Abstract
Large-scale landfarming experiments have been performed on a loamy sand soil. An amount of 1,350 m3/ha oil sludge together with nutrients (N,P,K) and a bacterial inoculum were applied at two different times over a five-year period. At both test periods, biodegradation of the hydrocarbons (HC) was best fitted with first order reaction kinetics with degradation rates ranging from about 4 g HC/kg dry soil per year to about 15 g HC/kg dry soil per year. Toxicity tests on the aqueous soil extracts as well as plant growth and worm tests on the landfarm soil showed no striking negative effects of residual hydrocarbons. Migration of oil, nitrate and phosphate to the groundwater was minimal. In view of the diversity of solvents recommended in the literature, twenty extractants were tested for their capacity to remove HC from the loamy sand soil. Chlorinated solvents, such as dichloromethane and chloroform, were the most effective. Yet, in view of its effectiveness and low toxicity, acetone appears a suitable solvent for the extraction of soils and sediments polluted with hydrocarbons. This case-study revealed that oil sludge can effectively be treated by landfarming, if appropriate technical measures are taken and a sufficient time (minimum 15 years) for bioremediation is provided.
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Genouw, G., de Naeyer, F., van Meenen, P. et al. Degradation of oil sludge by landfarming — a case-study at the Ghent harbour. Biodegradation 5, 37–46 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00695212
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00695212