Emergency Services to Conduct Laboratory Research Concerning Appropriate Additions at Nas Patuxent River Fuel Farm In Situ Bioreclamation
Abstract
The effect of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) concentration on the biological treatment of contaminated soils collected from NAS Patuxent River, MD fuel farm was investigated in closed-shake flasks as a basis for future full- scale in situ biological treatment. Soil samples with a TPH concentration of 2, 000 mg/Kg were mixed with uncontaminated sand to provide a concentration gradient from 180 to 1,570 mg/Kg TPH. Biological treatment experiments resulted in degradation of hydrocarbons to below detectable levels within 61 days for samples with TPH concentrations of = or < 490 mg/ Kg. In samples with TPH concentrations of = or >830 mg/Kg, biological treatment resulted in minimal TPH loss over the study period. Specific substrate utilization rates decreased and specific growth rates were not significantly different with increasing TPH concentrations. The data show that microbial growth processes during the logarithmic growth phase were not inhibited at higher TPH concentrations. However, mass transfer limitations and/or toxicity from metabolities formed during logarithmic growth may have caused a decline in microbial numbers resulting in undegraded petroleum residuals in the systems with initial TPH concentrations of = or >830 mg/Kg. In an attempt to increase biological degradation rates, soil samples with an initial TPH concentration of 2,000 mg/Kg were amended with methanol. Treatment with the added methanol resulted in greater TPH degradation over a 34-day period relative to control treatments. Venting of sand and peat soils was investigated to assess the amount of hydrocarbons removed from the vadose zone.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA252356
Entities
People
- Patrick N. Mcguire
- Richard J. Watts
Organizations
- University of Nevada, Reno