Premium
Bioremediation of creosote‐contaminated soil in South Africa by landfarming
Author(s) -
Atagana H.I.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of applied microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.889
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1365-2672
pISSN - 1364-5072
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2672.2003.02168.x
Subject(s) - creosote , bioremediation , biostimulation , bioaugmentation , environmental chemistry , loam , soil contamination , environmental science , environmental remediation , contamination , soil water , chemistry , waste management , ecology , biology , soil science , engineering
Aims: To determine the combined effects of biostimulation and bioaugmentation in the landfarming of a mispah form (lithosol; food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)) soil contaminated with >310 000 mg kg −1 creosote with a view to developing a bioremediation technology for soils heavily contaminated with creosote. Methods and Results: The excavated soil was mixed with 2500 kg ha −1 dolomitic lime and 2000 kg ha −1 mono‐ammonium phosphate (MAP) before spreading over a treatment bed of shale reinforced with clay. Sewage sludge (500 kg) was ploughed into 450 m 3 of contaminated soil in the second and sixth months of treatment. A further 1000 kg ha −1 MAP was added to the soil at the end of the fifth month. Moisture was maintained at 70% field capacity. Total creosote was determined by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) method 418·1 and concentrations of selected creosote components were determined by gas chromatography/flame ionisation detection (GC/FID). Total creosote was reduced by more than 90% by the 10th month of landfarming. The rate of reduction in creosote concentration was highest after the addition of sewage sludge. The three‐ring PAHs were more slowly removed than naphthalene and the phenolic compounds. The four‐ and five‐ring PAHs, although persist until the end of treatment, were reduced by 76–87% at the end of the experiment. Conclusions: A combination of biostimulation and bioaugmentation during landfarming could enhance the bioremediation of soils heavily contaminated with creosote. Significance and Impact of the Study: The study provides information on the management of a combination of biostimulation and bioaugmentation during landfarming, and contributes to the knowledge and database necessary for the development of a technology for bioremediating creosote‐contaminated land.