Pilot Scale Bioremediation of Creosote-Contaminated Soil-Efficacy of Enhanced Natural Attenuation and Bioaugmentation Strategies

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2005

Authors

Juhasz, A.L.
Waller, N.
Lease, C.
Bentham, R.
Stewart, R.

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Bioremediation Journal, 2005; 9(3-4):139-154

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In this study, the efficacy of bioremediation strategies (enhanced natural attenuation with nitrate and phosphate addition [ENA] and bioaugmentation) for the remediation of creosote-contaminated soil (7767±1286 mg kg <sup>-1</sup> of the 16 EPA priority PAHs) was investigated at pilot scale. Bioaugmentation of creosote-contaminated soil with freshly grown or freeze dried Mycobacterium sp. strain 1B (a PAH degrading microorganism) was applied following bench scale studies that indicated that the indigenous soil microflora had a limited PAH metabolic activity. After 182 days, the total PAH concentration in creosote-contaminated soil was reduced from 7767 ± 1286 mg kg<sup>-1</sup> to 5579 ± 321 mg kg<sup>-1</sup>, 2250±71mg kg<sup>-1</sup>, 2050±354 mg kg<sup>-1</sup> and 1950±70mg kg <sup>-1</sup> in natural attenuation (no additions) and ENA biopiles and biopiles augmented with freshly grown or freeze dried Mycobacterium sp. strain 1B respectively. In ENA and bioaugmentation biopiles, between 82% and 99% of three-ring compounds (acenaphthene, anthracene, fluorene, phenanthrene) were removed while four-ring PAH removal ranged from 33 to 81%. However, the extent of PAH degradation did not vary significantly between the ENA treatment and biopiles augmented with Mycobacterium sp. strain 1B. Four-ring PAH removal followed the order fluoranthene > pyrene > benz[a]anthracene > chrysene. The high residual concentration of some four-ring PAHs may be attributable to bioavailability issues rather than a lack of microbial catabolic activity. Comparable results between ENA and bioaugmentation at pilot scale were surprising given the limited degradative capacity of the microbial consortia enriched from the creosote-contaminated soil. © 2005 Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

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