Scholarly record

APPLICATION OF BIOREMEDIATION IN THE DECONTAMINATION OF POLLUTED SOIL WITH PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS

Roxana Gabriela Popa

Abstract

The exploitation of petroleum deposits in Romania within the ?icleni Petroleum Structure is based on the technological process consisting of drilling for exploration (exploration wells) or for extraction (extraction wells) in three phases. As a consequence of the direct or indirect discharge of crude oil and salted water, the quality of the soil and of the groundwater is affected by petroleum hydrocarbons, chlorides, gases and other organic compounds. Biodegradation is an effective method for decontamination of soil contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons, because the organic carbon required by micro-organisms is retrieved from these products. The microorganisms metabolize and digest organic substances (fuels, solvents) to ensure nutrients and energy, turning them into non-toxic products, carbon dioxide and water. In order to highlight soil contamination with petroleum hydrocarbons due to the specific activities within the ?icleni Production Unit and the possibility of application of bioremediation as a soil depollution method, soil samples were taken from the area of each operating section at different levels depth (from the soil surface, from depth of the soil profile and from low depth drilling) and the pH, chlorine and oil quality indicators were analyzed. The bioremediation process is a simple process, consisting in placing the soil polluted in furrows or piles on the bioremediation platform, maintaining of an optimum humidity and mechanically reassembling it with a loosening material to provide the necessary oxygen supply. In order to reduce the petroleum hydrocarbon content, the contaminated soil resulted from the area of the exploitation units and the sediments resulting from the primary processing of the petroleum residues were subject to depollution, by applying the bioremediation method and treated in the bioremediation station. Following the application of bioremediation, the THP concentration was determined for the treated soil batch and it was demonstrated that the degree of danger was reduced, establishing its destination as a filler material in the areas resulting from the soil contaminated excavation works on decommissioned sites.

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