  14. Earthworms as colonisers: Primary colonisation of contaminated land, and sediment and soil waste deposits

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Eijsackers, H.J.P.

    2010-01-01

    This paper reviews the role of earthworms in the early colonisation of contaminated soils as well as sediment and waste deposits, which are worm-free because of anthropogenic activities such as open-cast mining, soil sterilisation, consistent pollution or remediation of contaminated soil. Earthworms

  15. Bioleaching of arsenic in contaminated soil using metal-reducing bacteria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, So-Ra; Lee, Jong-Un; Chon, Hyo-Taek

    2014-05-01

    A study on the extraction of arsenic in the contaminated soil collected from an old smelting site in Korea was carried out using metal-reducing bacteria. Two types of batch-type experiments, biostimulation and bioaugmentation, were conducted for 28 days under anaerobic conditions. The biostimulation experiments were performed through activation of indigenous bacteria by supply with glucose or lactate as a carbon source. The contaminated, autoclaved soil was inoculated with metal-reducing bacteria, Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 and S. algae BrY, in the bioaugmentation experiments. The results indicated that the maximum concentration of the extracted As was 11.2 mg/L at 4 days from the onset of the experiment when 20 mM glucose was supplied and the extraction efficiency of As ranged 60~63% in the biostimulation experiments. In the case of bioaugmentation, the highest dissolved As concentration was 24.4 mg/L at 2 days, though it dramatically decreased over time through re-adsorption onto soil particles. After both treatments, mode of As occurrence in the soil appeared to be changed to readily extractable fractions. This novel technique of bioleaching may be practically applied for remediation of As-contaminated soil after determination of optimum operational conditions such as operation time and proper carbon source and its concentration.

  16. Evaluation of contaminated soil remediation by low temperature thermal desorption

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gibbs, L.; Punt, M.

    1993-01-01

    Soil contaminated with diesel and aviation fuels has been excavated and stored at a Canadian Forces Base in Ontario. Because of the volatile nature of this contamination, it was determined that low temperature thermal desorption (LTTD) would be an effective method of remediating this soil. A full scale evaluation of LTTD technology was conducted at the base to determine its acceptability for other sites. In the LTTD process, soil enters a primary treatment unit and is heated to a sufficiently high temperature to volatilize the hydrocarbon contaminants. Offgases are treated in a secondary combustion chamber. Primary treatment kiln temperature was maintained at 260 degree C for each test during the evaluation. The LTTD unit was evaluated for two sets of operating conditions: two levels of inlet soil total petroleum hydrocarbon concentrations and two feed rates (16,000 and 22,000 kg/h). Emissions from the LTTD unit were monitored continuously for volatile organics, moisture, and gas velocity. Results of the tests and emissions analyses are presented. Outlet soil hydrocarbon concentration requirements of 100 ppM were not exceeded during the evaluation. Air hydrocarbon emissions only exceeded 100-ppM limits under upset conditions, otherwise virturally no total hydrocarbon content was observed in the stack gas. 5 refs., 6 figs., 9 tabs

  17. Dissipation and phytoremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in freshly spiked and long-term field-contaminated soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Ran; Ni, Jinzhi; Li, Xiaoyan; Chen, Weifeng; Yang, Yusheng

    2017-03-01

    Pot experiments were used to compare the dissipation and phytoremediation effect of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in a freshly spiked soil and two field-contaminated soils with different soil organic carbon (SOC) contents (Anthrosols, 1.41% SOC; Phaeozems, 8.51% SOC). In spiked soils, the dissipation rates of phenanthrene and pyrene were greater than 99.5 and 94.3%, respectively, in planted treatments and 95.0 and 84.5%, respectively, in unplanted treatments. In field-contaminated Anthrosols, there were limited but significant reductions of 10.2 and 15.4% of total PAHs in unplanted and planted treatments, respectively. In field-contaminated Phaeozems, there were no significant reductions of total PAHs in either unplanted or planted treatments. A phytoremediation effect was observed for the spiked soils and the Anthrosols, but not for the Phaeozems. The results indicated that laboratory tests with spiked soils cannot reflect the real state of field-contaminated soils. Phytoremediation efficiency of PAHs in field-contaminated soils was mainly determined by the content of SOC. Phytoremediation alone has no effect on the removal of PAHs in field-contaminated soils with high SOC content.

  18. Psychrotolerant bacteria for remediation of oil-contaminated soils in the Arctic

    Science.gov (United States)

    Svarovskaya, L. I.; Altunina, L. K.

    2017-12-01

    Samples of oil-contaminated peat soil are collected in the region of the Barents Sea in Arctic Kolguyev Island. A model experiment on biodegradation of polluting hydrocarbons by natural microflora exhibiting psychrophilic properties is carried out at +10°C. The geochemical activity of pure hydrocarbon-oxidizing Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, Bacillus and Rhodococcus cultures isolated from the soil is studied at a lower temperature. The concentration of soil contamination is determined within the range 18-57 g/kg. The biodegradation of oil by natural microflora is 60% under the conditions of a model experiment.

  19. Contamination of water and soil by the Erdenet copper-molybdenum mine in Mongolia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Battogtokh, B.; Lee, J.; Woo, N. C.; Nyamjav, A.

    2013-12-01

    As one of the largest copper-molybdenum (Cu-Mo) mines in the world, the Erdenet Mine in Mongolia has been active since 1978, and is expected to continue operations for at least another 30 years. In this study, the potential impacts of mining activities on the soil and water environments have been evaluated. Water samples showed high concentrations of sulfate, calcium, magnesium, Mo, and arsenic, and high pH values in the order of high to low as follows: tailing water > Khangal River > groundwater. Statistical analysis and the δ2H and δ18O values of water samples indicate that the tailing water directly affects the stream water and indirectly affects groundwater through recharge processes. Soil and stream sediments are highly contaminated with Cu and Mo, which are major elements of ore minerals. Based on the contamination factor (CF), the pollution load index (PLI), and the degree of contamination (Cd), soil appears to be less contaminated than stream sediments. The soil particle size is similar to that of tailing materials, but stream sediments have much coarser particles, implying that the materials have different origins. Contamination levels in stream sediments display a tendency to decrease with distance from the mine, but no such changes are found in soil. Consequently, soil contamination by metals is attributable to wind-blown dusts from the tailing materials, and stream sediment contamination is caused by discharges from uncontained subgrade ore stock materials. Considering the evident impact on the soil and water environment, and the human health risk from the Erdenet Mine, measures to mitigate its environmental impact should be taken immediately including source control, the establishment of a systematic and continuous monitoring system, and a comprehensive risk assessment. Sampling locations around the Erdenet Mine

  20. Culturable microbial groups and thallium-tolerant fungi in soils with high thallium contamination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Jialong; Zou, Xiao; Ning, Zengping; Sun, Min; Peng, Jingquan; Xiao, Tangfu

    2012-12-15

    Thallium (Tl) contamination in soil exerts a significant threat to the ecosystem health due to its high toxicity. However, little is known about the effect of Tl on the microbial community in soil. The present study aimed at characterizing the culturable microbial groups in soils which experience for a long time high Tl contamination and elevated Hg and As. The contamination originates from As, Hg and Tl sulfide mineralization and the associated mining activities in the Guizhou Province, Southwest China. Our investigation showed the existence of culturable bacteria, filamentous fungi and actinomyces in long-term Tl-contaminated soils. Some fungal groups grow in the presence of high Tl level up to 1000 mg kg⁻¹. We have isolated and identified nine Tl-tolerant fungal strains based on the morphological traits and ITS analysis. The dominant genera identified were Trichoderma, Penicillium and Paecilomyces. Preliminary data obtained in this study suggested that certain microbes were able to face high Tl pollution in soil and maintain their metabolic activities and resistances. The highly Tl-tolerant fungi that we have isolated are potentially useful in the remediation of Tl-contaminated sites. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Carbonate heap leach of uranium-contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Turney, W.R.; Mason, C.F.V.; Longmire, P.

    1994-01-01

    A new approach to removal of uranium from soils based on existing heap leach mining technologies proved highly effective for remediation of soils from the Fernald Environmental Management Project (FEMP) near Cincinnati, Ohio. In laboratory tests, remediation of uranium-contaminated soils by heap leaching with carbonate salt solutions was demonstrated in column experiments. An understanding of the chemical processes that occur during carbonate leach of uranium from soils may lead to enhancement of uranium removal. Carbonate leaching requires the use of an integrated and closed circuit process, wherein the leach solutions are recycled and the reagents are reused, resulting in a minimum secondary waste stream. Carbonate salt leach solution has two important roles. Primarily, the formation of highly soluble anionic carbonate uranyl species, including uranyl dicarbonate (UO 2 CO 32 = ) and uranyl tricarbonate (UO 2 CO 33 4- ), allows for high concentration of uranium in a leachate solution. Secondly, carbonate salts are nearly selective for dissolution of uranium from uranium contaminated soils. Other advantages of the carbonate leaching process include (1) the high solubility, (2) the selectivity, (3) the purity of the solution produced, (4) the relative ease with which a uranium product can be precipitated directly from the leachate solution, and (5) the relatively non-corrosive and safe handling characteristics of carbonate solutions. Experiments conducted in the laboratory have demonstrated the effectiveness of carbonate leach. Efficiencies of uranium removal from the soils have been as high as 92 percent. Higher molar strength carbonate solutions (∼0.5M) proved more effective than lower molar strength solutions (∼ 0.1M). Uranium removal is also a function of lixiviant loading rate. Furthermore, agglomeration of the soils with cement resulted in less effective uranium removal

  2. Treatability of volatile chlorinated hydrocarbon-contaminated soils of different textures along a vertical profile by mechanical soil aeration: A laboratory test.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Yan; Shi, Yi; Hou, Deyi; Zhang, Xi; Chen, Jiaqi; Wang, Zhifen; Xu, Zhu; Li, Fasheng; Du, Xiaoming

    2017-04-01

    Mechanical soil aeration is a simple, effective, and low-cost soil remediation technology that is suitable for sites contaminated with volatile chlorinated hydrocarbons (VCHs). Conventionally, this technique is used to treat the mixed soil of a site without considering the diversity and treatability of different soils within the site. A laboratory test was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of mechanical soil aeration for remediating soils of different textures (silty, clayey, and sandy soils) along a vertical profile at an abandoned chloro-alkali chemical site in China. The collected soils were artificially contaminated with chloroform (TCM) and trichloroethylene (TCE). Mechanical soil aeration was effective for remediating VCHs (removal efficiency >98%). The volatilization process was described by an exponential kinetic function. In the early stage of treatment (0-7hr), rapid contaminant volatilization followed a pseudo-first order kinetic model. VCH concentrations decreased to low levels and showed a tailing phenomenon with very slow contaminant release after 8hr. Compared with silty and sandy soils, clayey soil has high organic-matter content, a large specific surface area, a high clay fraction, and a complex pore structure. These characteristics substantially influenced the removal process, making it less efficient, more time consuming, and consequently more expensive. Our findings provide a potential basis for optimizing soil remediation strategy in a cost-effective manner. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  3. Aromatic plant production on metal contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zheljazkov, Valtcho D.; Craker, Lyle E.; Xing Baoshan; Nielsen, Niels E.; Wilcox, Andrew

    2008-01-01

    Field and container experiments were conducted to assess the feasibility of growing aromatic crops in metal contaminated areas and the effect of metals on herbage and oil productivity. The field experiments were conducted in the vicinities of the Non-Ferrous Metals Combine (Zn-Cu smelter) near Plovdiv, Bulgaria using coriander, sage, dill, basil, hyssop, lemon balm, and chamomile grown at various distances from the smelter. Herbage essential oil yields of basil, chamomile, dill, and sage were reduced when they were grown closer to the smelter. Metal removal from the site with the harvestable plant parts was as high as 180 g ha -1 for Cd, 660 g ha -1 for Pb, 180 g ha -1 for Cu, 350 g ha -1 for Mn, and 205 g ha -1 for Zn. Sequential extraction of soil demonstrated that metal fractionation was affected by the distance to the smelter. With decreasing distance to the smelter, the transfer factor (TF) for Cu and Zn decreased but increased for Cd, while the bioavailability factor (BF) for Cd, Pb, Cu, Mn, and Zn decreased. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray microanalyses of contaminated soil verified that most of the Pb, Cd, Mn, Cu, and Zn were in the form of small (< 1 μm) particles, although there were larger particles (1-5 μm) with high concentrations of individual metals. This study demonstrated that high concentrations of heavy metals in soil or growth medium did not result in metal transfer into the essential oil. Of the tested metals, only Cu at high concentrations may reduce oil content. Our results demonstrated that aromatic crops may not have significant phytoremediation potential, but growth of these crops in metal contaminated agricultural soils is a feasible alternative. Aromatic crops can provide economic return and metal-free final product, the essential oil

  4. Aromatic plant production on metal contaminated soils

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zheljazkov, Valtcho D. [Mississippi State, Department of Plant and Soil Sciences and North Mississippi Research and Extension Center, 5421 Highway 145 South, Verona, MS 38879 (United States)], E-mail: vj40@pss.msstate.edu; Craker, Lyle E.; Xing Baoshan [Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, 12 Stockbridge Hall, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003 (United States); Nielsen, Niels E. [Plant Nutrition and Soil Fertility Lab, Department of Agricultural Sciences, Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Thorvaldsensvej 40, DK1871, Copenhagen (Denmark); Wilcox, Andrew [Harper Adams University College, Newport, Shropshire, TF10 8NB (United Kingdom)

    2008-06-01

    Field and container experiments were conducted to assess the feasibility of growing aromatic crops in metal contaminated areas and the effect of metals on herbage and oil productivity. The field experiments were conducted in the vicinities of the Non-Ferrous Metals Combine (Zn-Cu smelter) near Plovdiv, Bulgaria using coriander, sage, dill, basil, hyssop, lemon balm, and chamomile grown at various distances from the smelter. Herbage essential oil yields of basil, chamomile, dill, and sage were reduced when they were grown closer to the smelter. Metal removal from the site with the harvestable plant parts was as high as 180 g ha{sup -1} for Cd, 660 g ha{sup -1} for Pb, 180 g ha{sup -1} for Cu, 350 g ha{sup -1} for Mn, and 205 g ha{sup -1} for Zn. Sequential extraction of soil demonstrated that metal fractionation was affected by the distance to the smelter. With decreasing distance to the smelter, the transfer factor (TF) for Cu and Zn decreased but increased for Cd, while the bioavailability factor (BF) for Cd, Pb, Cu, Mn, and Zn decreased. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray microanalyses of contaminated soil verified that most of the Pb, Cd, Mn, Cu, and Zn were in the form of small (< 1 {mu}m) particles, although there were larger particles (1-5 {mu}m) with high concentrations of individual metals. This study demonstrated that high concentrations of heavy metals in soil or growth medium did not result in metal transfer into the essential oil. Of the tested metals, only Cu at high concentrations may reduce oil content. Our results demonstrated that aromatic crops may not have significant phytoremediation potential, but growth of these crops in metal contaminated agricultural soils is a feasible alternative. Aromatic crops can provide economic return and metal-free final product, the essential oil.

  5. Phytoremediation of contaminated soils and groundwater: lessons from the field

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vangronsveld, J.; van der Lelie, D.; Herzig, R.; Weyens, N.; Boulet, J.; Adriaensen, K.; Ruttens, A.; Thewys, T.; Vassilev, A.; Meers, E.; Nehnevajova, E.; Mench, M.

    2009-11-01

    The use of plants and associated microorganisms to remove, contain, inactivate, or degrade harmful environmental contaminants (generally termed phytoremediation) and to revitalize contaminated sites is gaining more and more attention. In this review, prerequisites for a successful remediation will be discussed. The performance of phytoremediation as an environmental remediation technology indeed depends on several factors including the extent of soil contamination, the availability and accessibility of contaminants for rhizosphere microorganisms and uptake into roots (bioavailability), and the ability of the plant and its associated microorganisms to intercept, absorb, accumulate, and/or degrade the contaminants. The main aim is to provide an overview of existing field experience in Europe concerning the use of plants and their associated microorganisms whether or not combined with amendments for the revitalization or remediation of contaminated soils and undeep groundwater. Contaminations with trace elements (except radionuclides) and organics will be considered. Because remediation with transgenic organisms is largely untested in the field, this topic is not covered in this review. Brief attention will be paid to the economical aspects, use, and processing of the biomass. It is clear that in spite of a growing public and commercial interest and the success of several pilot studies and field scale applications more fundamental research still is needed to better exploit the metabolic diversity of the plants themselves, but also to better understand the complex interactions between contaminants, soil, plant roots, and microorganisms (bacteria and mycorrhiza) in the rhizosphere. Further, more data are still needed to quantify the underlying economics, as a support for public acceptance and last but not least to convince policy makers and stakeholders (who are not very familiar with such techniques).

  6. Possibilities of using Eisenia Andrei earthworms as bioindicators of radioactive soil contamination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Galanda, D.; Strisovska, J.; Lacenova, A.

    2017-01-01

    Eisenia Andrei is known under various generic names such as Californian daisy, red daisy, tiger worm etc. It is a species of earthworm that is physiologically adapted to life in a medium containing organic matter. Staining (vermiremedia technology) of soils contaminated with heavy metals belongs among innovative and efficient techniques. According to published works, this technology is easy to apply. Dandelions are used for soil rehabilitation, rejuvenation and mineral enrichment in the soil. In the soil environment, the effect of the sunsets is known as the drilosphere of the system, that is, the soil is under their direct influence. The aim of the present paper was to verify the possibility of application and subsequent use of Eisenia Andrei sunflowers as bioindicators in soil contaminated by radionuclides "2"3"9Pu and "2"4"1Am, which are significant anthropogenic radionuclides emitting alpha particles. Another circle of radionuclides were anthropogenic radionuclides "6"0Co and "1"3"7Cs emitting gamma rays. Based on the radionuclides used, two groups of target-contaminated samples were subjected to experimentation and spectrometric analysis alone. The first group of experimental subjects was made up of earthworms living in alpha radionuclide-enriched soils, and in the second group of gamma-radionuclides. Radiochemical analysis of alpha radionuclides was performed by a separation method of extraction chromatography using commercial sorbents from Triskem-TEVA Resin and DGA Resin. The preparation of specimens for the spectroscopic analysis of the emitted alpha configuration was performed by co-precipitation with NdCl_3. The measurement itself was performed with the ORTEC 576A Alpha Spectrometer with the GammaVision software. The activity of gamma radionuclides in a sample of animals devoid of possible surface contamination from the nutrient medium of the contaminated soil was measured using the Ortec gamma spectrometer. (authors)

  7. Phyotoxicity of diesel soil contamination on the germination of Lactuca sativa and Ipomoea batatas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fatokun, Kayode; Lewu, Francis Bayo; Zharare, Godfrey Elijah

    2015-11-01

    Phytotoxic effect of diesel contaminated soil on germination rate of Lactuca sativa and Ipomoea batatas, at two concentrations ranges (0-6ml and 0-30ml), were investigated and compared. Diesel soil contamination was simulated and soil samples were taken from contaminated soil at 1, 5,10, 15, 25, 50, 75 and 100 days should be after planting. The result showed that in both plant species, diesel inhibited germination in a concentration dependent manner, Also, the influence of diesel contamination diminished with increased time duration; suggesting possible reduction in diesel toxicity over time. However, germination of lettuce was significant and negatively correlated (r2 = -0.941) with diesel contamination as compared to sweet potato (r2 = -0.638).Critical concentration of diesel in relation to seed germination of L. sativa was lower than vegetative germination of I. batatas, indicating that germination of I. batatas was less sensitive to diesel contamination as compared to L. sativa.

  8. Utilization of grasses for potential biofuel production and phytoremediation of heavy metal contaminated soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balsamo, Ronald A; Kelly, William J; Satrio, Justinus A; Ruiz-Felix, M Nydia; Fetterman, Marisa; Wynn, Rodd; Hagel, Kristen

    2015-01-01

    This research focuses on investigating the use of common biofuel grasses to assess their potential as agents of long-term remediation of contaminated soils using lead as a model heavy metal ion. We present evidence demonstrating that switch grass and Timothy grass may be potentially useful for long-term phytoremediation of heavy metal contaminated soils and describe novel techniques to track and remove contaminants from inception to useful product. Enzymatic digestion and thermochemical approaches are being used to convert this lignocellulosic feedstock into useful product (sugars, ethanol, biocrude oil+biochar). Preliminary studies on enzymatic hydrolysis and fast pyrolysis of the Switchgrass materials that were grown in heavy metal contaminated soil and non-contaminated soils show that the presence of lead in the Switchgrass material feedstock does not adversely affect the outcomes of the conversion processes. These results indicate that the modest levels of contaminant uptake allow these grass species to serve as phytoremediation agents as well as feedstocks for biofuel production in areas degraded by industrial pollution.

  9. Terrestrial avoidance behaviour tests as screening tool to assess soil contamination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Loureiro, Susana; Soares, Amadeu M.V.M.; Nogueira, Antonio J.A.

    2005-01-01

    To assess soil quality and risk assessment, bioassays can be useful tools to gauge the potential toxicity of contaminants focusing on their bioavailable fraction. A rapid and sublethal avoidance behaviour test was used as a screening tool with the earthworm Eisenia andrei and the isopod Porcellionides pruinosus, where organisms were exposed during 48 h to several chemicals (lindane, dimethoate and copper sulphate, for isopods and carbendazim, benomyl, dimethoate and copper sulphate for earthworms). Both species were also exposed to soils from an abandoned mine. For all bioassays a statistical approach was used to derive EC 50 values. Isopods and earthworms were able to perceive the presence of toxic compounds and escaping from contaminated to clean soil. Furthermore the behaviour parameter was equally or more sensitive then other sublethal parameters (e.g. reproduction or growth), expressing the advantages of Avoidance Behaviour Tests as screening tools in ERA. - Avoidance Behaviour Tests with earthworms and isopods can be used as screening tools in the evaluation of soil contamination

  10. Response of Soil Microbial Communities to Elevated Antimony and Arsenic Contamination Indicates the Relationship between the Innate Microbiota and Contaminant Fractions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Weimin; Xiao, Enzong; Xiao, Tangfu; Krumins, Valdis; Wang, Qi; Häggblom, Max; Dong, Yiran; Tang, Song; Hu, Min; Li, Baoqin; Xia, Bingqing; Liu, Wei

    2017-08-15

    Mining of sulfide ore deposits containing metalloids, such as antimony and arsenic, has introduced serious soil contamination around the world, posing severe threats to food safety and human health. Hence, it is important to understand the behavior and composition of the microbial communities that control the mobilization or sequestration of these metal(loid)s. Here, we selected two sites in Southwest China with different levels of Sb and As contamination to study interactions among various Sb and As fractions and the soil microbiota, with a focus on the microbial response to metalloid contamination. Comprehensive geochemical analyses and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing demonstrated distinct soil taxonomic inventories depending on Sb and As contamination levels. Stochastic gradient boosting indicated that citric acid extractable Sb(V) and As(V) contributed 5% and 15%, respectively, to influencing the community diversity. Random forest predicted that low concentrations of Sb(V) and As(V) could enhance the community diversity but generally, the Sb and As contamination impairs microbial diversity. Co-occurrence network analysis indicated a strong correlation between the indigenous microbial communities and various Sb and As fractions. A number of taxa were identified as core genera due to their elevated abundances and positive correlation with contaminant fractions (total Sb and As concentrations, bioavailable Sb and As extractable fractions, and Sb and As redox species). Shotgun metagenomics indicated that Sb and As biogeochemical redox reactions may exist in contaminated soils. All these observations suggest the potential for bioremediation of Sb- and As-contaminated soils.

  11. Uranium Leaching from Contaminated Soil Utilizing Rhamnolipid, EDTA, and Citric Acid

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sara Asselin

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Biosurfactants have recently gained attention as “green” agents that can be used to enhance the remediation of heavy metals and some organic matter in contaminated soils. The overall objective of this paper was to investigate rhamnolipid, a microbial produced biosurfactant, and its ability to leach uranium present in contaminated soil from an abandoned mine site. Soil samples were collected from two locations in northern Arizona: Cameron (site of open pit mining and Leupp (control—no mining. The approach taken was to first determine the total uranium content in each soil using a hydrofluoric acid digestion, then comparing the amount of metal removed by rhamnolipid to other chelating agents EDTA and citric acid, and finally determining the amount of soluble metal in the soil matrix using a sequential extraction. Results suggested a complex system for metal removal from soil utilizing rhamnolipid. It was determined that rhamnolipid at a concentration of 150 μM was as effective as EDTA but not as effective as citric acid for the removal of soluble uranium. However, the rhamnolipid was only slightly better at removing uranium from the mining soil compared to a purified water control. Overall, this study demonstrated that rhamnolipid ability to remove uranium from contaminated soil is comparable to EDTA and to a lesser extent citric acid, but, for the soils investigated, it is not significantly better than a simple water wash.

  12. Surfactant flushing remediation of o-dichlorobenzene and p-dichlorobenzene contaminated soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pei, Guangpeng; Zhu, Yuen; Cai, Xiatong; Shi, Weiyu; Li, Hua

    2017-10-01

    Surfactant-enhanced remediation is used to treat dichlorobenzene (DCB) contaminated soil. In this study, soil column experiments were conducted to investigate the removal efficiencies of o-dichlorobenzene (o-DCB) and p-dichlorobenzene (p-DCB) from contaminated soil using micellar solutions of biosurfactants (saponin, alkyl polyglycoside) compare to a chemically synthetic surfactant (Tween 80). Leachate was collected and analyzed for o-DCB and p-DCB content. In addition, soil was analyzed to explore the effect of surfactants on soil enzyme activities. Results showed that the removal efficiency of o-DCB and p-DCB was highest for saponin followed by alkyl polyglycoside and Tween 80. The maximum o-DCB and p-DCB removal efficiencies of 76.34% and 80.43%, respectively, were achieved with 4 g L -1 saponin solution. However, an opposite result was observed in the cumulative mass of o-DCB and p-DCB in leachate. The cumulative extent of o-DCB and p-DCB removal by the biosurfactants saponin and alkyl polyglycoside was lower than that of the chemically synthetic surfactant Tween 80 in leachate. Soil was also analyzed to explore the effect of surfactants on soil enzyme activities. The results indicated that surfactants were potentially effective in facilitating soil enzyme activities. Thus, it was confirmed that the biosurfactants saponin and alkyl polyglycoside could be used for remediation of o-DCB and p-DCB contaminated soil. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Microbial diversity in contaminated soils along the T22 trench of the Chernobyl experimental platform

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chapon, Virginie [CEA, DSV, IBEB, SBVME, LIPM, F-13108 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France); CNRS, UMR 6191, F-13108 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France); Universite d' Aix-Marseille, F-13108 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France); Piette, Laurie [CEA, DSV, IBEB, SBVME, LIPM, F-13108 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France); CNRS, UMR 6191, F-13108 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France); Universite d' Aix-Marseille, F-13108 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France); Vesvres, Marie-Helene [Universite de Bordeaux 1/CNRS-IN2P3, UMR 5797, CENBG, POB 120, F-33175 Gradignan cedex (France); Coppin, Frederic [IRSN, DEI/SECRE/LRE-Bat 186, B.P.3, Cadarache Center, F-13115 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance cedex (France); Marrec, Claire Le [ISVV, UMR 1219, Institut Polytechnique de Bordeaux/INRA, POB 50008, F-33882 Villenave d' Ornon (France); Christen, Richard [Universite de Nice-Sophia-Antipolis, Centre de Biochimie, Parc Valrose, F-06108 Nice (France); CNRS, UMR 6543, Centre de Biochimie, Parc Valrose, F-06108 Nice (France); Theodorakopoulos, Nicolas [CEA, DSV, IBEB, SBVME, LIPM, F-13108 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France); CNRS, UMR 6191, F-13108 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France); Universite d' Aix-Marseille, F-13108 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France); Universite de Bordeaux 1/CNRS-IN2P3, UMR 5797, CENBG, POB 120, F-33175 Gradignan cedex (France); IRSN, DEI/SECRE/LRE-Bat 186, B.P.3, Cadarache Center, F-13115 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance cedex (France); Fevrier, Laureline [IRSN, DEI/SECRE/LRE-Bat 186, B.P.3, Cadarache Center, F-13115 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance cedex (France); others, and

    2012-07-15

    The diversity of bacterial communities exposed to radioactive contamination in Chernobyl soils was examined by a combination of molecular and culture-based approaches. A set of six radioactive soil samples, exhibiting high levels of {sup 137}Cs contamination, were collected from the T22 trench. Three samples were also collected in nearby soils with low contamination. Complex bacterial community structures were observed in both highly and weakly contaminated samples, using a molecular approach targeting the 16S rRNA gene. However, the presence of specific populations within samples from highly contaminated soils could not be revealed by statistical analysis of the DGGE profiles. More than 200 culturable isolates, representative of dominant morphotypes, were grouped into 83 Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) and affiliated to Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Alpha-, Beta-, Gamma-Proteobacteria and Bacteroiedetes. No specific pattern linked to contamination was observed for these culturable bacteria. The results show that both highly and weakly contaminated soils host a wide diversity of bacteria, suggesting that long term exposure to radionuclides does not lead to the extinction of bacterial diversity.

  14. Microbial diversity in contaminated soils along the T22 trench of the Chernobyl experimental platform

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chapon, Virginie; Piette, Laurie; Vesvres, Marie-Hélène; Coppin, Frédéric; Marrec, Claire Le; Christen, Richard; Theodorakopoulos, Nicolas; Février, Laureline

    2012-01-01

    The diversity of bacterial communities exposed to radioactive contamination in Chernobyl soils was examined by a combination of molecular and culture-based approaches. A set of six radioactive soil samples, exhibiting high levels of 137 Cs contamination, were collected from the T22 trench. Three samples were also collected in nearby soils with low contamination. Complex bacterial community structures were observed in both highly and weakly contaminated samples, using a molecular approach targeting the 16S rRNA gene. However, the presence of specific populations within samples from highly contaminated soils could not be revealed by statistical analysis of the DGGE profiles. More than 200 culturable isolates, representative of dominant morphotypes, were grouped into 83 Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) and affiliated to Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Alpha-, Beta-, Gamma-Proteobacteria and Bacteroïdetes. No specific pattern linked to contamination was observed for these culturable bacteria. The results show that both highly and weakly contaminated soils host a wide diversity of bacteria, suggesting that long term exposure to radionuclides does not lead to the extinction of bacterial diversity.

  15. Mouse Assay for Determination of Arsenic Bioavailability in Contaminated Soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Background: Accurate assessment of human exposure estimates from arsenic-contaminated soils depends upon estimating arsenic (As) soil bioavailability. Development of bioavailability assays provides data needed for human health risk assessments and supports development and valida...

  16. Use of soft data in a GIS to improve estimation of the volume of contaminated soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hendriks, L.A.M.; Leummens, H.; Stein, A.; Bruijn, P.J. de

    1998-01-01

    In the practice of soil remediation, organoleptic observations such as the smell or the colour of contaminated soil play an important role when determining well-defined volumes of contaminated soil. A geographical information system (GIS) is then used to combine quantitative measurements with such soft data. In this study general procedures concerning how to deal with this type of observation are presented. The procedures were applied to a former gas works site, which was contaminated with cyanide and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the Netherlands. The volume of contaminated soil was determined. Use of soft data reduced the uncertainty in the volume of contaminated soil 4 to 16%. 16 refs., 4 figs., 5 tabs

  17. Use of soft data in a GIS to improve estimation of the volume of contaminated soil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hendriks, L.A.M.; Leummens, H.; Stein, A.; Bruijn, P.J. de [Agricultural University, Wageningen (Netherlands). Dept. of Soil Science and Geology

    1998-01-01

    In the practice of soil remediation, organoleptic observations such as the smell or the colour of contaminated soil play an important role when determining well-defined volumes of contaminated soil. A geographical information system (GIS) is then used to combine quantitative measurements with such soft data. In this study general procedures concerning how to deal with this type of observation are presented. The procedures were applied to a former gas works site, which was contaminated with cyanide and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the Netherlands. The volume of contaminated soil was determined. Use of soft data reduced the uncertainty in the volume of contaminated soil 4 to 16%. 16 refs., 4 figs., 5 tabs.

  18. Bioaccumulation of 137Cs by microorganisms isolated from soils contaminated with radionuclides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pipiska, M.; Hornik, M.; Augustin, J.

    2003-01-01

    With the aim to evaluate the possibility of utilisation of autochtone population of soil organisms, alone or with participation of higher plants, in the processes of bioremediation the authors quantitatively determined a number of psychrophyllic and mezophyllic germs in the soils contaminated by low-level activities of Cs-137 (0.08 - 2.8 kBq/g). Hereafter they gained isolates of clean cultures of mushrooms and actinomycetes and they determined their bioacumulative activity of Cs-137 at growing conditions. The authors found out, that a number of reproductionable psychrophyllic and mezophyllic germs are significantly lower in the soils with the highest contamination by radionuclides than in the soils with low contamination. They gained the clean cultures of 5 isolates of micromycetes and 3 isolates of actinomycetes from contaminated soil. The micromycetes demonstrated the highest values of bioaccumulation of caesium 39 nmol/g of wet biomass at the growing conditions. In actionoomycetes these values were 4.7 nmol/g (approximately in one order lower). The significant part of cesium accumulated by cell matter at growing conditions were localised in cell matter and it could not be removed by washing with 0.9 percent of NaCl solution. The determined values of bioconcentration factor BCF recalculated on dry weight of biomass were in the range from 16.04 to 26.20 in micromycetes and 3.24 in actinomycetes. From this situation arise, that autochtone population of soil micromycetes and actionomycetes, which is found in contaminated soil, can relevantly participate in the processes of binding of biologically accessible forms of Cs-137 after a creation of suitable conditions for grow. (author)

  19. Impacts of soil petroleum contamination on nutrient release during litter decomposition of Hippophae rhamnoides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xiaoxi; Liu, Zengwen; Luc, Nhu Trung; Yu, Qi; Liu, Xiaobo; Liang, Xiao

    2016-03-01

    Petroleum exploitation causes contamination of shrub lands close to oil wells. Soil petroleum contamination affects nutrient release during the litter decomposition of shrubs, which influences nutrient recycling and the maintenance of soil fertility. Hence, this contamination may reduce the long-term growth and stability of shrub communities and consequently, the effects of phytoremediation. Fresh foliar litter of Hippophae rhamnoides, a potential phytoremediating species, was collected for this study. The litter was placed in litterbags and then buried in different petroleum-polluted soil media (the petroleum concentrations were 15, 30, and 45 g kg(-1) dry soil, which were considered as slightly, moderately and seriously polluted soil, respectively) for a decomposition test. The impacts of petroleum contamination on the release of nutrients (including N, P, K, Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, Ca and Mg) were assessed. The results showed that (1) after one year of decomposition, the release of all nutrients was accelerated in the slightly polluted soil. In the moderately polluted soil, P release was accelerated, while Cu, Zn and Mn release was inhibited. In the seriously polluted soil, Cu and Zn release was accelerated, while the release of the other nutrients was inhibited. (2) The effect of petroleum on nutrient release from litter differed in different periods during decomposition; this was mainly due to changes in soil microorganisms and enzymes under the stress of petroleum contamination. (3) To maintain the nutrient cycling and the soil fertility of shrub lands, H. rhamnoides is only suitable for phytoremediation of soils containing less than 30 g kg(-1) of petroleum.

  20. Bioremediation in soil contaminated with hydrocarbons in Colombia.

    OpenAIRE

    María Alejandra Trujillo Toro; Juan Fernando Ramírez Quirama

    2012-01-01

    This study analyzes bioremediation processes of hydrocarbon contaminated soils in Colombia as a sustainable alternative to the deterioration of environmental quality by hydrocarbon spillage. According to national and international environmental law, all waste contaminated with hydrocarbons is considered dangerous waste, and therefore it cannot be released in the ground, water or be incinerated. Such legislation has motivated companies around the world to implement treatment processes for cont...

  1. Assessment of the role of plants in the bioremediation of two hydrocarbon-contaminated soils

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bailey, V L; McGill, W G [Alberta Univ., Edmonton, AB (Canada). Dept. of Renewable Resources

    1999-01-01

    Phytoremediation has been considered as a viable alternative for cleaning up contaminated soils. A study was conducted to examine the potential for plant-assisted bioremediation of hydrocarbon contaminated soils using wheat, canola, sunflower, fababean, and alsike clover. Crops were grown to maturity in greenhouses. Creosote and oil contaminated soils were used. The soils and plant tissues were then extracted and measured for dichloromethane-extractable organic (DEO) materials. The concentrations of DEO within the soil was them compared with non-planted samples. The study showed that at the end of a three month period there was no major difference in DEO concentrations in any of the soils. After six months, the DEO concentrations of the greenhouse soils had decreased compared to the reserved samples, but there was no major change in concentration due to the presence of any of the plant species. The results indicate that the role of plants in bioremediation systems, both as enhancers of bioremediation systems and as the possible sinks of contaminant C, should be further studied. 22 refs., 1 tab., 7 figs.

  2. Assessment of the role of plants in the bioremediation of two hydrocarbon-contaminated soils

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bailey, V.L.; McGill, W.G. [Alberta Univ., Edmonton, AB (Canada). Dept. of Renewable Resources

    1999-07-01

    Phytoremediation has been considered as a viable alternative for cleaning up contaminated soils. A study was conducted to examine the potential for plant-assisted bioremediation of hydrocarbon contaminated soils using wheat, canola, sunflower, fababean, and alsike clover. Crops were grown to maturity in greenhouses. Creosote and oil contaminated soils were used. The soils and plant tissues were then extracted and measured for dichloromethane-extractable organic (DEO) materials. The concentrations of DEO within the soil was them compared with non-planted samples. The study showed that at the end of a three month period there was no major difference in DEO concentrations in any of the soils. After six months, the DEO concentrations of the greenhouse soils had decreased compared to the reserved samples, but there was no major change in concentration due to the presence of any of the plant species. The results indicate that the role of plants in bioremediation systems, both as enhancers of bioremediation systems and as the possible sinks of contaminant C, should be further studied. 22 refs., 1 tab., 7 figs.

  3. Assessment of the role of plants in the bioremediation of two hydrocarbon-contaminated soils

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bailey, V.L.; McGill, W.G. [Alberta Univ., Edmonton, AB (Canada). Dept. of Renewable Resources

    1999-09-01

    Phytoremediation has been considered as a viable alternative for cleaning up contaminated soils. A study was conducted to examine the potential for plant-assisted bioremediation of hydrocarbon contaminated soils using wheat, canola, sunflower, fababean, and alsike clover. Crops were grown to maturity in greenhouses. Creosote and oil contaminated soils were used. The soils and plant tissues were then extracted and measured for dichloromethane-extractable organic (DEO) materials. The concentrations of DEO within the soil was them compared with non-planted samples. The study showed that at the end of a three month period there was no major difference in DEO concentrations in any of the soils. After six months, the DEO concentrations of the greenhouse soils had decreased compared to the reserved samples, but there was no major change in concentration due to the presence of any of the plant species. The results indicate that the role of plants in bioremediation systems, both as enhancers of bioremediation systems and as the possible sinks of contaminant C, should be further studied. 22 refs., 1 tab., 7 figs.

  4. Assessment of the role of plants in the bioremediation of two hydrocarbon-contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bailey, V.L.; McGill, W.G.

    1999-01-01

    Phytoremediation has been considered as a viable alternative for cleaning up contaminated soils. A study was conducted to examine the potential for plant-assisted bioremediation of hydrocarbon contaminated soils using wheat, canola, sunflower, fababean, and alsike clover. Crops were grown to maturity in greenhouses. Creosote and oil contaminated soils were used. The soils and plant tissues were then extracted and measured for dichloromethane-extractable organic (DEO) materials. The concentrations of DEO within the soil was them compared with non-planted samples. The study showed that at the end of a three month period there was no major difference in DEO concentrations in any of the soils. After six months, the DEO concentrations of the greenhouse soils had decreased compared to the reserved samples, but there was no major change in concentration due to the presence of any of the plant species. The results indicate that the role of plants in bioremediation systems, both as enhancers of bioremediation systems and as the possible sinks of contaminant C, should be further studied. 22 refs., 1 tab., 7 figs

  5. Potential of Ranunculus acris L. for biomonitoring trace element contamination of riverbank soils: photosystem II activity and phenotypic responses for two soil series.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marchand, Lilian; Lamy, Pierre; Bert, Valerie; Quintela-Sabaris, Celestino; Mench, Michel

    2016-02-01

    Foliar ionome, photosystem II activity, and leaf growth parameters of Ranunculus acris L., a potential biomonitor of trace element (TE) contamination and phytoavailability, were assessed using two riverbank soil series. R. acris was cultivated on two potted soil series obtained by mixing a TE (Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn)-contaminated technosol with either an uncontaminated sandy riverbank soil (A) or a silty clay one slightly contaminated by TE (B). Trace elements concentrations in the soil-pore water and the leaves, leaf dry weight (DW) yield, total leaf area (TLA), specific leaf area (SLA), and photosystem II activity were measured for both soil series after a 50-day growth period. As soil contamination increased, changes in soluble TE concentrations depended on soil texture. Increase in total soil TE did not affect the leaf DW yield, the TLA, the SLA, and the photosystem II activity of R. acris over the 50-day exposure. The foliar ionome did not reflect the total and soluble TE concentrations in both soil series. Foliar ionome of R. acris was only effective to biomonitor total and soluble soil Na concentrations in both soil series and total and soluble soil Mo concentrations in the soil series B.

  6. Three-dimensional data interpolation for environmental purpose: lead in contaminated soils in southern Brazil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piedade, Tales Campos; Melo, Vander Freitas; Souza, Luiz Cláudio Paula; Dieckow, Jeferson

    2014-09-01

    Monitoring of heavy metal contamination plume in soils can be helpful in establishing strategies to minimize its hazardous impacts to the environment. The objective of this study was to apply a new approach of visualization, based on tridimensional (3D) images, of pseudo-total (extracted with concentrated acids) and exchangeable (extracted with 0.5 mol L(-1) Ca(NO3)2) lead (Pb) concentrations in soils of a mining and metallurgy area to determine the spatial distribution of this pollutant and to estimate the most contaminated soil volumes. Tridimensional images were obtained after interpolation of Pb concentrations of 171 soil samples (57 points × 3 depths) with regularized spline with tension in a 3D function version. The tridimensional visualization showed great potential of use in environmental studies and allowed to determine the spatial 3D distribution of Pb contamination plume in the area and to establish relationships with soil characteristics, landscape, and pollution sources. The most contaminated soil volumes (10,001 to 52,000 mg Pb kg(-1)) occurred near the metallurgy factory. The main contamination sources were attributed to atmospheric emissions of particulate Pb through chimneys. The large soil volume estimated to be removed to industrial landfills or co-processing evidenced the difficulties related to this practice as a remediation strategy.

  7. Ex situ bioremediation of oil-contaminated soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Ta-Chen; Pan, Po-Tsen; Cheng, Sheng-Shung

    2010-04-15

    An innovative bioprocess method, Systematic Environmental Molecular Bioremediation Technology (SEMBT) that combines bioaugmentation and biostimulation with a molecular monitoring microarray biochip, was developed as an integrated bioremediation technology to treat S- and T-series biopiles by using the landfarming operation and reseeding process to enhance the bioremediation efficiency. After 28 days of the bioremediation process, diesel oil (TPH(C10-C28)) and fuel oil (TPH(C10-C40)) were degraded up to approximately 70% and 63% respectively in the S-series biopiles. When the bioaugmentation and biostimulation were applied in the beginning of bioremediation, the microbial concentration increased from approximately 10(5) to 10(6) CFU/g dry soil along with the TPH biodegradation. Analysis of microbial diversity in the contaminated soils by microarray biochips revealed that Acinetobacter sp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were the predominant groups in indigenous consortia, while the augmented consortia were Gordonia alkanivorans and Rhodococcus erythropolis in both series of biopiles during bioremediation. Microbial respiration as influenced by the microbial activity reflected directly the active microbial population and indirectly the biodegradation of TPH. Field experimental results showed that the residual TPH concentration in the complex biopile was reduced to less than 500 mg TPH/kg dry soil. The above results demonstrated that the SEMBT technology is a feasible alternative to bioremediate the oil-contaminated soil. Crown Copyright 2009. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Assessment of contaminant lability during phytoremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon impacted soil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zakia D. Parrish; M. Katherine Banks; A. Paul Schwab [Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, CT (United States). Department of Soil and Water

    2005-09-15

    Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are recalcitrant compounds, some of which are known carcinogens, often found in high residual soil concentrations at industrial sites. Recent research has confirmed that phytoremediation holds promise as a low-cost treatment method for PAH contaminated soil. In this study, the lability of soil bound PAHs in the rhizosphere was estimated using solid phase extraction resin. An extraction time of 14 days was determined to be appropriate for this study. Resin-extractable PAHs, which are assumed to be more bioavailable, decreased during plant treatments. Significant reductions in the labile concentrations of several PAH compounds occurred over 12 months of plant growth. The differences in concentration between the unplanted and the planted soil indicate that the presence of plant roots, in addition to the passage of time, contributes to reduction in the bioavailability of target PAHs. The lability of sorbed contaminants is modified by the presence of plants. Remediation coupled with plant treatment can change the bioavailability of contaminants in soil.

  9. Assessment of contaminant lability during phytoremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon impacted soil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Parrish, Zakia D. [Department of Soil and Water, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, 123 Huntington Street, New Haven, CT 06511 (United States); Banks, M. Katherine [School of Civil Engineering, Purdue University, 550 Stadium Mall Drive, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2051 (United States)]. E-mail: kbanks@ecn.purdue.edu; Schwab, A. Paul [Department of Agronomy, Purdue University, 915 W. State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2054 (United States)

    2005-09-15

    Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are recalcitrant compounds, some of which are known carcinogens, often found in high residual soil concentrations at industrial sites. Recent research has confirmed that phytoremediation holds promise as a low-cost treatment method for PAH contaminated soil. In this study, the lability of soil bound PAHs in the rhizosphere was estimated using solid phase extraction resin. An extraction time of 14 days was determined to be appropriate for this study. Resin-extractable PAHs, which are assumed to be more bioavailable, decreased during plant treatments. Significant reductions in the labile concentrations of several PAH compounds occurred over 12 months of plant growth. The differences in concentration between the unplanted and the planted soil indicate that the presence of plant roots, in addition to the passage of time, contributes to reduction in the bioavailability of target PAHs. - The lability of sorbed contaminants is modified by the presence of plants. Remediation coupled with plant treatment can change the bioavailability of contaminants in soil.

  10. Assessment of contaminant lability during phytoremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon impacted soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parrish, Zakia D.; Banks, M. Katherine; Schwab, A. Paul

    2005-01-01

    Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are recalcitrant compounds, some of which are known carcinogens, often found in high residual soil concentrations at industrial sites. Recent research has confirmed that phytoremediation holds promise as a low-cost treatment method for PAH contaminated soil. In this study, the lability of soil bound PAHs in the rhizosphere was estimated using solid phase extraction resin. An extraction time of 14 days was determined to be appropriate for this study. Resin-extractable PAHs, which are assumed to be more bioavailable, decreased during plant treatments. Significant reductions in the labile concentrations of several PAH compounds occurred over 12 months of plant growth. The differences in concentration between the unplanted and the planted soil indicate that the presence of plant roots, in addition to the passage of time, contributes to reduction in the bioavailability of target PAHs. - The lability of sorbed contaminants is modified by the presence of plants. Remediation coupled with plant treatment can change the bioavailability of contaminants in soil

  11. Bioremediation potential of coal-tar-oil-contaminated soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lajoie, C.A.

    1991-01-01

    The bioremediation of coal tar oil contaminated soil was investigated in 90 day laboratory simulation experiments. The effect of soil moisture, humic acid amendment, and coal tar oil concentration on the rate of disappearance of individual coal tar oil constituents (PAHs and related compounds) was determined by methylene chloride extraction and gas chromatography. Mass balance experiments determined the fate of both the individual 14 C-labeled PAHs phenanthrene, pyrene, and benzo(a)pyrene, and the total coal tar oil carbon. Mineralization, volatilization, incorporation into microbial biomass, disappearance of individual coal tar oil constitutents, and the distribution of residual 14 C-activity in different soil fractions were measured. The rate of disappearance of coal tar oil constituents increased with increasing soil moisture over the experimental range. Humic acid amendment initially enhanced the rate of disappearance, but decreased the extent of disappearance. The amount of contamination removed decreased at higher coal tar oil concentrations. The practical limit for biodegradation in the system tested appeared to be between 1.0 and 2.5% coal tar oil. Mineralization accounted for 40 to 50% of the applied coal tar oil. Volatilization was a minor pathway of disappearance

  12. Underground waters and soil contamination studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ferreira, Vinicius V.M.; Camargos, Claudio C.; Santos, Rosana A.M.

    2009-01-01

    Maybe the greatest problem associated to the nuclear energy is what to do with the waste generated. As example, in Portugal, two of the most important of uranium mines produced a significant amount of waste, now deposited in several storage facilities. To evaluate the impacts generated, samples of water, sediments and soils were analyzed. The space distribution of these samples revealed that the contamination is restricted in the vicinity of the mining areas, and the biggest problem happened due to the illegal use of waters for irrigation, originated from the mine effluents treatment stations. In Brazil, the radioactive waste remains a problem for the authorities and population, since there is not until now a final repository to storage them. The objective of this work is to do studies with the software FRAC3DVS, which simulates the contamination of soils and underground waters due to radioactive and no radioactive sources of pollution. The obtained results show that this tool can help in environmental evaluations and decision making processes in the site selection of a radioactive waste repository. (author)

  13. Enhanced bioremediation of PAH-contaminated soil by immobilized bacteria with plant residue and biochar as carriers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Baoliang; Yuan, Miaoxin; Qian, Linbo [Zhejiang Univ., Hangzhou (China). Dept. of Environmental Science; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Hangzhou (China)

    2012-10-15

    Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are largely accumulated in soils in China. The immobilized-microorganism technique (IMT) is a potential approach for abating soil contamination with PAHs. However, few studies about the application of IMT to contaminated soil remediation were reported. Due to recalcitrance to decomposition, biochar application to soil may enhance soil carbon sequestration, but few studies on the application of biochars to remediation of contaminated soil were reported. In this study, we illustrated enhanced bioremediation of soil having a long history of PAH contamination by IMT using plant residues and biochars as carriers. Two PAH-degrading bacteria, Pseudomonas putida and an unidentified indigenous bacterium, were selected for IMT. The extractability and biodegradation of 15 PAHs in solution and an actual PAH-contaminated soil amended with immobilized-bacteria materials were investigated under different incubation periods. The effects of carriers and the molecular weight of PAHs on bioremediation efficiency were determined to illustrate their different bio-dissipation mechanisms of PAHs in soil. The IMT can considerably enhance the removal of PAHs. Carriers impose different effects on PAH bio-dissipation by amended soil with immobilized-bacteria, which can directly degrade the carrier-associated PAHs. The removal of PAHs from soil depended on PAH molecular weight and carrier types. Enhanced bio-dissipation by IMT was much stronger for 4- and 5-ring PAHs than for 3- and 6-ring ones in soil. Only P400 biochar-immobilized bacteria enhanced bio-dissipation of all PAHs in contaminated soil after a 90-day incubation. Biochar can promote bioremediation of contaminated soil as microbial carriers of IMT. It is vital to select an appropriate biochar as an immobilized carrier to stimulate biodegradation. It is feasible to use adsorption carriers with high sorptive capabilities to concentrate PAHs as well as microorganisms and thereby enhance

  14. Combination of microbial oxidation and biogenic schwertmannite immobilization: A potential remediation for highly arsenic-contaminated soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Zhihui; Wu, Zijian; Liao, Yingping; Liao, Qi; Yang, Weichun; Chai, Liyuan

    2017-08-01

    Here, a novel strategy that combines microbial oxidation by As(III)-oxidizing bacterium and biogenic schwertmannite (Bio-SCH) immobilization was first proposed and applied for treating the highly arsenic-contaminated soil. Brevibacterium sp. YZ-1 isolated from a highly As-contaminated soil was used to oxidize As(III) in contaminated soils. Under optimum culture condition for microbial oxidation, 92.3% of water-soluble As(III) and 84.4% of NaHCO 3 -extractable As(III) in soils were removed. Bio-SCH synthesized through the oxidation of ferrous sulfate by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans immobilize As(V) in the contaminated soil effectively. Consequently, the combination of microbial oxidation and Bio-SCH immobilization performed better in treating the highly As-contaminated soil with immobilization efficiencies of 99.3% and 82.6% for water-soluble and NaHCO 3 -extractable total As, respectively. Thus, the combination can be considered as a green remediation strategy for developing a novel and valuable solution for As-contaminated soils. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Advanced remediation of uranium-contaminated soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, S S; Han, G S; Kim, G N; Koo, D S; Kim, I G; Choi, J W

    2016-11-01

    The existing decontamination method using electrokinetic equipment after acidic washing for uranium-contaminated soil requires a long decontamination time and a significant amount of electric power. However, after soil washing, with a sulfuric acid solution and an oxidant at 65 °C, the removal of the muddy solution using a 100 mesh sieve can decrease the radioactivity of the remaining coarse soil to the clearance level. Therefore, only a small amount of fine soil collected from the muddy solution requires the electrokinetic process for its decontamination. Furthermore, it is found that the selective removal of uranium from the sulfuric washing solution is not obtained using an anion exchanger but rather using a cation exchanger, unexpectedly. More than 90% of the uranium in the soil washing solutions is adsorbed on the S-950 resin, and 87% of the uranium adsorbed on S-950 is desorbed by washing with a 0.5 M Na 2 CO 3 solution at 60 °C. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Assessing the Educational Needs of Urban Gardeners and Farmers on the Subject of Soil Contamination

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harms, Ashley Marie Raes; Presley, DeAnn Ricks; Hettiarachchi, Ganga M.; Thien, Stephen J.

    2013-01-01

    Participation in urban agriculture is growing throughout the United States; however, potential soil contaminants in urban environments present challenges. Individuals in direct contact with urban soil should be aware of urban soil quality and soil contamination issues to minimize environmental and human health risks. The study reported here…

  17. Soil contamination in south Backa region of Serbia with dangerous and harmful substances

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maksimović Livija

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Soil samples in disturbed state were taken in order to control fertility and monitor contents of harmful and hazardous substances in Vojvodina soils and possibilities of soil degradation in general. Moderately contaminated soils were selected for examination. Microbial activity in contaminated soil and the impact of harmful and hazardous substances (pesticides on soil microorganisms were observed and most resistant microorganisms were isolated. Vegetation experiments were organized to study the effect of chelating agents EDTA and EDDS on copper adoption and translocation in rapeseed and sunflower. Importance of some ions in the complexation of copper chelators and their undesirable effects on copper uptake were established. Field trials were organized to study the effect of hydrogel on water uptakes by plants, increase in rate and the increase in rate of removal of hazardous and harmful substances from soil solution. At all phases of the project, we monitored the effectiveness of soil bioremediation soils by means of the application of chelating agents, stimulative preparations such as hydrogel and certain microorganisms. It effectiveness was measured in terms of plant growth rate and intensity in removal of hazardous and harmful substances from contaminated soil.

  18. Pollution of soil and groundwater from infiltration of highly contaminated stormwater - a case study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mikkelsen, P.S.; Häfliger, M.; Ochs, M.

    1997-01-01

    and subsurface sediments and some even exceeded guidelines fixed to preserve the fertility of soil. However, the contamination decreased rapidly with depth. None of the measured metal concentrations in simulated soil solutions exceeded defined drinking water quality standards. Surprisingly, the surface......A surface and a sub-surface infiltration system that received runoff water from trafficked roads for several decades was dug up and the contamination with heavy metals, PAH and AOX was investigated. Most measured solid phase concentrations exceeded background concentrations in nearby surface soils...... contamination due to stormwater infiltration, but highlights that well absorbable contaminants readily available in urban stormwater runoff eventually build up in surface soils and sub-surface sediments to environmentally critical concentration levels. Thus, on the one hand stormwater infiltration systems may...

  19. Remediation of cadmium by Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) from cadmium contaminated soil: a phytoextraction study

    OpenAIRE

    Rajeev Kumar Bhadkariya; VK Jain; GPS Chak; SK Gupta

    2014-01-01

    Cadmium is a toxic metal for living organisms and an environmental contaminant. Soils in many parts of the world are slightly too moderately contaminated by Cd due to long term use and disposal of Cd-contaminated wastes. Cost effective technologies are needed to remove cadmium from the contaminated sites. Soil phytoextraction is engineering based, low cost and socially accepted developing technology that uses plants to clean up contaminants in soils. This technology can be adopted as a remedi...

  20. Review on utilization of biochar for metal-contaminated soil and sediment remediation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Mingming; Zhu, Yi; Cheng, Lirong; Andserson, Bruce; Zhao, Xiaohui; Wang, Dayang; Ding, Aizhong

    2018-01-01

    Biochar is a carbon-neutral or even carbon-negative material produced through thermal decomposition of plant- and animal-based biomass under oxygen-limited conditions. Recently, there has been an increasing interest in the application of biochar as an adsorbent, soil ameliorant and climate mitigation approach in many types of applications. Metal-contaminated soil remediation using biochar has been intensively investigated in small-scale and pilot-scale trials with obtained beneficial results and multifaceted effects. But so far, the study and application of biochar in contaminated sediment management has been very limited, and this is also a worldwide problem. Nonetheless, there is reason to believe that the same multiple benefits can also be realized with these sediments due to similar mechanisms for stabilizing contaminants. This paper provides a review on current biochar properties and its use as a sorbent/amendment for metal-contaminated soil/sediment remediation and its effect on plant growth, fauna habits as well as microorganism communities. In addition, the use of biochar as a potential strategy for contaminated sediment management is also discussed, especially as regards in-situ planning. Finally, we highlight the possibility of biochar application as an effective amendment and propose further research directions to ensure the safe and sustainable use of biochar as an amendment for remediation of contaminated soil and sediment. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.