COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ORGANIC AND INORGANIC AMENDMENTS AGREGGATE ON BIOREMEDIATION PROCESSES OF OIL CONTAMINATED NORTH PATAGONIAN SOILS

Abstract

Remediation technologies of oil contaminated soils are based on physicochemical, thermal and biological treatments. Within the latter, bioremediation proved to be an efficient and sustainable technology, commonly performed by adding synthetic fertilizers (F) and control of the environmental conditions process. This work, carry out at laboratory-scale, study the efficacy of adding biosolids (B) and composted biosolids (CB) compared to bioremediation conventional methods in north Patagonian soils contaminated with oil. We study the petroleum hydrocarbons degradation rate by applying B and CB vs conventional treatments: F addition and landfarming method, aeration, tillage and wetting (LH). The obtained results shows a statistically significant difference in the degradation kinetics, where B> CB> F> LH. The heavy hydrocarbon fraction (HFP), considered resistant to biodegradation showed significant reductions, being B the most effective treatment. Volatile aromatic hydrocarbons, usually named BTEX, were eliminated rapidly, due to processes of volatilization and biodegradation. Organic amendments optimize microbial activity producing significant improvement over conventional bioremediation treatments in this type of soils.